John Howard

John Howard
Born	John Winston Howard 26 7, 1939
Birthplace	Earlwood, New South Wales, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Occupation	Politician, lawyer
Known for	25th Prime Minister of Australia (1996–2007)
Education	University of Sydney (LLB)
Children	3
Awards	Companion of the Order of Australia (AC)

John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th Prime Minister of Australia from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. A member of the Liberal Party of Australia, Howard's eleven-year tenure as prime minister is the second-longest in Australian history, surpassed only by that of Sir Robert Menzies. Born in the Sydney suburb of Earlwood during the early months of the Second World War, Howard studied law at the University of Sydney and worked as a commercial solicitor before entering federal politics at the 1974 federal election as the member for the Division of Bennelong. He rose rapidly through Liberal ranks, serving as Treasurer of Australia under Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser from 1977 to 1983, and twice held the leadership of the Liberal Party — first from 1985 to 1989, and again from 1995 to 2007. His prime ministership was defined by significant policy actions including the introduction of sweeping gun control legislation following the Port Arthur massacre, the implementation of a goods and services tax, the commitment of Australian troops to conflicts in East Timor, Afghanistan, and Iraq, and controversial changes to immigration and industrial relations policy. Howard's government presided over a sustained period of economic growth. He was defeated at the 2007 Australian federal election, losing both government and his own seat of Bennelong to Labor's Maxine McKew, making him only the second sitting prime minister to lose his own seat, after Stanley Bruce in 1929.

Early Life

John Winston Howard was born on 26 July 1939 in Earlwood, a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, New South Wales. He was the youngest of four sons born to Lyall Howard and Mona Howard (née McKell). His middle name, Winston, was given in honour of Winston Churchill, reflecting the family's admiration for the British wartime leader. His father, Lyall Howard, was a First World War veteran who operated a petrol station and mechanical workshop in the Dulwich Hill area. The Howard family was firmly lower-middle class, and Howard grew up in modest circumstances.

Howard attended Earlwood Public School and then Canterbury Boys' High School, a state secondary school in suburban Sydney. His brother Bob Howard also became active in public life. Howard's upbringing in a suburban, small-business-owning family had a formative influence on his political outlook, particularly his emphasis on individual enterprise, aspiration, and what he would later describe as the values of "mainstream Australia."

During his childhood, Howard suffered partial hearing loss in his left ear as a result of an undiagnosed infection, a condition that would remain with him throughout his life. He wore a hearing aid from a young age, though this became more publicly visible during his political career.

Howard developed an interest in politics and current affairs at a young age. He was influenced by the long prime ministership of Robert Menzies, whose Liberal Party had governed Australia for most of Howard's youth. Howard later cited Menzies as his political hero and model, and his own political philosophy bore the imprint of Menzies' brand of liberalism, which combined economic liberalism with social conservatism and a strong commitment to the Anglo-American alliance.

Education

Howard completed his secondary education at Canterbury Boys' High School. He then enrolled at the University of Sydney, where he studied law. He completed his Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree and was admitted to the New South Wales Bar. Rather than pursuing a career as a barrister, Howard chose to practice as a solicitor, specialising in commercial and industrial law. He worked at a number of Sydney law firms before entering politics.

During his university years, Howard became actively involved in Liberal Party politics. He joined the Young Liberals and eventually became the federal president of the organisation, demonstrating early the political ambition and organisational acumen that would define his career.

Career

Early Political Career

Howard first stood for elected office at the 1968 New South Wales state election, contesting the seat of Drummoyne. He lost narrowly, but the experience reinforced his determination to pursue a political career. He continued to build his profile within the Liberal Party and sought preselection for a federal seat.

At the 1974 Australian federal election, Howard was elected to the House of Representatives as the member for Bennelong, a seat in the northern suburbs of Sydney. He succeeded the retiring John Cramer. Howard entered parliament during a turbulent period in Australian politics, with the Labor government of Gough Whitlam implementing sweeping reforms that polarised the electorate.

Following the dismissal of the Whitlam government and the Coalition's landslide victory at the 1975 federal election under Malcolm Fraser, Howard was appointed to the ministry. He initially served as Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs from 22 December 1975 to 17 July 1977. He was then briefly Minister for Special Trade Negotiations from July to December 1977 before being appointed Treasurer of Australia on 19 November 1977, replacing Phillip Lynch.

Treasurer of Australia (1977–1983)

At the age of 38, Howard became one of the youngest treasurers in Australian history. He held the portfolio throughout the remaining years of the Fraser government, from November 1977 until the Coalition's defeat at the 1983 Australian federal election by Bob Hawke's Labor Party.

As Treasurer, Howard oversaw economic policy during a period of significant global and domestic economic challenges, including rising inflation and unemployment. His tenure was marked by a generally orthodox approach to fiscal management. Howard advocated for tax reform and economic deregulation, though the Fraser government's approach was more cautious than Howard would have preferred. His time as Treasurer established him as a prominent figure within the Liberal Party and positioned him as a future leadership contender.

Deputy Leader and First Period as Leader of the Opposition (1982–1989)

In April 1982, Howard was elected Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party, replacing Phillip Lynch. He served in this capacity under both Malcolm Fraser and Andrew Peacock. Following the Coalition's defeat at the 1983 election, the Liberals entered a protracted period in opposition marked by factional tensions and leadership instability.

On 5 September 1985, Howard was elected leader of the Liberal Party for the first time, replacing Andrew Peacock as Leader of the Opposition. He led the Liberal–National Coalition to the 1987 Australian federal election, but lost to Bob Hawke's incumbent Labor government. The defeat intensified internal tensions within the party, and Howard's leadership came under sustained pressure. His position was further weakened by perceptions that he had failed to connect with moderate voters. On 9 May 1989, Howard was removed as leader and replaced by Peacock.

Despite the loss of the leadership, Howard remained in parliament and continued to be a significant figure within the Liberal Party. He served as Manager of Opposition Business under leader John Hewson from April 1993 to January 1995 and maintained his profile as a prominent spokesperson on economic and social policy matters.

Return to Leadership and the 1996 Election

Following the failure of Alexander Downer's short-lived leadership, Howard was re-elected leader of the Liberal Party on 30 January 1995, with Peter Costello as his deputy. This marked an extraordinary political resurrection for a figure many had written off after his earlier leadership removal.

Howard led the Coalition into the 1996 Australian federal election on 2 March 1996, winning a landslide victory over Paul Keating's Labor government. The Coalition won 94 seats in the House of Representatives to Labor's 49, achieving one of the largest parliamentary majorities in Australian history. Howard was sworn in as the 25th Prime Minister of Australia on 11 March 1996.

First Term (1996–1998)

One of the defining acts of Howard's first term was his response to the Port Arthur massacre of 28 April 1996, in which a lone gunman killed 35 people in Tasmania. Within weeks of the tragedy, Howard convened a special meeting of state and territory leaders and brokered the National Firearms Agreement, which imposed strict new gun control laws across Australia, including a ban on semi-automatic and automatic rifles and shotguns and a government-funded firearms buyback scheme. The reforms faced resistance from some rural communities and members of his own coalition, particularly the National Party, but Howard pursued them with determination. The gun laws became one of the most frequently cited achievements of his prime ministership.

Howard's first term also saw significant debate over Indigenous affairs. The government's response to the Wik decision by the High Court of Australia, which found that pastoral leases and native title could coexist, resulted in the passage of the Native Title Amendment Act 1998, which limited the scope of native title. This drew criticism from Indigenous groups and some international observers.

A central policy commitment of Howard's government was the introduction of a goods and services tax (GST), a broad-based consumption tax set at 10 per cent. This was a contentious measure, as Howard had made a statement before the 1996 election that was interpreted as a promise not to introduce such a tax. Howard called an early election for 3 October 1998 to seek a mandate for the GST.

Second Term (1998–2001)

The 1998 Australian federal election resulted in the Coalition being returned to government, though with a significantly reduced majority. Labor under Kim Beazley actually won a majority of the two-party-preferred vote, but the Coalition retained enough seats to form government. The GST was subsequently legislated with the support of the Australian Democrats in the Senate, who secured the exclusion of fresh food from the tax, and came into effect on 1 July 2000.

Howard's second term was also marked by Australia's leading role in the International Force for East Timor (INTERFET) in 1999, following the violence that erupted after the territory's vote for independence from Indonesia. The deployment of Australian troops, under the command of Major General Peter Cosgrove, was considered a significant moment in Australian foreign and defence policy.

In the lead-up to the 2001 Australian federal election, the Coalition was trailing Labor in opinion polls. Two events dramatically altered the political landscape. In August 2001, the Howard government refused to allow the Norwegian cargo vessel MV Tampa, which had rescued over 400 asylum seekers from a sinking vessel, to land at Christmas Island. Howard introduced the so-called "Pacific Solution," which involved the processing of asylum seekers on offshore detention facilities in Nauru and Papua New Guinea, and pushed through legislation to excise certain territories from Australia's migration zone. The government's hardline stance on border protection proved electorally popular.

The September 11 attacks in the United States on 11 September 2001 further shifted the political environment toward national security. Howard, who was in Washington, D.C. at the time of the attacks, invoked the ANZUS Treaty and pledged Australian military support to the United States. Australia subsequently committed troops to the War in Afghanistan as part of the US-led coalition. The combination of the border protection issue and the security environment contributed to the Coalition's re-election on 10 November 2001, despite having trailed in polls for much of the preceding year.

Third Term (2001–2004)

Howard's third term was dominated by foreign policy and national security. In 2003, the Howard government committed Australian troops to the Iraq War as part of the "coalition of the willing" led by the United States, a decision that proved controversial and generated significant public opposition. Howard argued that the war was justified on the basis of intelligence assessments suggesting that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction, a claim that was later discredited.

In October 2002, 202 people, including 88 Australians, were killed in terrorist bombings in Bali, Indonesia. The Bali bombings had a profound impact on Australian public consciousness and reinforced the Howard government's emphasis on counter-terrorism and national security policy.

Howard's government was also criticised over the "children overboard" affair, in which government ministers had claimed during the 2001 election campaign that asylum seekers had thrown their children into the sea to secure rescue by the Royal Australian Navy. A subsequent Senate inquiry found that the claims were not substantiated by the available evidence, though Howard maintained that he had acted in good faith based on the information provided to him.

At the 2004 Australian federal election on 9 October 2004, the Howard government was returned with an increased majority, winning control of the Senate for the first time. The Coalition's victory was attributed in part to concerns about the Opposition Leader Mark Latham's experience and temperament, and the electorate's continued confidence in the government's economic management during a period of sustained growth.

Fourth Term and Defeat (2004–2007)

With control of both houses of parliament for the first time, the Howard government pursued an ambitious legislative agenda. The most significant — and ultimately most damaging — policy was the WorkChoices industrial relations legislation, which was passed in 2005 and came into effect in March 2006. WorkChoices replaced the existing award-based industrial relations system with individual workplace agreements known as Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs), reduced the role of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission, and removed certain protections such as unfair dismissal provisions for employees of businesses with fewer than 100 workers.

The WorkChoices legislation provoked intense opposition from trade unions, the Labor Party, and sections of the public. The Australian Council of Trade Unions launched a sustained advertising campaign against the laws under the slogan "Your Rights at Work," which was credited with significantly shifting public opinion against the government. WorkChoices became the dominant issue of the 2007 election campaign and was broadly regarded as a major factor in the government's subsequent defeat.

During this period, there was also persistent speculation about the leadership of the Liberal Party, with many commentators and some Liberal members suggesting that Howard should hand the leadership to his long-serving deputy, Treasurer Peter Costello. Howard had reportedly made an agreement with Costello regarding the timing of a leadership transition, but he ultimately chose to remain as leader and contest the 2007 election. This created tensions within the party and became a source of ongoing media commentary.

Howard's government also faced criticism over its refusal to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, and its approach to the issue of an apology to the Stolen Generations of Indigenous Australians. Howard resisted calls for a formal government apology, offering instead a statement of personal regret. A formal apology was subsequently delivered by his successor, Kevin Rudd, on 13 February 2008.

The 2007 Australian federal election was held on 24 November 2007. The Labor Party under Kevin Rudd won a comprehensive victory, gaining 23 seats. Howard not only lost government but also lost his own seat of Bennelong to Labor's Maxine McKew, becoming only the second sitting prime minister in Australian history to lose his own electorate, after Stanley Bruce in 1929. Kevin Rudd was sworn in as the 26th Prime Minister of Australia on 3 December 2007.

Post-Political Career

Following his defeat, Howard retired from active politics. He was appointed Chairman of the International Democrat Union (IDU), a global alliance of centre-right political parties, serving from 2002 to 2014, when he was succeeded by John Key. Howard published his autobiography, Lazarus Rising, in 2010, which provided a detailed account of his political career and philosophy. He has continued to participate in public debate and has delivered lectures and speeches on Australian politics, international affairs, and economic policy.

Personal Life

John Howard married Janette Parker on 4 April 1971. Janette Howard, a former teacher, was a prominent figure during her husband's prime ministership and was known as a significant influence on his political career and decision-making. The couple has three children.

Howard is a noted cricket enthusiast and has been a long-standing supporter of the game. He has regularly attended test cricket matches and was an advocate for the sport throughout his public life. He and Janette have resided in the Sydney suburb of Wollstonecraft.

Howard's partial hearing loss, first sustained in childhood, has been a well-documented aspect of his personal life. He has worn a hearing aid for much of his public career.

Recognition

Howard was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for his service to the Parliament of Australia and to the community. He has received a number of honorary degrees and international awards in recognition of his role in Australian and international affairs.

As chairman of the International Democrat Union from 2002 to 2014, Howard maintained a prominent role in centre-right politics globally. He has been invited to deliver keynote addresses at political and academic events in Australia and internationally.

Howard's gun law reforms, introduced in the wake of the Port Arthur massacre, have been cited in international debates about firearms regulation as a model of effective policy response. His economic record, presiding over a period of sustained growth and low unemployment, has also been frequently cited in assessments of his prime ministership.

Legacy

John Howard's prime ministership is among the most consequential in Australian political history. His government's gun control reforms, implemented with cross-party and cross-jurisdictional cooperation, fundamentally changed Australia's firearms laws and are frequently cited in international policy debates. The introduction of the goods and services tax restructured the Australian taxation system and remains a central feature of federal and state government revenue.

Howard's foreign policy decisions, particularly the commitment of troops to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the deployment to East Timor, had lasting implications for Australia's strategic alliances and military engagement. His invocation of the ANZUS Treaty following the September 11 attacks reinforced Australia's alliance with the United States as a central pillar of national security policy.

The "Pacific Solution" and related immigration policies established a framework for offshore processing that continued to influence Australian border protection policy long after Howard left office, with subsequent governments of both major parties adopting elements of his approach.

The WorkChoices industrial relations reforms, while contributing significantly to Howard's electoral defeat, prompted a broader national debate about the balance between economic flexibility and workers' protections. The subsequent Fair Work Act introduced by the Rudd government was in part a direct response to the WorkChoices framework.

Howard's refusal to issue a formal apology to the Stolen Generations remains a contested aspect of his legacy. His successor's 2008 apology was one of the first acts of the new government and was viewed as a symbolic departure from the Howard era's approach to Indigenous reconciliation.

As the second-longest serving prime minister in Australian history, Howard's impact on the nation's economic, social, and foreign policy has been the subject of extensive academic and journalistic analysis. Assessments of his legacy vary significantly depending on political perspective, but his influence on the trajectory of Australian public policy from the late 1990s through the first decade of the 21st century is broadly acknowledged.