▁percent , ▁the ▁D LP ' s ▁best - ever ▁result . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Senate , ▁the ▁D LP ▁had ▁between ▁one ▁and ▁five ▁Sen ators ▁between ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁led ▁first ▁by ▁George ▁Cole ▁of ▁Tas mania ▁and ▁then ▁by ▁V ince ▁G air ▁of ▁Queensland , ▁with ▁Mc Man us ▁as ▁Deput y ▁Le ader . ▁The ▁D LP ▁gave ▁critical ▁support ▁to ▁the ▁Liberal ▁govern ments ▁of ▁Robert ▁M enz ies ▁and ▁his ▁success ors , ▁pressing ▁them ▁to ▁adopt ▁more ▁milit antly ▁anti - comm un ist ▁policies ▁both ▁dom est ically ▁and ▁intern ation ally , ▁particularly ▁on ▁issues ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Vietnam ▁War ▁and ▁the ▁recognition ▁of ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Republic ▁of ▁China ▁bel ieving ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁real ▁threat ▁from ▁commun ist ▁dom ination . ▁They ▁also ▁supported ▁conserv ative ▁Catholic ▁views ▁on ▁social ▁issues . ▁On ▁some ▁issues , ▁such ▁as ▁p ensions , ▁the ▁D LP ▁supported ▁traditional ▁Labor ▁policies . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁following ▁the ▁election ▁of ▁the ▁Whit lam ▁Labor ▁government , ▁G air ▁was ▁forced ▁out ▁as ▁D LP ▁Le ader ▁and ▁was ▁succeeded ▁by ▁Mc Man us , ▁who ▁at ▁ 6 8 ▁was ▁only ▁three ▁years ▁younger ▁than ▁G air . ▁The ▁election ▁of ▁Whit lam ▁had ▁ro bb ed ▁the ▁D LP ▁of ▁most ▁of ▁its ▁influence , ▁and ▁G air ' s ▁accept ance ▁of ▁the ▁post ▁of ▁Amb assador ▁to