CABINET FORMED

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 64, 15 March 1940, Page 8

CABINET FORMED

AUSTRALIAN COALITION

FIVE COUNTRY PARTY SEATS

MR. THORBY BACK

(By Telegraph—Press Association. —Copyright.) CANBERRA, March 14. The Prime Minister, Mr. Menzies, has announced the reconstruction of the Commonwealth Ministry, consequent upon the coalition of the United Australia and Country Parties, as follows:— Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Co-ordination, and Information: Mr. R. G. Menzies (United Australia). Minister of Commerce and Navy: Mr. A. G. Cameron (Country). Attorney-General and Minister of Industry: Mr. W. M. Hughes (United Australia). Minister of Army and Repatriation: Brigadier G. A. Street (United Australia). Vice-President of the Executive Council: Sir Henry Gullett (United Australia). Minister of Supply and Development and Social Services: Sir Frederick Stewart (United Australia). Postmaster-General and Minister of Health: Mr. H. V. C. Thorhy (Country). Treasurer: Mr. P. C. Spender (United Australia). Minister of Trade and Customs: Senator George McLeay (United Australia) . Minister of External Affairs: Mr. J. McEwan (Country). Minister of Interior: Senator H. S. Foil (United Australia). Minister of Air and Civil Aviation: Mr. J. V. Fairbairn (United Australia). Ministers without portfolio: Senators P. Mcßride (United Australia) and H. Collett (United Australia), and Messrs. A. Fadden (Country) and H. Nock (Country). Mr. Hughes will remain in control of the Department of Industry only for the duration of the coal strike, after which the post will go to Mr. McEwan. In Perth the Leader of the Federal Labour Party, Mr. Curtin, commenting on the Coalition Ministry, remarked: "We now have an amazing fusion of incompatible^. The Country Party, formerly supine in Parliament and now in Cabinet, will be a source of constant irritations." Two members have been dropped from ? the Australian Cabinet, Mr. E. J. Harrison, who was Postmaster-Gene-ral and Minister of Repatriation, and Mr. Holt, who was Acting Minister of Customs. In the new Cabinet there are five Country Party members, two of whom, Messrs. A. Fadden and H. Nock, are without portfolios. In the rest of the Cabinet there has been almost a general post. Mr. Menzies, for example, has taken over the portfolio of Information from Sir Henry Gullett. Mr. A. G. Cameron has become Minister of Commerce, a post, previously held by' Senator McLeay. Senator McLeay has moved to Trade and Customs in place of Mr. Holt. Sir Henry Gullett is now Vice-President of the Executive Council in place of Mr J V. Fairbairn, who, however, remains Minister for Air. Sir Frederick Stewart has yielded the portfolio of Health to Mr. Thorby and that of the Navy to Mr. Cameron, both of the Country Party. Mr. J. McEwan, an-1 other Country Party member, replaces Sir Henry Gullett as Minister for External Affairs.