Fadden Government
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The Right Honourable Sir Arthur Fadden GCMG |
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13th Prime Minister of Australia Elections: 1943 |
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In office 29 August – 7 October 1941 |
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| Monarch | George VI |
| Governor-General | Alexander Hore-Ruthven |
| Preceded by | Robert Menzies |
| Succeeded by | John Curtin |
The Fadden Government was the federal Executive Government of Australia led by Prime Minister Arthur Fadden. As leader of the Country Party, Fadden led a United Australia Party-Country Party coalition government in the Australian Parliament from 29 August to 7 October 1941 during World War II.
The newly formed United Australia Party stewarded Australia's recovery from the Great Depression and entry into World War II, generally in coalition with the Country Party. The Lyons Government was led by the popular Joseph Lyons from 1932 to 1939, but his sudden death in 1939 saw the Governor General appoint Country Party leader Earle Page as caretaker Prime Minister pending the election of a new UAP leader. The UAP turned to Robert Menzies, who became Prime Minister and led the first Menzies Government in the final months before the outbreak of World War Two in Europe and through the first two years of Australia's war effort. Menzies and Page had an openly antagonistic relationship and would not work together in coalition.
John Curtin was first elected leader of the opposition Australian Labor Party in 1935. Defence issues were becoming increasingly dominant in public affairs with the rise of fascism in Europe and militant Japan in Asia. Curtin led Labor to the 1937 election against Joseph Lyons' United Australia Party which resulted in a comfortable victory to the UAP.
Fadden was a Queenslander who had begun his working life as a cane-cutters' offsider. After a time as a member of the Queensland Parliament he entered Federal Parliament in 1936. He disassociated himself from Earle Page's attacks on Menzies and became leader of the Country Party, following the resignation of Page in 1939. Intended as a stop-gap, he was elected Deputy Leader and appointed acting-leader because Archie Cameron and John McEwen had tied in a vote for the leadership. When Menzies formed a Coalition with the Country Party in March 1940, Fadden became Minister Assisting the Treasurer and Minister of Supply and Development. Later he was appointed Minister for Air and Civil Aviation. Following the 1940 Election, Fadden became Treasurer, In March 1941, the Country Party finally confirmed him as their leader.
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