▁no ▁other ▁polit ically ▁real istic ▁coal ition ▁partner ▁available , ▁Bruce ▁readily ▁agreed , ▁and ▁the ▁" B ru ce - Page ▁Ministry " ▁was ▁formed . ▁This ▁began ▁the ▁tradition ▁of ▁the ▁Country ▁Party ▁leader ▁ranking ▁second ▁in ▁Co al ition ▁cabin ets . ▁ ▁Page ▁remained ▁dominant ▁in ▁the ▁party ▁until ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁and ▁briefly ▁served ▁as ▁care t aker ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁between ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁Joseph ▁Ly ons ▁and ▁the ▁election ▁of ▁Robert ▁M enz ies ▁as ▁his ▁successor . ▁However , ▁Page ▁gave ▁up ▁the ▁leadership ▁rather ▁than ▁serve ▁under ▁M enz ies . ▁The ▁coal ition ▁was ▁re - formed ▁under ▁Arch ie ▁Camer on ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁and ▁continued ▁until ▁October ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁despite ▁the ▁election ▁of ▁Arthur ▁F ad den ▁as ▁leader ▁after ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁E lection . ▁F ad den ▁was ▁well ▁regarded ▁within ▁conserv ative ▁circles ▁and ▁proved ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁loyal ▁deput y ▁to ▁M enz ies ▁in ▁the ▁difficult ▁circumstances ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 1 . ▁When ▁M enz ies ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁res ign ▁as ▁Prime ▁Minister , ▁the ▁U AP ▁was ▁so ▁bere ft ▁of ▁leadership ▁that ▁F ad den ▁briefly ▁succeeded ▁him ▁( des p ite ▁the ▁Country ▁Party ▁being ▁the ▁junior ▁partner ▁in ▁the ▁gover ning ▁coal ition ). ▁However , ▁the ▁two ▁independ ents ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁pro pping ▁up ▁the ▁government ▁rejected ▁F ad den ' s ▁budget ▁and ▁brought