way of life. In December 1949, the Liberal Party with Robert Menzies as Prime Minister won a majority in the House of Representatives with 74 of 121 seats. The Communist Party Dissolution Act On 23 June 1950, the Communist Party Dissolution Bill (1950) was introduced. In his speech introducing the Bill, PM Menzies read out the names of 53 members of the Communist Party of Australia, referring to them as a "traitorous minority" which threatened the security of the nation. The Bill passed the House of Representatives, but struggled to pass the Senate, which had a Labor party majority. Labor senators agreed that the Communist Party should be dissolved, but held reservations about allowing the Governor-General to 'declare' people communists. These reservations were especially strong after Menzies admitted that the names of Communist Party members which had been read out on the House floor contained errors. Amendments were proposed that removed this power, but the Labor Party later withdrew its opposition and the Bill passed the Senate without amendments on 19 October 1950. It was brought into effect as the Communist Party Dissolution Act (1950) on 20 October 1950. The Act authorised the Governor-General to declare any person a communist, engaging or likely to engage in activities detrimental to the defence and security of the nation. Such persons were not allowed to be employed by the Commonwealth in public service, or in industries considered vital to the defence of Australia. They were not permitted to run for office and were prohibited from joining a union. The Communist Party of Australia was declared an unlawful organisation and was dissolved, its property forfeited to the Commonwealth without compensation. Affiliated organisations were also liable to be declared unlawful, at the discretion of the Governor-General. Australian Communist Party v. Commonwealth (1951) Immediately following the passage of the Act, a challenge was filed in the High Court. The case was heard beginning on 14 November 1950 by the Full Bench of seven judges. The question was whether the federal government had the power, under the defence power (section 51.vi) of the Australian Constitution. The Constitution, in Section 51, gives the Parliament power to make legislation in regard to "(vi) the naval and military defence of the Commonwealth and of the several States, and the control of the forces to execute and maintain the laws of the Commonwealth." The Commonwealth claimed that the Act was valid