ull in ' s ▁ultimately ▁un success ful ▁attempt ▁to ▁un se at ▁Alfred ▁De ak in ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 9 0 6 ▁federal ▁election . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 8 ▁Stewart ▁ran ▁for ▁the ▁Victor ian ▁Legisl ative ▁Assembly , ▁standing ▁un success fully ▁as ▁the ▁Labor ▁candidate ▁for ▁Ball ar at ▁East . ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁narrow ly ▁defeated ▁standing ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 0 ▁and ▁ 1 9 1 3 ▁for ▁the ▁federal ▁seat ▁of ▁Gr amp ians . ▁After ▁the ▁ 1 9 1 0 ▁election ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁Melbourne ▁and ▁was ▁elected ▁senior ▁vice - pres ident ▁of ▁the ▁Political ▁Labor ▁Council , ▁later ▁taking ▁on ▁the ▁secretary ship ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 1 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 4 ▁he ▁was ▁considered ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁" pow ers ▁behind ▁the ▁throne " ▁of ▁Andrew ▁Fish er ' s ▁federal ▁administration , ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁the ▁first ▁secretary ▁of ▁the ▁A LP ' s ▁federal ▁executive ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁serving ▁until ▁ 1 9 2 5 . ▁A ▁sta unch ▁anti - cons cription ist , ▁he ▁organ ised ▁opposition ▁to ▁Billy ▁Hugh es ' ▁cons cription ▁refer enda ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 6 – 1 7 ▁and ▁avoided ▁a ▁second ▁split ▁over ▁the ▁social ist ▁objective ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 9 – 2 1 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 5 ▁he ▁died ▁at ▁his ▁home ▁in ▁Sand ring ham ▁of ▁t uber cul