3 ▁for ▁the ▁United ▁Australia ▁Party . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁author ▁Brian ▁Car roll , ▁Ly ons ▁had ▁been ▁under est im ated ▁when ▁he ▁assumed ▁office ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 2 ▁and ▁as ▁leader ▁he ▁demonstrated : ▁" a ▁combination ▁of ▁hon esty , ▁native ▁sh rew d ness , ▁tact , ▁administrative ▁ability , ▁common ▁sense , ▁good ▁luck ▁and ▁good ▁hum our ▁that ▁kept ▁him ▁in ▁the ▁job ▁longer ▁than ▁any ▁previous ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁except ▁Hugh es ". ▁Ly ons ▁was ▁assist ed ▁in ▁his ▁campaign ing ▁by ▁his ▁polit ically ▁active ▁wife , ▁En id ▁Ly ons . ▁She ▁had ▁a ▁busy ▁official ▁role ▁from ▁ 1 9 3 2 ▁to ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁and , ▁following ▁her ▁husband ' s ▁death , ▁stood ▁for ▁Parliament ▁herself , ▁becoming ▁Australia ' s ▁first ▁female ▁Member ▁of ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Representatives , ▁and ▁later ▁first ▁woman ▁in ▁Cab inet , ▁joining ▁the ▁M enz ies ▁Cab inet ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 1 . ▁ ▁Dom estic ▁policy ▁ ▁Response ▁to ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression ▁ ▁Australia ▁recovered ▁relatively ▁quickly ▁from ▁the ▁financial ▁dow nt urn ▁of ▁ 1 9 2 9 – 1 9 3 0 , ▁with ▁recovery ▁beginning ▁around ▁ 1 9 3 2 . ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Joseph ▁Ly ons ▁was ▁the ▁leader ▁responsible ▁for ▁ste ward ing ▁Australia ▁out ▁of ▁this ▁difficult ▁period . ▁Ly ons ▁fav oured ▁the ▁t ough ▁economic ▁measures ▁of ▁the ▁Prem iers ' ▁Plan , ▁purs ued ▁an