He resigned from Cabinet in September 1911 over the single tax issue. He stayed in Parliament so he could remain a private member until there was "a truly democratic party in a position to form a government". His resignation from the ministry was seen as a contributing factor to the fall of the Liberal government in 1912. In 1911, Fowlds introduced the Proportional Representation And Effective Voting Bill (86–1). However, this bill failed to be passed into law.
