National Country Party
During 1916 and early 1917, progress was made by the eastern states' country parties to form a national party. A proposed coalition of the Western Australian Country Party with the Liberal Party and National Labor Party in May 1917 was followed through by Gardiner. He led the Country Party into the Lefroy coalition government, which comprised Liberal, Country Party and National Labor representatives. Gardiner was elected unopposed in the general elections in September, representing the National Country Party.
In January and February 1919, Gardiner was stranded in Melbourne for several weeks, owing to the Spanish Flu epidemic and a seamen's strike. The acting Western Australian premier, Hal Colebatch, had implemented quarantine restrictions, which caused a great amount of friction with Gardiner. Gardiner resigned as treasurer on 1 April 1919, although he remained in the Legislative Assembly as a backbencher. He finally resigned from parliament on 12 March 1921.
Following a three-year illness brought on by a stroke, he died on 27 October 1928 and was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery.
Read more about this topic: James Gardiner (Australian Politician)
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