In mid-July 1940, after six weeks of negotiations, Prime Minister Peter Fraser announced the establishment of a special war cabinet, separate from the usual cabinet, consisting of three government ministers (himself, Minister of Finance Walter Nash and Minister of Defence Fred Jones) and two members of the opposition (National Party leader Adam Hamilton and former Prime Minister Gordon Coates). As this cartoon suggests, it was an uneasy alliance. It became more so when new National Party leader Sidney Holland joined in 1942. He disagreed with the government on a number of issues and left after a few months in protest at what he considered lenient treatment of striking Huntly coal miners.