Lyons Government
The Lyons Government was the federal Executive Government of Australia led by Prime Minister Joseph Lyons. It was made up of members of the United Australia Party in the Australian Parliament from January 1932 until the death of Joseph Lyons in 1939. Lyons negotiated a coalition with the Country Party after the 1934 Australian Federal election. The Lyons government stewarded Australia's recovery from the Great Depression
| Lyons Government | |
|---|---|
| In office | |
| 6 January 1932 – 7 April 1939 | |
| Prime Minister | Joseph Lyons |
| Deputy | John Latham |
| Parties | UAP (1932–1939) Country (1934–1939) |
| Origin | Won 1931 election |
| Demise | Lyons' death |
| Predecessor | Scullin Government |
| Successor | Page Government |
Background
Great Depression
The background to the Lyons Government saw Australia grappling with the immense challenges of the Great Depression.
Joseph Lyons began his political career as an Australian Labor Party politician and served as Premier of Tasmania. Lyons was elected to the Australian Federal Parliament in 1929 and served in Prime Minister James Scullin's Labor Cabinet. Lyons became acting Treasurer in 1930 and helped negotiate the government's strategies for dealing with the Great Depression. With Scullin temporarily absent in London, Lyons and acting Prime Minister James Fenton clashed with the Labor Cabinet and Caucus over economic policy, and grappled with the differing proposals of the Premier's Plan, Lang Labor, the Commonwealth Bank and British adviser Otto Niemeyer. While Health Minister Frank Anstey supported