. ▁His ▁preferred ▁option ▁was ▁the ▁latter , ▁and ▁he ▁had ▁intended ▁to ▁re - cont est ▁the ▁leadership ▁if ▁he ▁was ▁successful . ▁However , ▁the ▁party ▁voted ▁ 1 9 – 1 2 ▁to ▁form ▁a ▁un ited ▁opposition ▁under ▁the ▁leadership ▁of ▁F ad den . ▁Although ▁the ▁U AP ▁had ▁been ▁in ▁government ▁for ▁a ▁de cade , ▁M enz ies ' ▁res ignation ▁revealed ▁a ▁party ▁almost ▁completely ▁bere ft ▁of ▁leadership . ▁ ▁With ▁no ▁obvious ▁successor ▁to ▁M enz ies , ▁the ▁U AP ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁turn ▁to ▁the ▁ 7 9 - year - old ▁former ▁prime ▁minister ▁Billy ▁Hugh es ▁as ▁its ▁new ▁leader . ▁With ▁M enz ies ▁out ▁and ▁the ▁aged ▁Hugh es ▁seen ▁as ▁a ▁stop - g ap ▁leader , ▁U AP ▁members ▁j ost led ▁for ▁position . ▁ ▁Dem ise ▁of ▁the ▁party ▁ ▁Having ▁spent ▁all ▁but ▁eight ▁months ▁of ▁its ▁existence ▁prior ▁to ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁in ▁government , ▁the ▁U AP ▁was ▁ill - prep ared ▁for ▁a ▁role ▁in ▁opposition . ▁ ▁Curt in ▁proved ▁a ▁popular ▁leader , ▁r ally ing ▁the ▁nation ▁in ▁the ▁face ▁of ▁the ▁danger ▁of ▁invasion ▁by ▁the ▁Japanese ▁after ▁Japan ' s ▁entry ▁into ▁the ▁war ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 4 1 . ▁ ▁Even ▁allowing ▁for ▁the ▁advantages ▁a ▁sitting ▁government ▁has ▁in ▁w art ime , ▁the ▁Labor ▁government ▁seemed ▁more ▁effective ▁than ▁its ▁prede cess or . ▁ ▁F ad