was to know as a member of parliament". Her fellow debaters were Norman Haire, Jessie Street and the economist Colin Clark. Later in 1944, Lyons and Phyllis Cilento presented a report to the National Health and Medical Research Council arguing for the government to support an increase in the national birth rate. Lyons had a sometimes uneasy relationship with UAP leader Robert Menzies, disliking his domineering personality and what she perceived as past disloyalty to her husband. She voted against Menzies in the 1943 UAP leadership ballot and allied herself with his rivals Billy Hughes, Archie Cameron and Percy Spender. She was also close to Country Party MPs Earle Page, Arthur Fadden and Larry Anthony. She joined the new Liberal Party of Australia upon its formation in 1945 and was elected to the federal policy committee, where she credited herself with gaining support for free medical treatment for pensioners and child endowment as official party policies. Lyons was initially ambivalent about re-contesting her seat at the 1946 election. She was re-elected with an increased majority, although her friend and colleague Allan Guy was defeated in the neighbouring seat of Wilmot. In her second term she became more combative in parliament, clashing with minister Arthur Calwell on several occasions and coming close to suspension in October 1947, following a conflict with ALP chairman of committees Joe Clark. Cabinet and retirement Lyons suffered from thyroid-related health issues in the lead-up to the 1949 federal election. During the campaign she underwent an urgent operation to remove two large goitres from her neck. She spent four weeks in hospital recovering, during which time her father died. She made only a last-minute appearance at a rally to condemn an opponent who had accused her of seeking a "sympathy vote". Lyons again increased her majority at the election and was widely expected to be appointed to the ministry in the new government, with newspapers speculating she would be offered the immigration or social services portfolios. She was ultimately appointed Vice-President of the Executive Council, a largely honorary position that she described as "toothless", observing that "they only wanted me to pour the tea". Lyons was disappointed not to be offered a substantive ministerial portfolio and believed that Menzies "did not want her in the ministry but seemed to have been pressured into giving her some sort of spot". She did however acknowledge that her poor health