John Malcolm Fraser was an Australian politician who was the 22nd prime minister of Australia,from 1975 to 1983,holding office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia.
The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister heads the executive branch of the federal government of Australia and is also accountable to federal parliament under the principles of responsible government. The current prime minister is Anthony Albanese of the Australian Labor Party,who became prime minister on 23 May 2022.
Sir John Grey Gorton was an Australian politician who was the nineteenth Prime Minister of Australia,in office from 1968 to 1971. He led the Liberal Party during that time,having previously been a long-serving government minister.
Sir William McMahon was an Australian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Australia,in office from 1971 to 1972 as leader of the Liberal Party. He was a government minister for over 21 years,the longest continuous ministerial service in Australian history.
Andrew Sharp Peacock was an Australian politician and diplomat. He served as a cabinet minister and went on to become leader of the Liberal Party on two occasions,leading the party to defeat at the 1984 and 1990 elections.
John Douglas Anthony,was an Australian politician. He served as leader of the National Party of Australia from 1971 to 1984 and was the second and longest-serving Deputy Prime Minister,holding the position under John Gorton (1971),William McMahon (1971–1972) and Malcolm Fraser (1975–1983).
Ian McCahon Sinclair is a former Australian politician who served as leader of the National Party from 1984 to 1989. He was a government minister under six prime ministers,and later Speaker of the House of Representatives from March to August 1998.
Lance Herbert Barnard AO was an Australian politician and diplomat. He was the deputy leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 1967 to 1974 and held senior ministerial office in the Whitlam Government,most notably as Deputy Prime Minister of Australia from 1972 to 1974.
Donald Leslie Chipp,AO was an Australian politician who was the inaugural leader of the Australian Democrats,leading the party from 1977 to 1986. He began his career as a member of the Liberal Party,winning election to the House of Representatives in 1960 and serving as a government minister for a cumulative total of six years. Chipp left the Liberals in 1977 and was soon persuaded to lead a new party,the Democrats who,he famously proclaimed in 1980,would "keep the bastards honest". He was elected to the Senate on 10 December 1977 and led the party at four federal elections. From 1983 it held the sole balance of power in the Senate.
William Charles Wentworth,usually known as Bill Wentworth and sometimes referred to by others as William Charles Wentworth IV,was an Australian politician. He was a member of the Liberal Party for most of his career and held ministerial office in the governments of John Gorton and William McMahon,serving as Minister for Social Services (1968–1972) and Minister in charge of Aboriginal Affairs (1968–1971). Wentworth served in the House of Representatives from 1949 to 1977,representing the New South Wales seat of Mackellar. He frequently crossed the floor and served his final months in parliament as an independent.
Sir Phillip Reginald Lynch KCMG was an Australian politician who served in the House of Representatives from 1966 to 1982. He was deputy leader of the Liberal Party from 1972 to 1982,and served as a government minister under three prime ministers.
Thomas Eyre Forrest Hughes AO KC is an Australian former barrister and politician. A member of the Liberal Party,he served as Attorney-General in the Gorton Government from 1969 to 1971 and was a member of the House of Representatives from 1963 to 1972,representing the New South Wales seats of Parkes and Berowra. He is a former president of the New South Wales Bar Association and was one of Sydney's most prominent barristers for a number of decades. Hughes is the last surviving Liberal minister of the Gorton and McMahon Governments.
Ralph James Dunnet Hunt AO was a Deputy Leader of the National Party of Australia.
Alexander James de Burgh Forbes,,often known as A. J. Forbes,was an Australian politician. He served in the House of Representatives from 1956 to 1975 as a member of the Liberal Party,representing the Division of Barker in South Australia. He held ministerial office in the Coalition governments of the 1960s and 1970s,serving as Minister for the Navy (1963–1964),Army (1963–1966),Health (1966–1971),and Immigration (1971–1972). At his death,Forbes was the last surviving Liberal minister who served in the ministries of Sir Robert Menzies,Harold Holt and John McEwen,as well as the First Gorton Ministry.
Sir Thomas Charles Drake-Brockman,was an Australian politician who served as a Senator for Western Australia from 1959 to 1978 and also briefly in 1958. He was a member of the National Country Party. He served as Minister for Air from 1969 to 1972.
Sir Magnus Cameron Cormack KBE was an Australian politician. He was a member of the Liberal Party and served multiple terms as a Senator for Victoria,including as President of the Senate from 1971 to 1974.
The Gorton government was the federal executive government of Australia led by Prime Minister John Gorton. It was made up of members of a Liberal-Country Party coalition in the Australian Parliament from January 1968 to March 1971.
The McMahon government was the period of federal executive government of Australia led by Prime Minister William McMahon of the Liberal Party. It was made up of members of a coalition between the Liberal Party and the Country Party,led by Doug Anthony as Deputy Prime Minister. The McMahon government lasted from March 1971 to December 1972,being defeated at the 1972 federal election. Writing for the Australian Dictionary of Biography,Julian Leeser describes McMahon's prime ministership as "a blend of cautious innovation and fundamental orthodoxy".
A spill of the leadership of the Liberal Party of Australia took place on 21 March 1975. It came about as a result of Malcolm Fraser's continued dissatisfaction with the party's direction under Billy Snedden. Fraser's challenge was successful –he defeated Snedden by 37 votes to 27,thus becoming Leader of the Opposition.
The Liberal Party of Australia held a leadership spill on 10 March 1971. Prime Minister John Gorton called for a vote of confidence in his leadership,which was tied,prompting Gorton to resign. William McMahon subsequently defeated Billy Snedden for the leadership,and was sworn in as prime minister on the same day. Gorton was elected as his deputy,defeating Malcolm Fraser and David Fairbairn.
