After the United Australia Party-Country Party coalition's narrow victory in the 1940 federal election Prime Minister Robert Menzies proposed establishing a government of national unity with the Australian Labor Party (ALP) opposition. The opposition leader John Curtin rejected this proposal but agreed to join an advisory body without executive powers. The council first met on 29 October and comprised four government Cabinet ministers, three members of the opposition and Frederick Shedden, the Secretary of the War Cabinet.