When Hughes was expelled from the Labor Party after the first referendum, Munro Ferguson allowed him to stay in office as a minority Prime Minister and encouraged Hughes and Cook to form a new party, the Nationalist Party, on a "win the war" platform.
Munro Ferguson allowed him to stay in office as a minority Prime Minister. Munro Ferguson encouraged Hughes and Cook to form a new party on a "win the war" platform. Hughes was expelled from the Labor Party after the first referendum. The Nationalist Party was a new party.