Editing Earle Page (section)

===Government formation===
Page was elected leader of the Country Party in 1921, replacing [[William McWilliams]]. At the [[1922 Australian federal election|1922 federal election]] the party campaigned on a platform which included the establishment of a national [[sinking fund]], national insurance scheme covering "sickness, unemployment, poverty and age", and conversion of the [[Commonwealth Bank of Australia]] into a full [[central bank]].{{sfn|Hawkins|2009|p=57}} The party emerged from the election with the [[Balance of power (parliament)|balance of power]] in the House; the [[Nationalist Party of Australia|Nationalist]] government of [[Billy Hughes]] lost its majority and could not govern without Country Party support. It soon became apparent that the price for that support would be a full coalition with the Nationalists. However, the Country Party had been formed partly due to discontent with Hughes' rural policy, and Page's animosity toward Hughes was such that he would not even consider supporting him. Indeed, he would not even begin talks with the Nationalists as long as Hughes remained leader.  Bowing to the inevitable, Hughes resigned.<ref name=naamc>{{cite web|title=Earle Page, Member for Cowper 1919|work=Australia's Prime Ministers|publisher=[[National Archives of Australia]]|url=http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/page/before-office.aspx#section3|access-date=19 March 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100718002920/http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/page/before-office.aspx#section3|archive-date=18 July 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Page then began negotiations with Hughes' successor as leader of the Nationalists, [[Stanley Bruce]]. His terms were stiff; he wanted his Country Party to have five seats in an 11-man cabinet, including the post of [[Treasurer of Australia|Treasurer]] and the second rank in the ministry for himself. These demands were unprecedented for a prospective junior coalition partner in a Westminster system, and especially so for such a new party. Nonetheless, Bruce agreed rather than force another election.<ref name=naamc/> For all intents and purposes, Page was the first [[Deputy Prime Minister of Australia]] (a title that did not officially exist until 1968). Since then, the leader of the [[National Party of Australia|Country/National Party]] has been the second-ranking member in nearly every [[Coalition (Australia)|non-Labor government]]. Page was [[Acting Prime Minister of Australia|acting prime minister]] on several occasions, and in January 1924 chaired the first meeting of [[Cabinet of Australia|Federal Cabinet]] ever held in [[Canberra]], at [[Government House, Canberra|Yarralumla]]. Parliament did not move to Canberra until 1927.<ref>[http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/timeline/results.aspx?type=pm&pm=Stanley%20Melbourne%20Bruce National Archives of Australia, Australia's Prime Ministers: Timeline] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330133320/http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/timeline/results.aspx?type=pm&pm=Stanley%20Melbourne%20Bruce |date=30 March 2019 }}. Retrieved 14 December 2015</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16124454 |title=Cabinet meeting today |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=30 January 1924 |page=13 |access-date=14 December 2015 |via=Trove}}</ref>