page_title: Bruce Smith (Australian politician)
section_title: Federal politics
hierarchical_section_title: Bruce Smith (Australian politician) / Federal politics
caption_attribution_description: English: Australian politician Bruce Smith
context_page_description: Arthur Bruce Smith KC was a long serving Australian politician and leading political opponent of the White Australia policy.
context_section_description: Following the Federation of Australia on 1 January 1901, Smith successfully contested the newly created federal Division of Parkes at the inaugural Australian federal election as a Free Trade Party representative.  He campaigned strongly against the idea of restricting non-white immigration, believing it to be racial discrimination; in doing so, Smith was the only candidate to oppose all of what would become the White Australia Policy (Andrew Fisher argued that any Kanaka who had converted to Christianity and married should be allowed to remain in Australia).
  In parliament, Smith often clashed with his Free Trade colleagues, particularly party leader George Reid, over his refusal to toe the party line.  Despite opposing tariffs, social welfare provisions and "meddling legislation", Smith was a strong supporter of the women's movement and was known as parliament's preeminent political economist and one of its finest debaters.
  While a member of parliament, Smith continued to act as a barrister and was made a King's Counsel in 1904.  Additionally, he served on numerous commercial boards, including as a director of the Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society Ltd, and held senior positions with community organisations such as New South Wales president of the British Empire League in Australia and state president of the Association for the Protection of Native Races.
  Smith lost Nationalist preselection at the 1919 election and was defeated as an independent candidate, having spent almost all his period in federal parliament in opposition.  He was offered the role of Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives twice but declined in order to concentrate on other matters.
  Physically, the urbane Smith was a distinctive looking man; tall, stout, double-chinned and the owner of a fine example of a waxed moustache.
caption: Smith c. 1903
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