1939 United Australia Party leadership election

July 2019 none Alternate United Australia Party logo.svg presidential Caucus no 95.45% (Third ballot) 1931 United Australia Party leadership election 1931 1941 United Australia Party leadership election 1941 18 April 1939 First ballot Second ballot Third ballot 150x150px Robert Menzies 00008B N/A 22 (50.0%) 23 (54.8%) 150x150px Billy Hughes 00008B N/A 22 (50.0%) 19 (45.2%) 150x150px Richard Casey 00008B Withdrew 150x150px Thomas White 00008B Withdrew Leader Joseph Lyons Robert Menzies The United Australia Party held a leadership election on 18 April 1939, following the death in office of Prime Minister Joseph Lyons on 7 April. Robert Menzies narrowly defeated Billy Hughes – a former Nationalist prime minister – on the third ballot, following the earlier elimination of Treasurer Richard Casey and Trade Minister Thomas White. Another former prime minister, Stanley Bruce, had also been considered a leadership contender, but for various reasons (including his position outside of parliament as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom) he was never nominated. Menzies was not sworn in as prime minister until 26 April.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12119115 Mr. Menzies Leader of U.A.P. The Argus 28,909 Victoria, Australia 19 April 1939 2 January 2023 1 National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49805704 Mr. Menzies to be Prime Minister The Advertiser South Australia, Australia 19 April 1939 2 January 2023 23 National Library of Australia Background Following the death of Prime Minister and United Australia Party (UAP) leader Joseph Lyons on 7 April 1939, the United Australia Party was to hold a leadership election eleven days later to decide whom the next UAP leader and Prime Minister would be.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17585841 Federal Moves The Sydney Morning Herald 31,598 New South Wales, Australia 10 April 1939 2 January 2023 9 National Library of Australia After the death of Lyons, de facto Deputy Prime Minister of the Lyons government and Country Party leader, Earle Page, formed a caretaker government that would remain in government until the conclusion of the UAP leadership election.Page 1963 269 George Fairbanks, in the Australian Quarterly, wrote of the lead-up to the leadership contest: “The next fortnight witnessed one of the most dramatic episodes in Australian politics; there was "fierce lobbying" by aspirants to the leadership, while a small group organised by Page and Casey tried desperately to stop the succession of Menzies.”Fairbanks George June 1968 Menzies Becomes Prime Minister, 1939 https://www.jstor.org/stable/20634197 Australian Quarterly 40 2 25 10.2307/20634197 subscription Page was given the assurance of then-Leader of the Opposition John Curtin (Labor) to continue with the government until the next federal election. However, Page rejected the offer.Page 1963 270–278 Both Casey and Page were strongly opposed to Menzies becoming leader and lobbied ardently for former prime minister Stanley Bruce to return to office. Results 1939 United Australia Party leadership electionPage 1963 274 uap Robert Menzies N/A uap Billy Hughes N/A uap Richard Casey withdrew uap Thomas White withdrew uap Robert Menzies 22 50.00 uap Billy Hughes 22 50.00 44 100.0 uap Robert Menzies 23 54.80 +4.80 uap Billy Hughes 19 45.20 −4.80 42 95.50 −4.50 Newspaper endorsements The press took a keen interest in the leadership contest, which was one of the first in which a party chose a new prime minister in an open fashion with multiple viable candidates. In Melbourne, The Age endorsed Menzies as the new prime minister on 8 April, only a day after Lyons' death.Martin 1993 267 The Argus endorsed Casey, arguing that he had remained loyal to Lyons and the government where Menzies had not.Hudson 1986 106 The Herald on 12 April stated a slight preference for Bruce, but observed that it would probably be too difficult to recall him from London and that Menzies was the only other alternative. It gave a more enthusiastic endorsement of Menzies two days later.Martin 1993 268 In Sydney, The Daily Telegraph supported Casey,Hudson 1986 106 while The Sydney Morning Herald was an "earnest advocate of recalling Bruce".Martin 1993 272 See also Menzies Government (1939–41) 1939 Country Party of Australia leadership election Other leadership ballots held following the death of a prime minister: 1945 Australian Labor Party leadership election 1968 Liberal Party of Australia leadership election References 30em Sources Anne Henderson Joseph Lyons: The People's Prime Minister 2011 NewSouth Books 9781742231426 William James Hudson 1986 Casey Oxford University Press 0195547306 Allan Martin Robert Menzies: A Life 1 (1894–1943) 1993 Melbourne University Press 0522844421 registration https://archive.org/details/robertmenzieslif0000mart Page Earle Earle Page 1963 Truant Surgeon: The Inside Story of Forty Years of Australian Political Life Angus & Robertson Category:United Australia Party United Australia Party leadership election United Australia Party leadership election Category:Robert Menzies Category:Australian leadership spills United Australia Party leadership election