1968 Liberal Party of Australia leadership election

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Liberal Party of Australia
leadership election, 1968

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9 January 1968

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Candidate	John Gorton	Paul Hasluck
First ballot	35 (43.2%)	24 (29.6%)
Second ballot	51 (63.0%)	30 (37.0%)
Seat	Senator (Vic.)	Curtin (WA)


Candidate	Les Bury	Billy Snedden
First ballot	16 (19.8%)	6 (7.4%)
Second ballot	Eliminated	Eliminated
Seat	Wentworth (NSW)	Bruce (Vic.)

Leader before election

Harold Holt

Elected Leader

John Gorton

A leadership election in the Liberal Party of Australia, the party of government in the Parliament of Australia, was held on 9 January 1968. It followed the disappearance and presumed drowning of previous leader Harold Holt, who had been declared dead on 19 December 1967. The contest was won by Senator John Gorton in a party room ballot; he was sworn in as prime minister the following day, replacing caretaker John McEwen.

Background

Further information: Disappearance of Harold Holt

Incumbent party leader Harold Holt sensationally disappeared while swimming at Cheviot Beach near Portsea on the Mornington Peninsula of Victoria on 17 December 1967. William McMahon, the incumbent Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party was assumed to be his probable successor, however, John McEwen, the interim Prime Minister and leader of the Country Party (the junior Coalition partner), announced that he and his party would not serve in a government led by McMahon. McMahon subsequently withdrew. McEwen himself had been encouraged to remain Prime Minister on a more permanent basis but to do so would have required him to defect and lead the Liberals, an option he had never contemplated.

Candidates

Les Bury, Minister for Labour and National Service, Member for Wentworth
John Gorton, Minister for Education and Science and Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator for Victoria
Paul Hasluck, Minister for External Affairs, Member for Curtin
Billy Snedden, Minister for Immigration, Member for Bruce

Potential candidates who declined to run

Allen Fairhall, Minister for Defence, Member for Paterson
William McMahon, incumbent Deputy Leader, Treasurer of Australia, Member for Lowe
John McEwen, interim Prime Minister. Although leader of the Country Party, McEwen was encouraged to stay on a Prime Minister on a permanent basis which would have required him to defect and lead the Liberals, which he wasn't willing to do.

Results

The following table gives the ballot results:

	1st ballot	2nd ballot
John Gorton	35	51
Paul Hasluck	24	30
Les Bury	16	Eliminated
Billy Snedden	6	Eliminated

Aftermath

McMahon was re-elected unopposed as deputy Liberal leader. To date, Gorton is the only Australian Senator to be sworn in as Prime Minister; he would subsequently win Holt's vacant seat of Higgins at a by-election. Hasluck was later nominated and accepted the position of Governor-General from Gorton in 1969 and Snedden became party leader in December 1972. Bury later served as Treasurer of Australia under both Gorton and McMahon.

References

Gaul, Jonathan (10 January 1968). "Gorton's Sweeping Victory". The Canberra Times. p. 1.
"The 'devilish race' for leadership of the country". The Canberra Times. 3 June 1984. p. 7.
A Country Road: The Nationals, Episode 1.
"A silent success for McMahon". Canberra Times. 10 January 1968.

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

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