The Labor Party won the 1929 election , with James Scullin becoming prime minister . Forde was elected to the Scullin Ministry as an assistant minister , and was also appointed to the Committee of Public Accounts . His superior minister was James Fenton , the Minister for Trade and Customs . Fenton was absent from the country or otherwise occupied for most of 1930 , including as Acting Prime Minister for five months while Scullin attended the 1930 Imperial Conference in London . Forde oversaw the Department of Trade and Customs in Fenton 's absence , and also deputised for Parker Moloney , the Minister for Markets and Transport . At the 1930 ALP Federal Conference , he defended the department 's decision to ban Norman Lindsay 's '' Redheap '' , which the first Australian novel to be banned in Australia
1930 Imperial Conference
1930 Imperial Conference
Frank Forde