Editing Earle Page (section)

==Return to the ministry==
[[File:Earle Page 1950.jpg|thumb|upright|Page c. 1950]]
Page was reappointed [[Minister for Health (Australia)|Minister for Health]] after the Coalition won the [[1949 Australian federal election|1949 federal election]], at the age of 69.{{sfn|Wilks|2017|p=304}} He was the chief architect of the ''[[National Health Act 1953]]'', which established a national public health scheme based on government subsidies of voluntary private insurance and free medical services for pensioners. He played a key role in securing the support of the medical profession, which had strongly opposed the [[Chifley government]]'s attempt to introduce universal health care.{{sfn|Wilks|2017|p=309}} Unlike in previous governments, Page had little influence beyond his own policy area and was frustrated by the lack of interest in his ideas for national development.{{sfn|Wilks|2017|p=304}} In 1951 when Senator Gordon Brown of the ALP suffered a stroke while speaking in the Senate, Page, a trained surgeon rushed in from the House to treat him before medical professionals could take Brown to hospital for treatment.<ref>{{cite Au Senate |title=BROWN, Gordon (1885–1967) Senator for Queensland, 1932–65 |Sen id=brown-gordon |access-date=2022-11-30}}</ref>

Upon the death of Billy Hughes in October 1952, Page became the [[Father of the Australian House of Representatives|Father of the House of Representatives]] and [[Father of the Australian Parliament|Father of the Parliament]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Sir Earle Now Father of House – The Manning River Times and Advocate for the Northern Coast Districts of New South Wales (Taree, NSW : 1898 – 1954) – 3 Nov 1952|url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/172836174?browse=ndp%3Abrowse%2Ftitle%2FM%2Ftitle%2F877%2F1952%2F11%2F03%2Fpage%2F20518470%2Farticle%2F172836174|newspaper=Manning River Times and Advocate for the Northern Coast Districts of New South Wales| date=3 November 1952 |access-date=15 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116174057/http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/172836174?browse=ndp%3Abrowse%2Ftitle%2FM%2Ftitle%2F877%2F1952%2F11%2F03%2Fpage%2F20518470%2Farticle%2F172836174|archive-date=16 January 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1954, he became the first chancellor of the [[University of New England (Australia)|University of New England]], which had become fully autonomous from the [[University of Sydney]].{{sfn|Wilks|2017|p=316}} He retired from cabinet at the age of 76, moving to the backbench in January 1956 after the [[1955 Australian federal election|December 1955 election]].<ref name=naasmh>{{cite web|title=Earle Page, Minister for Health 1949–56|work=Australia's Prime Ministers|publisher=[[National Archives of Australia]]|url=http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/page/after-office.aspx#section4|access-date=19 March 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100718002452/http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/page/after-office.aspx#section4|archive-date=18 July 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Upon Arthur Fadden's retirement in 1958, Page became the only former prime minister returned at that year's election.