den ▁and ▁Hugh es ▁were ▁unable ▁to ▁get ▁the ▁better ▁of ▁Curt in . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁writ s ▁were ▁issued ▁for ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁federal ▁election , ▁the ▁Co al ition ▁had ▁s unk ▁into ▁near ▁par al ysis . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁election , ▁the ▁Co al ition ▁suffered ▁a ▁massive ▁defeat ▁and ▁was ▁reduced ▁to ▁only ▁ 1 9 ▁seats ▁nation wide , ▁including ▁ 1 2 ▁for ▁the ▁U AP . ▁ ▁After ▁this ▁election ▁defeat ▁M enz ies ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁U AP ▁leadership , ▁and ▁F ad den ▁handed ▁the ▁post ▁of ▁opposition ▁leader ▁to ▁him ▁as ▁well . ▁ ▁However , ▁as ▁the ▁National ists ▁had ▁a ▁de cade ▁earlier , ▁the ▁party ▁and ▁its ▁organisation ▁now ▁seemed ▁mor ib und , ▁particularly ▁in ▁NS W . ▁U AP ▁branches ▁t ended ▁to ▁become ▁in active ▁between ▁elections , ▁and ▁its ▁polit icians ▁were ▁seen ▁as ▁comprom ised ▁by ▁their ▁reli ance ▁on ▁large ▁don ations ▁from ▁business ▁and ▁financial ▁organis ations . ▁In ▁New ▁South ▁Wales , ▁the ▁party ▁merged ▁with ▁the ▁Commonwealth ▁Party ▁to ▁form ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Party , ▁which ▁merged ▁with ▁the ▁Liberal ▁Democratic ▁Party ▁the ▁following ▁year . ▁In ▁Queensland ▁the ▁state ▁party ▁was ▁absor bed ▁into ▁the ▁Queensland ▁People ' s ▁Party . ▁ ▁M enz ies ▁became ▁convinced ▁that ▁the ▁U AP ▁was ▁no ▁longer ▁vi able , ▁and ▁a ▁new ▁anti - L abor ▁party ▁needed ▁to ▁be ▁formed ▁to ▁replace ▁it . ▁He