Sir Winston and Lady Dugan were both excellent public speakers, and travelled widely to bring problems to the attention of the ministers of the day.

They continued their active role in community affairs, promoting unemployment reduction and making the ballroom of Government House, Melbourne available for the Australian Red Cross.

Upon the disintegration of Albert Dunstan's Country Party government in 1943, he installed the Labor leader John Cain as premier.

Following the collapse of that ministry in 1945, Dugan dissolved parliament and called a general election for November, which resulted in the balance of power being held by independents.

He was also the Administrator of the Commonwealth on two occasions: from 5 September 1944 to 30 January 1945, between the departure of the governor-general, Lord Gowrie, and the arrival of his successor, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester; and from 19 January to 11 March 1947, between the departure of the Duke of Gloucester and the appointment of his successor, William McKell.

On 7 July 1949 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Dugan of Victoria, of Lurgan in the County of Armagh.

[9] Dugan married Ruby Lilian, daughter of Charles Abbott of Kilcaskan, County Cork, in 1912.