Protectionist Party
The Protectionist vote had dropped by the 1906 federal election. Labor formed its first government in 1904 and its second in 1908 under Andrew Fisher. Many people believed an anti-socialist group was needed to oppose the Labor Party. Deakin and Anti-Socialist Party leader Joseph Cook, began talks to join their parties together.  The more liberal Protectionists, such as Isaac Isaacs and H. B. Higgins, opposed a merger.  The Protection Party was split by this issue.  Most members, including Deakin, joined with the Anti-Socialist Party to become the Commonwealth Liberal Party. This became known as "the Fusion,". The more liberal Protectionists supported Labor.  The Fusion would form another minority government before Fisher and Labor achieved Australia's first federal majority government, and the first Senate majority, at the 1910 election.