The First Liberal government also established the basis of the later welfare state, with old age pensions, developed a system for settling industrial disputes, which was accepted by both employers and trade unions.

To obtain land for farmers the Liberal government from 1891 to 1911 purchased 3. 1 million acres of Maori land.

When the Macdonald government fell due to the Pacific scandal in 1873, the Governor General, Lord Dufferin, called upon Mackenzie, who had been chosen as the leader of the Liberal Party a few months earlier, to form a new government.

Liberal in its use of statistics to make its arguments, the book argued his view that the American republican system of government was superior to the British monarchical system.

During this time in government, the Liberals are credited with the so-called Liberal Reforms, which saw the creation of a basic welfare state.

During the 19th century the Liberal Party was broadly in favour of what would today be called classical liberalism: supporting laissez-faire economic policies such as free trade and minimal government interference in the economy ( this doctrine was usually termed ' Gladstonian Liberalism ' after the Victorian era Liberal Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone ).

This shift was best exemplified by the Liberal government of Herbert Henry Asquith and his Chancellor David Lloyd George, whose Liberal reforms in the early 1900s created a basic welfare state.

The formal foundation of the Liberal Party is traditionally traced to 1859 and the formation of Palmerston's second government.

After a brief Conservative interlude ( during which the Second Reform Act was passed by agreement between the parties ), Gladstone won a huge victory at the 1868 election and formed the first Liberal government.

Asquith, Edward Grey, and Richard Burdon Haldane forming a clique dubbed the " Liberal Imperialists " that supported the government in the prosecution of the war.

Lloyd George still claimed to be leading a Liberal government, but he was increasingly under the influence of the rejuvenated Conservative party.

There was much speculation and fear about the prospect of a Labour government, and comparatively little about a Liberal government, even though it could have plausibly presented an experienced team of ministers compared to Labour's almost complete lack of experience, as well as offering a middle ground that could get support from both Conservatives and Labour in crucial Commons divisions.

But instead of trying to force the opportunity to form a Liberal government, Asquith decided instead to allow Labour the chance of office in the belief that they would prove incompetent and this would set the stage for a revival of Liberal fortunes at Labour's expense.

Ramsay MacDonald was forced into a snap election in 1924, and although his government was defeated, he achieved his objective of virtually wiping the Liberals out as many more radical voters now moved to Labour whilst moderate middle-class Liberal voters concerned about socialism moved to the Conservatives.

Lloyd George offered a degree of support to the Labour government in the hope of winning concessions, including a degree of electoral reform to introduce the alternative vote, but this support was to prove bitterly divisive as the Liberals increasingly divided between those seeking to gain what Liberal goals they could achieve, those who preferred a Conservative government to a Labour one and vice-versa.

Another group under Sir John Simon then emerged, who were prepared to continue their support for the government and take the Liberal places in the Cabinet if there were resignations.

In doing so the bulk of Liberals remained supporting the government, but two distinct Liberal groups had emerged within this bulk – the Liberal Nationals ( officially the " National Liberals " after 1947 ) led by Simon, also known as " Simonites ", and the " Samuelites " or " official Liberals ", led by Samuel who remained as the official party.

Both groups secured about 34 MPs but proceeded to diverge even further after the election, with the Liberal Nationals remaining supporters of the government throughout its life.

The province is currently governed by the BC Liberal Party, led by Premier Christy Clark, who became leader as a result of the party election on February 26, 2011.

The current Premier is Barry O ' Farrell, the Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party.

Sir Robert William Askin GCMG, ( 4 April 19079 September 1981 ) was an Australian politician and the 32nd Premier of New South Wales from 1965 to 1975, the first representing the Liberal Party of Australia.

Askin remains the longest-serving Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party and the only Liberal Premier to retire from office.

However, despite this the Coalition went to a record fourth win against the ALP of Pat Hills, increasing the Liberal / Country majority by four seats, and making Askin the only Premier to win four consecutive terms.

Ujjal Dosanjh was the New Democratic Party Premier of British Columbia from July 2004 until February 2005, and currently serves as a Liberal frontbench MP in Ottawa.

During the Great War the Liberal Party split into those led by former Premier Herbert Henry Asquith and the new Premier David Lloyd George.

* March 1 – Liberal British Columbia Premier Harlan Carey Brewster's term in office ends.

Two of their sons later became involved in Tasmanian state politics in the Liberal Party: Kevin Lyons was Deputy Premier between 1969 and 1972 and Brendan Lyons served in the ministry of Robin Gray during the 1980s.

He retained this post when Hamer was replaced as Liberal leader and Premier by Lindsay Thompson in June of that year.

On 14 September 2011, Liberal Premier Barry O ' Farrell announced that he had recommended to the Queen that Bashir's term be extended for another two years to 2014, which had been accepted: " Over the past 10 years the Governor's caring nature, her genuine interest in local communities and her extraordinary work rate have endeared her to people everywhere ... Because of her diverse background, career and interests, Professor Bashir has given a historic and important post a contemporary relevance and resonance.

Groulx and other intellectuals settled into a partial alliance with Liberal Party of Quebec Leader Adelard Godbout, who served as Premier from 1939 to 1944.

John Ballance ( 27 March 1839 – 27 April 1893 ) served as the 14th Premier of New Zealand at the end of the 19th century, and was the founder of the Liberal Party ( the country's first organised political party ).

The election, which was called by Ontario Progressive Conservative Party Premier Ernie Eves, is majority won by the Dalton McGuinty-led Ontario Liberal Party.

John Duncan Mac lean became Premier when Oliver died in 1927 at a time when the Liberal government was in decline.

John Hart became the Premier and Liberal leader in 1941 when Patullo refused to go into coalition with the Conservatives.

The Conservative Party agitated for its leader, Herbert Anscomb, to succeed Hart as Premier but the Liberals outnumbered the Tories in the coalition caucus and Hart was followed by another Liberal, Byron Johnson, known as " Boss " Johnson, with Anscomb as Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance.

In 1991, due in part to Social Credit's scandal-plagued final term in office under Premier William Vander Zalm and in part to the stellar performance of then – British Columbia Liberal Party ( BC Liberals ) leader Gordon Wilson in the televised leader's debate, the old Social Credit vote split between the BC Liberals, which garnered 33 % of the vote and BC Social Credit Party with 25 %.

The Liberal Premier of Victoria, Henry Bolte, called The Age " that pinko rag ," a view conservatives have maintained ever since.

He rose to power after uniting his Conservative party and the breakaway Action liberale nationale progressive faction of the Liberal party of Premier Louis-Alexandre Taschereau, to form a new conservative party, the Union Nationale.

He served as 33rd Premier of British Columbia from 2000 to 2001 and as a Liberal Party of Canada Member of Parliament from 2004 to 2011 including a stint as Minister of Health from 2004 until 2006 when the party lost government.

Daniel Johnson, Jr. succeeded Bourassa as Liberal leader and Premier of Québec in 1994, but soon lost the 1994 election to the Parti Québécois under Jacques Parizeau.

* Charles Kennedy-Former leader of the Liberal Democrat party and current Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Ross, Skye and Lochaber.

It fell to Northwest Territories Premier Frederick William Gordon Haultain to fill the ensuing vacancy and, to preserve the delicate non-partisan balance of his administration, he had to pick a successor who was, like Ross, a Liberal.

Robert Adam Ross " Bob " Maclennan, Baron Maclennan of Rogart PC ( born 26 June 1936, Glasgow ) is a British Liberal Democrat life peer.

Liberal Senator Ross Lightfoot allegedly told Nettle to " Fuck off and die.

It was eventually settled, but the CCF lost the 1964 election to Liberal Ross Thatcher.

The initial proposal by the Conservative Haultain to Liberal Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier in 1900 was seconded by Liberal James Ross, and was taken under consideration by Clifford Sifton, Minister of the Interior.

* J. Gordon Ross ( 1891 – 1972 ), Liberal party member of the Canadian House of Commons

In the 1990s, his grandson, John Thurso, entered politics and has sat since 2001 as the Liberal Democrat MP for his grandfather's seat, now called Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross.

In the 1905 election, he led the Tories to victory for the first time in 33 years by defeating the Liberal government of George William Ross.

Gray unsuccessfully contested the Scottish Highlands seat of Ross, Cromarty and Skye at the 1992 general election and was defeated by 7, 630 votes by the sitting Liberal Democrat member Charles Kennedy.

The turmoil of the Medicare fight took its toll, however, and the NDP-CCF government of Douglas's successor Woodrow S. Lloyd was defeated by Ross Thatcher's Saskatchewan Liberal Party in the 1964 election.

While Medicare was implemented, the political turmoil did lasting damage to the Lloyd government, contributing to its defeat at the hands of Ross Thatcher's Saskatchewan Liberal Party in the 1964 provincial election.

In the 1971 provincial election, Blakeney led the party to power, defeating Ross Thatcher's Liberal government.

Rather than run again, Ross moved to provincial politics when he was offered the position of Minister of Education for Ontario in the Liberal government of Sir Oliver Mowat in 1883.

The Liberal government was tired, however, after almost thirty years in office, and Ross could do little to revive its fortunes.

Ross remained Liberal leader until 1907, when he was appointed to the Canadian Senate.

The Progressive Conservatives won four by-elections after the 1999 election, and gained another MHA when Liberal Party member Ross Wiseman crossed the floor to join the party.

He was a partner in the London banking firm of Cocks, Biddulph and Co and also sat in the House of Commons for Herefordshire as a Liberal from 1868 to 1885 and for Ross from 1885 to 1900 as a Liberal Unionist.

When Ross resigned as leader of the Ontario Liberal Party in 1907, Graham briefly succeeded him, but quickly left later that year for federal politics when he was appointed Minister of Railway and Canals in the Liberal government of Sir Wilfrid Laurier.

Ross Alexander Cameron ( born 14 May 1965 ), Australian politician, was a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1996 to October 2004, representing the Division of Parramatta, New South Wales.

Mark Latham former leader of the Federal Parliamentary Australian Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition from December 2003 to January 2005, wrote of Ross Cameron in 1997: " Ross Cameron, the ..... Liberal member for Parramatta, has talked me into participating in his youth leadership forum in Canberra.