1995 Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill

1995 Liberal Party of Australia
Leadership spill

← 1994

30 January 1995

2007 →


Candidate	John Howard
Caucus vote	Unopposed
Seat	Bennelong (NSW)

Leader before election

Alexander Downer

Elected Leader

John Howard

A leadership spill of the federal parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party of Australia was held on 30 January 1995 after the resignation of Alexander Downer following several months of poor personal ratings for him. John Howard was elected unopposed in a vote of Liberal Party Members of Parliament. Howard thus became the Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of Australia. Peter Costello remained deputy leader. Howard became the first Liberal leader to be elected unopposed since Harold Holt in 1966.

Background

By January 1995, internal Liberal Party polling showed that with Downer as leader, the Coalition had a slim chance of holding its marginal seats in the next election, let alone of winning government. In mid-January Downer began negotiating in with former leader now back-bencher John Hewson, but this resulted in Hewson publicly declaring he wanted the shadow Treasury portfolio which meant Downer would have to sack deputy leader Peter Costello from the position. On 30 January 1995, he resigned as Liberal Leader.

Candidates

John Howard, Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations, Manager of Opposition Business in the House and Member for Bennelong

Aftermath

Downer pledged his support to Howard and said he would "kneecap" anyone who undermined Howard's second attempt at winning the prime ministership.

References

"Newspoll Archive". Newspoll.com. 2015. Archived from the original on 18 December 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
Canberra Times, 31 January 1995
"Blast from past sparks fresh Librawl". Australian Financial Review. 24 January 1995.
Ward, Ian (December 1995). "Australian Political Chronicle: January–June 1995". Australian Journal of Politics and History. 41 (3).

v t e Liberal Party of Australia
Leaders	Robert Menzies Harold Holt John Gorton William McMahon Billy Snedden Malcolm Fraser Andrew Peacock John Howard Andrew Peacock John Hewson Alexander Downer John Howard Brendan Nelson Malcolm Turnbull Tony Abbott Malcolm Turnbull Scott Morrison Peter Dutton
Deputy Leaders	Eric Harrison Harold Holt William McMahon John Gorton Billy Snedden Phillip Lynch John Howard Neil Brown Andrew Peacock Fred Chaney Peter Reith Michael Wooldridge Peter Costello Julie Bishop Josh Frydenberg Sussan Ley
Presidents	Malcolm Ritchie Richard Casey W. H. Anderson Lyle Moore Philip McBride J. E. Pagan Robert Southey John Atwill A. J. Forbes John Valder John Elliott Ashley Goldsworthy Tony Staley Shane Stone Chris McDiven Alan Stockdale Richard Alston Nick Greiner John Olsen
Governments	Menzies Holt Gorton McMahon Fraser Howard Abbott Turnbull Morrison
Ministries	Menzies 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Holt 1 2 Gorton 1 2 McMahon Fraser 1 2 3 4 Howard 1 2 3 4 Abbott Turnbull 1 2 Morrison 1 2
Shadow cabinets	Snedden Fraser Peacock I Howard I Peacock II Hewson Downer Howard II Nelson Turnbull Abbott Dutton
State divisions	Australian Capital Territory New South Wales Northern Territory (Country Liberal Party) Queensland (Liberal National Party) South Australia Tasmania Victoria Western Australia
Party-related organisations	Australian Liberal Students' Federation Coalition Cormack Foundation Norfolk Liberals Young Liberals Young LNP Menzies Research Centre
Factions	Moderates Centre Right Independent Liberal National Right Ginger Group (defunct) Lyons Forum (defunct)
History	Protectionist Party Free Trade Party Fusion Liberal Party National Labor Party Nationalist Party Liberal Union Australian Party United Australia Party Citizens' Municipal Organisation
Leadership contests	1966 1968 1969 1971 1972 1975 1982 1983 1985 1987 1989 1990 1993 1994 1995 2007 2008 2009 2015 (Feb) 2015 (Sep) 2018 2022

Leadership spills and elections in Australia

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See spills of: New South Wales • Victoria

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