▁minister ] ▁was ▁not ." ▁ ▁The ▁triumph ▁of ▁commun ism ▁in ▁China ▁and ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁war ▁along ▁the ▁Korean ▁Pen ins ula ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 5 0 ▁transformed ▁the ▁post war ▁landscape . ▁The ▁Cold ▁War ▁sp illed ▁beyond ▁its ▁European ▁orig ins ▁and ▁emer ged ▁as ▁a ▁global ▁phenomen on ▁with ▁a ▁unique ▁Asian ▁dimension . ▁Once ▁again , ▁Australian ▁and ▁Canadian ▁troops ▁found ▁themselves ▁fighting ▁together , ▁this ▁time ▁in ▁Korea ▁under ▁the ▁aus p ices ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁Nations . ▁However , ▁good ▁relations ▁remained ▁el us ive . ▁The ▁defeat ▁of ▁Ch if ley ' s ▁Labor ▁government ▁and ▁the ▁election ▁of ▁Robert ▁M enz ies ' ▁conserv ative ▁coal ition ▁threatened ▁to ▁make ▁things ▁worse . ▁Ott awa ▁wor ried ▁that ▁the ▁new ▁government ' s ▁ag gress ive ▁anti - comm un ism ▁and ▁its ▁increasing ly ▁susp icious ▁attitude ▁towards ▁Indones ia ▁might ▁in hib it ▁the ▁West ' s ▁ability ▁to ▁secure ▁Cold ▁War ▁al lies ▁among ▁Asia ' s ▁newly ▁independent ▁states . ▁Australia ▁was ▁equally ▁critical ▁of ▁Canada ' s ▁c aut ious ▁approach ▁to ▁the ▁des perate ▁challeng es ▁facing ▁Asia . ▁Per cy ▁Sp ender , ▁the ▁coal ition ' s ▁first ▁minister ▁of ▁external ▁affairs , ▁held ▁Canada ▁partly ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁fr ustr ating ▁del ays ▁he ▁encountered ▁in ▁establish ing ▁an ▁aid ▁program ▁for ▁S out heast ▁Asia . ▁Sp ender ' s ▁" br ut al ▁and ▁ecc ent ric " ▁tact