page_title: Gregor McGregor
section_title: Senate
hierarchical_section_title: Gregor McGregor / Senate
caption_attribution_description: Group photograph of Federal Labour Party MPs elected to the Australian House of Representatives and Australian Senate at the inaugural 1901 election, including Chris Watson, Andrew Fisher, Billy Hughes, Frank Tudor, King O'Malley and Lee Batchelor. From left to right: Back Row - Charles McDonald, George Pearce, Josiah Thomas, James Page, James Fowler, John Barrett, David O'Keefe. Middle row - David Watkins, Thomas Brown, King O'Malley, Hugh Mahon, William Higgs, Andrew Fisher, Hugh de Largie, Frederick Bamford. Front row - William Spence, Anderson Dawson, Gregor McGregor, Chris Watson, James Stewart, Lee Batchelor, James Ronald. Kneeling - Frank Tudor, Billy Hughes.
context_page_description: Gregor McGregor was an Australian politician who served as a Senator for South Australia from 1901 until his death in 1914, representing the Labor Party. He was the party's inaugural Senate leader, and served three terms as Leader of the Government in the Senate.
context_section_description: At the inaugural 1901 federal election, McGregor was elected to the Senate as one of six South Australian senators, and the only one from the Labor Party. He was the final senator to be elected, recording only 644 more votes than his nearest opponent, Andrew Kirkpatrick. However, when he was re-elected in 1903 and 1910 he topped the poll, winning more votes than any other South Australian candidate.
  When the Labor caucus met for the first time after the 1901 election, McGregor was elected as the party's inaugural Senate leader. His party held the balance of power, and he soon told the Senate that "we are for sale". Chris Watson, Labor's first leader, described McGregor as "a powerful force in our party because of his political sagacity and perfect loyalty". Hugh Mahon said "his memory was phenomenal, his imagination rich and vivid". McGregor was Leader of the Government in the Senate and Vice-President of the Executive Council in each of the first three Labor governments – the short-lived Watson Government of 1904 and Andrew Fisher's first two governments (1908 to 1909 and 1910 to 1913). As Leader of the Opposition in the Senate from 1913 to 1914, McGregor had an unusual level of influence due to his party holding a majority in the Senate.
  In mid-1914, McGregor took leave from parliament due to ill health. He died from a heart condition on 13 August, at his home in Unley. His death came during the 1914 election campaign, and after he had already nominated himself as a candidate. He was given a state funeral and buried at West Terrace Cemetery.
caption: Group photograph of all Labor MPs elected at the inaugural 1901 election, including future prime ministers Chris Watson, Andrew Fisher, and Billy Hughes. McGregor is seated in a chair at front, third from left.
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