Editing Arthur Fadden (section)

===Country Party tensions===
In April 1939, Prime Minister [[Joseph Lyons]] died in office and was replaced by Country Party leader [[Earle Page]] on an interim basis. When [[Robert Menzies]] was elected by the [[United Australia Party]] (UAP) as Lyons' replacement, Page gave a speech accusing Menzies of disloyalty and questioning his record of military service. As a result of Page's attacks, which they deemed unfair, Fadden and [[Bernard Corser]] resigned from the parliamentary Country Party to sit as "Independent Country" members; they were soon followed by [[Oliver Badman]] and [[Thomas Collins (Australian politician)|Thomas Collins]].<ref>Arklay (2010), p. 87.</ref> Fadden was generally seen as the leader of the group. When Page was forced out of the leadership in September 1939, they attempted to re-join the party, but the remaining members opted – by a single vote – not to re-admit them. [[Archie Cameron]], generally seen as Page's ally, was elected as the party's new leader. Fadden did not regard Cameron favourably, in one debate stating: "I take this opportunity to declare without the slightest degree of reservation that the honourable gentleman is not my leader".<ref>Arklay (2010), p. 95.</ref> When asked in another debate if he were still a member of the Country Party, he replied "no, I am not, thank goodness, as it is now constituted and under its present leadership". However, in early November 1939, Cameron invited the four breakaways to rejoin the party in the interests of unity, which they accepted.<ref>Arklay (2010), p. 89.</ref>

The Country Party's [[Coalition (Australia)|coalition]] with the UAP had lapsed following Menzies' elevation to the prime ministership. In March 1940, Menzies and Cameron agreed to resume the coalition, providing an opportunity for five Country Party members to be added to the ministry. Cameron somewhat unexpectedly nominated Fadden as a Country Party representative, and he was appointed as an [[assistant minister]] to the [[Treasurer of Australia]] ([[Percy Spender]]) and the [[Minister for Supply (Australia)|Minister for Supply and Development]] ([[Frederick Stewart (Australian politician)|Frederick Stewart]]).<ref>Arklay (2010), p. 102.</ref> In August 1940, Fadden narrowly escaped being killed in the [[1940 Canberra air disaster|Canberra air disaster]], which claimed the lives of three government ministers and the [[Chief of the General Staff (Australia)|Chief of the General Staff]]. He was scheduled to be aboard the flight, which was transporting the ministers back to Canberra after a cabinet meeting in Melbourne, but instead took an overnight train. He traded places with Richard Elford ([[James Fairbairn]]'s private secretary), who had wanted to stay in Melbourne to celebrate a wedding anniversary; both Elford and Fairbairn were among those killed. After the crash, Fadden replaced Fairbairn as [[Minister for Air (Australia)|Minister for Air]] and [[Department of Civil Aviation (Australia)|Minister for Civil Aviation]]; he also continued as assistant minister to the Treasurer.<ref>Arklay (2010), p. 103.</ref>