In 1932 Moore instituted a Royal Commission to investigate former Labor Premier E. G. Theodore over his alleged corruption in what was known as the Mungana affair. Moore was accused by many in the Labor movement of orchestrating the Commission's activities in such a way as to deal maximum political damage to the Scullin federal government. The elections of that year confirmed his party's loss of standing with the onset of the Great Depression, as well as continued internal bickering. The CPNP was defeated by Labor under William Forgan Smith.