Editing Ben Chifley (section)

=== Curtin government ===
Chifley was appointed [[Treasurer of Australia]] when the Labor leader, John Curtin, formed a mid-term Labor government in 1941 following the collapse of the [[Menzies Government (1939–41)|first Menzies government]].<ref name="adb"/><ref name="before"/> Although deputy Labor leader [[Frank Forde]] was nominally the deputy in the government, Chifley became the minister Curtin most relied on, controlling most domestic policy while Curtin was preoccupied with the [[Second World War]]. Of highest importance was war funding, followed by the strong desire to control inflation. In February 1942, he announced the pegging of wages and profits, the introduction of controls on production, trade and consumption to reduce private spending, and the transfer of surplus personal income to savings and war loans. On 15 April 1942, more price controls were introduced. On 23 July, a uniform income tax was attained when the States were defeated in the [[High Court of Australia]].<ref name="adb" />

The [[Australian Dictionary of Biography]] claims Chifley proved himself to be his country's greatest treasurer – fiscally responsible, able to transmit the necessity for a reasonable equality of sacrifice, and capable of managing a wartime economy of complexity and difficulty. Financing the war by increased taxation, loans from the Australian public, and central bank credit, he ensured that the nation did not become burdened with overseas debt, as it had been after [[First World War]]. Every budget was accompanied by his strictures on 'vigorous self-denial', labour discipline and restriction of consumer demand with the aim of controlling a huge accumulation of purchasing power.<ref name="adb"/>