▁the ▁party ▁to ▁protest ▁the ▁Sc ull in ▁Government ' s ▁financial ▁policies ▁during ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression . ▁Led ▁by ▁Joseph ▁Ly ons , ▁a ▁former ▁Premier ▁of ▁Tas mania , ▁the ▁def ectors ▁initially ▁sat ▁as ▁independ ents , ▁but ▁then ▁agreed ▁to ▁merge ▁with ▁the ▁National ist ▁Party ▁and ▁form ▁a ▁un ited ▁opposition . ▁Ly ons ▁was ▁chosen ▁as ▁the ▁new ▁party ' s ▁leader ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁popular ity ▁among ▁the ▁general ▁public , ▁with ▁former ▁National ist ▁leader ▁John ▁L ath am ▁becoming ▁his ▁deput y . ▁He ▁led ▁the ▁U AP ▁to ▁a ▁lands lide ▁victory ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 1 ▁federal ▁election , ▁where ▁the ▁party ▁secured ▁an ▁out right ▁majority ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Representatives ▁and ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁form ▁government ▁in ▁its ▁own ▁right . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁election , ▁the ▁U AP ▁entered ▁into ▁a ▁coal ition ▁with ▁the ▁Country ▁Party ; ▁it ▁retained ▁government ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁election . ▁After ▁Ly ons ' ▁death ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁the ▁U AP ▁elected ▁Robert ▁M enz ies ▁as ▁its ▁new ▁leader . ▁This ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁Country ▁Party ▁leaving ▁the ▁coal ition , ▁but ▁a ▁new ▁coal ition ▁agreement ▁was ▁reached ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 4 0 . ▁The ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁election ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁hung ▁parliament ▁and ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁a ▁minor ity ▁government ▁with ▁support ▁from ▁two ▁independ ents . ▁In