▁hand , ▁Graham ▁reports , ▁the ▁small ▁far mers , ▁not ▁the ▁gra zi ers , ▁founded ▁the ▁Country ▁party . ▁The ▁far mers ▁advoc ated ▁government ▁inter vention ▁in ▁the ▁market ▁through ▁price ▁support ▁schemes ▁and ▁market ing ▁po ols . ▁The ▁gra zi ers ▁often ▁polit ically ▁and ▁finan cially ▁supported ▁the ▁Country ▁party , ▁which ▁in ▁turn ▁made ▁the ▁Country ▁party ▁more ▁conserv ative . ▁ ▁The ▁Country ▁Party ' s ▁first ▁election ▁as ▁a ▁un ited ▁party , ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 2 , ▁saw ▁it ▁in ▁an ▁unexpected ▁position ▁of ▁power . ▁It ▁won ▁enough ▁seats ▁to ▁den y ▁the ▁National ists ▁an ▁overall ▁majority . ▁It ▁soon ▁became ▁apparent ▁that ▁the ▁price ▁for ▁Country ▁support ▁would ▁be ▁a ▁full - f led ged ▁coal ition ▁with ▁the ▁National ists . ▁However , ▁Page ▁let ▁it ▁be ▁known ▁that ▁his ▁party ▁would ▁not ▁serve ▁under ▁Hugh es , ▁and ▁forced ▁his ▁res ignation . ▁Page ▁then ▁entered ▁negoti ations ▁with ▁the ▁National ists ' ▁new ▁leader , ▁Stanley ▁Bruce , ▁for ▁a ▁coal ition ▁government . ▁Page ▁wanted ▁five ▁seats ▁for ▁his ▁Country ▁Party ▁in ▁a ▁Cab inet ▁of ▁ 1 1 , ▁including ▁the ▁Tre as urer ▁port folio ▁and ▁the ▁second ▁rank ▁in ▁the ▁min istry ▁for ▁himself . ▁These ▁terms ▁were ▁unus ually ▁st iff ▁for ▁a ▁pros pective ▁junior ▁coal ition ▁partner ▁in ▁a ▁West min ster ▁system , ▁and ▁especially ▁so ▁for ▁such ▁a ▁new ▁party . ▁Non eth eless , ▁with