▁that ▁sust ained ▁the ▁coal ition , ▁which ▁remained ▁in ▁office ▁until ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁( M enz ies ▁himself ▁retired ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 6 ). ▁ ▁F ad den ' s ▁successor , ▁Trade ▁Minister ▁John ▁Mc E wen , ▁took ▁the ▁then ▁unusual ▁step ▁of ▁decl ining ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁Tre as urer , ▁bel ieving ▁he ▁could ▁better ▁ensure ▁that ▁the ▁interests ▁of ▁Australian ▁primary ▁produ cers ▁were ▁saf egu arded . ▁According ly , ▁Mc E wen ▁personally ▁super vised ▁the ▁signing ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁post - war ▁trade ▁treat y ▁with ▁Japan , ▁new ▁trade ▁agre ements ▁with ▁New ▁Zealand ▁and ▁Britain , ▁and ▁Australia ' s ▁first ▁trade ▁agreement ▁with ▁the ▁USS R ▁( 1 9 6 5 ). ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁this ▁he ▁ins isted ▁on ▁developing ▁an ▁all ▁en comp ass ing ▁system ▁of ▁tar iff ▁protection ▁that ▁would ▁encou rage ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁those ▁secondary ▁indust ries ▁that ▁would ▁" value ▁add " ▁Australia ' s ▁primary ▁produce . ▁His ▁success ▁in ▁this ▁endeav our ▁is ▁sometimes ▁dub bed ▁" Mc E wen ism ". ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁period ▁of ▁the ▁Country ▁Party ' s ▁greatest ▁power , ▁as ▁was ▁demonstrated ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 ▁when ▁Mc E wen ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁ins ist ▁that ▁M enz ies ▁s ack ▁a ▁Liberal ▁Minister ▁who ▁claimed ▁that ▁Britain ' s ▁entry ▁into ▁the ▁European ▁Econom ic ▁Community ▁was ▁unlikely ▁to ▁sever ely ▁impact ▁on ▁the ▁Australian ▁economy ▁as ▁a