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On This Day In 1966: Menzies Retires, Holt Government Takes Office

Jan 26, 2016

Having announced his retirement on January 20, Sir Robert Menzies officially departed the prime ministership on this day in 1966. Harold Holt’s first ministry was sworn in at the same time.

It was a historic moment 50 years ago that brought to an end the political career of Australia’s longest-serving prime minister. Menzies had been Prime Minister for two years between April 1939 and August 1941. He formed the Liberal Party in 1944 and served for six years as Opposition Leader before defeating the Chifley Labor government in December 1949.

Menzies went on to win six more elections in 1951, 1954, 1955, 1958, 1961 and 1963. When he retired, he had been prime minister for 16 years and 5 weeks.

Holt

Harold Holt took office at the age of 57 with a ministerial career that had started 26 years earlier. He had first served under Menzies in 1940 and had been Treasurer since 1958. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Liberal Party, Ministries, Political History Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Peacock Defeats Howard In Surprise Challenge; Nationals Replace Sinclair With Blunt

May 09, 1989

The Liberal Opposition leader, John Howard, was replaced by Andrew Peacock on May 9, 1989, in a surprise leadership challenge that also led the National Party to replace Ian Sinclair with Charles Blunt.

The challenge to Howard was hatched in almost total secrecy. Peacock defeated Howard by 44 votes to 27.

The week after the leadership change, the anti-Howard plotters appeared in a remarkable Four Corners program on the ABC and detailed how they removed Howard.

Peacock had been leader of the Liberal Party between 1983 and 1985, until he was replaced by John Howard after a misjudged attempt to remove Howard as deputy leader. Howard led the Liberal Party to defeat against the Hawke Labor government in 1987.

Sinclair became leader of the National Party in January 1984, following the retirement of Doug Anthony. First elected to Parliament in 1963, Sinclair had been a minister in the Menzies, Holt, McEwen, Gorton, McMahon and Fraser governments. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Howard, Liberal Party, The Nationals Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

John Kerin Comments On Leadership Changes In the Coalition

May 09, 1989

This is an audio clip of John Kerin joking about leadership changes in the coalition parties.

Kerin was the Minister for Primary Industries and Energy in the Hawke government.

He remarks came in Question Time on the day the Liberal Party replaced John Howard with their former leader, Andrew Peacock, and the National Party replaced Ian Sinclair with Charles Blunt. [Read more…]

Filed Under: A.L.P., Audio, Liberal Party, The Nationals Tagged With: , , , ,

How Much Does A Leadership Change Cost?

May 09, 1989

Following the dual change of leadership in the Liberal Party and the National Party, the Hawke government minister Senator Robert Ray had some fun in Senate Question Time about the costs involved.

Earlier in the day, the Liberal Party toppled John Howard from the leadership and replaced him with his predecessor, Andrew Peacock. Simultaneously, the National Party overthrew Ian Sinclair and replaced him with Charles Blunt.

Ray was the Minister for Immigration, representing the Minister for Administrative Services. He was asked a Dorothy Dix question by the ALP’s Senator Bob McMullan about the administrative costs of the leadership changes. [Read more…]

Filed Under: A.L.P., Audio, Hawke, Liberal Party, Question Time, The Nationals Tagged With: , , , , ,
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