ons ▁had ▁a ▁gen ial ▁manner ▁and ▁the ▁common ▁touch ), ▁the ▁U AP ▁won ▁the ▁elections ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 3 1 ▁in ▁a ▁massive ▁lands lide ▁which ▁saw ▁the ▁two ▁wings ▁of ▁the ▁Labor ▁Party ▁cut ▁down ▁to ▁ 1 8 ▁seats ▁between ▁them , ▁and ▁Ly ons ▁became ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 3 2 . ▁He ▁took ▁office ▁at ▁the ▁hel m ▁of ▁a ▁U AP ▁majority ▁government . ▁The ▁U AP ▁initially ▁hoped ▁to ▁renew ▁the ▁non - L abor ▁Co al ition ▁with ▁the ▁Country ▁Party ▁of ▁Ear le ▁Page ▁after ▁coming ▁up ▁four ▁seats ▁short ▁of ▁a ▁majority ▁in ▁its ▁own ▁right . ▁However , ▁the ▁five ▁MP s ▁elected ▁from ▁the ▁Emer gency ▁Committee ▁of ▁South ▁Australia , ▁which ▁stood ▁in ▁place ▁of ▁the ▁U AP ▁and ▁Country ▁Party ▁in ▁South ▁Australia , ▁joined ▁the ▁U AP ▁party ▁room , ▁giving ▁the ▁U AP ▁a ▁bare ▁majority ▁of ▁two ▁seats . ▁When ▁negoti ations ▁with ▁Page ▁broke ▁down , ▁Ly ons ▁formed ▁an ▁exclus ively ▁U AP ▁government . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 4 , ▁the ▁U AP ▁lost ▁six ▁seats , ▁forcing ▁Ly ons ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁Country ▁Party ▁into ▁his ▁government ▁in ▁a ▁full - f led ged ▁Co al ition . ▁ ▁The ▁Ly ons ▁government ▁followed ▁the ▁conserv ative ▁economic ▁policies ▁it ▁had ▁promised ▁in ▁opposition , ▁and ▁benef ited ▁polit ically ▁from ▁the ▁grad ual ▁world wide ▁economic ▁recovery ▁as ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0