page_title: Hugh Mahon
section_title: Federal politics
hierarchical_section_title: Hugh Mahon / Political career / Federal politics
caption_attribution_description: Hugh Mahon, Australian politician
context_page_description: Hugh Mahon was an Australian politician. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party and held ministerial office in the party's earliest governments. He served terms as Postmaster-General, Minister for Home Affairs, and Minister for External Affairs. However, Mahon is chiefly known as the only person to be expelled from the Parliament of Australia, for making "seditious and disloyal utterances" about the British Empire. He failed to win his seat back at the by-election.
context_section_description: Upon entry into federal parliament, Mahon gained a reputation for savage wit and bitter sarcasm. He advocated Aboriginal rights, calling for a royal commission into their treatment in WA and for an amendment to the Constitution to give the federal parliament power to pass laws relating to Aborigines in the states. It was not until 1967 that that amendment was approved at a referendum. In 1905 Mahon helped shepherd through both houses of parliament resolutions in support of Irish home rule. Thereafter he became increasingly identified as an advocate of Irish nationalism. In 1907 Cardinal Patrick Moran invited him to deliver the St Patrick's Day address in Sydney. In 1909 he was a key player in the St Patrick's Day celebrations in Melbourne, addressed by the Governor General. In July 1910 he moved a resolution in the House of Representatives requesting the new king George V to omit from the coronation oath references offensive to Catholics.
  He was Postmaster-General in the Watson government in 1904 and Minister for Home Affairs in the Fisher government of 1908–09. In the latter role he directed the District Surveyor, Charles Scrivener, to examine the Yass-Canberra district to determine the most suitable place for the seat of government.
  In 1913, the seat of Coolgardie was abolished and partly replaced by Dampier, for which he stood unsuccessfully. He re-entered Parliament in the seat of Kalgoorlie; following the death of the incumbent, Charlie Frazer, a by-election was called, but at the close of nominations on 22 December 1913 Mahon was the sole candidate and was declared elected unopposed.  He became Minister for External Affairs in December 1914 until the Labor Party split in 1916.
caption: Mahon in 1908
exif: {}