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{{Infobox Prime Minister
|honorific-prefix = <small>[[The Honourable]]</small><br />
|name = John Howard<br />
|honorific-suffix = <small>[[Order of Australia|AC]] [[Star of the Solomon Islands|SSI]]</small>
|image = PMincoffs.jpg
|order = [[List of Prime Ministers of Australia|25th]] [[Prime Minister of Australia]]
<br /> <small>Elections: [[Australian federal election, 1987|1987]], [[Australian federal election, 1996|1996]], [[Australian federal election, 1998|1998]], [[Australian federal election, 2001|2001]], [[Australian federal election, 2004|2004]], [[Australian federal election, 2007|2007]]</small>
|term_start = 11 March 1996
|term_end = 3 December 2007
|deputy = [[Tim Fischer]] (1996–1999)<br />[[John Anderson (Australian politician)|John Anderson]] (1999–2005)<br />[[Mark Vaile]] (2005–2007)
|predecessor = [[Paul Keating]]
|successor = [[Kevin Rudd]]
|order2 = 29th
|office2 = Treasurer of Australia
|term_start2 = 19 November 1977
|term_end2 = 11 March 1983
|predecessor2 = [[Phillip Lynch]]
|successor2 = [[Paul Keating]]
|constituency_MP3 = [[Division of Bennelong|Bennelong]]
|parliament3 = Australian
|term_start3 = 18 May 1974
|term_end3 = 24 November 2007
|predecessor3 = [[John Cramer (Australian politician)|John Cramer]]
|successor3 = [[Maxine McKew]]
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1939|07|26|df=y}}
|birth_place = [[Sydney]], [[New South Wales]], [[Australia]]
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = [[Liberal Party of Australia]]
|spouse = [[Janette Howard]]
|alma_mater = [[University of Sydney]]
|profession = [[Solicitor]]
|religion = [[Anglican]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/opinion/editorial/general/having-faith-in-politics/1886050.aspx|title=Having faith in politics|date=15 July 2010|work=canberratimes.com.au|accessdate=21 July 2010}}</ref>
|signature = John Howard Signature.svg
}}
'''John Winston Howard''', [[Order of Australia|AC]] (born 26 July 1939) was the [[List of Prime Ministers of Australia|25th]] [[Prime Minister of Australia]], from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after [[Robert Menzies|Sir Robert Menzies]].
Howard was a member of the [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] from [[Australian federal election, 1974|1974]] to [[Australian federal election, 2007|2007]], representing the [[Division of Bennelong]], [[New South Wales]]. He served as [[Treasurer of Australia|Treasurer]] in the [[Malcolm Fraser|Fraser]] [[Second Fraser Ministry|government]] of from 1977 to 1983. He was Leader of the Liberal Party and [[Coalition (Australia)|Coalition]] Opposition from 1985 to 1989, which included the [[Australian federal election, 1987|1987 federal election]] against [[Bob Hawke]]. He was re-elected as Leader of the Opposition in 1995.
Howard led the [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]]-[[National Party of Australia|National]] [[Coalition (Australia)|Coalition]] to victory at the [[Australian federal election, 1996|1996 federal election]], defeating [[Paul Keating]]'s [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]] [[Keating Government|government]] and ending a record thirteen years of [[Coalition (Australia)|Coalition]] [[Opposition (Australia)|opposition]]. The [[Howard Government]] was re-elected at the [[Australian federal election, 1998|1998]], [[Australian federal election, 2001|2001]] and [[Australian federal election, 2004|2004]] elections, presiding over a period of strong economic growth and prosperity.<ref name="quadrant.org.au">{{Citation|author=John Stone |url=http://www.quadrant.org.au/magazine/issue/2009/1-2/growth-jobs-and-prosperity |title=John Stone, Growth, Jobs, and Prosperity, Quadrant. January-February 2009 |publisher=Quadrant.org.au |date= |accessdate=2010-04-25}}</ref> Major issues for the Howard Government included taxation, industrial relations, immigration, the Iraq war, and Aboriginal relations. Howard's coalition government was defeated at the [[Australian federal election, 2007|2007 election]] by the Labor Party led by [[Kevin Rudd]]. Howard also lost his [[Division of Bennelong|own parliamentary seat]] at the election; he was the second Australian Prime Minister, after [[Stanley Bruce]] in 1929, to do so.
==Early life==
[[Image:John Howard boy.jpg|left|thumb|upright|John Howard as a boy]]
John Howard is the fourth son of Mona (''née'' Kell) and [[Lyall Howard]]. His parents were married in 1925. His eldest brother Stanley was born in 1926, followed by Walter in 1929, and Robert (Bob) in 1936. Lyall Howard was an admirer of [[Winston Churchill]],<ref>{{Harvnb|Garran|2004|p=10}}</ref> and a sympathiser with the [[New Guard]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Van Onselen|Errington|2007|pp=7–9}}</ref>
Howard grew up in the [[Sydney]] suburb of [[Earlwood, New South Wales|Earlwood]] in a [[Methodist]] family.<ref name="Kelly bio">{{Citation
| last = Kelly | first = Paul | title = The Common Man as Prime Minister | work = The Australian | pages = | language = | publisher = | date = 19 May 1999 | url = | accessdate = }}</ref> His mother had been an office worker until her marriage. His father and his paternal grandfather, Walter Howard, were both veterans of the [[First Australian Imperial Force|First AIF]] in World War I. They also ran two [[Dulwich Hill, New South Wales|Dulwich Hill]] petrol stations where John Howard worked as a boy.<ref name="SMH_Petrol">{{Citation | url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/06/18/1150569210879.html?page=fullpage | title=Tin soldered for the King in Howard's home | work=Sydney Morning Herald | date=19 June 2006 | accessdate=29 August 2007}}</ref>
Lyall Howard died in 1955 when John was sixteen, leaving his mother to take care of John<ref>Birnbauer, Bill, "Rise Of A Common Man", ''The Age'', 4 March 1996</ref> (or "Jack" as he was also known).<ref name="SMH_Canterbury">{{Citation| url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/09/17/1095394004427.html | title=Canterbury tales | work=Sydney Morning Herald | date=18 September 2004 | accessdate=5 September 2007}}</ref>
Howard suffered a hearing impairment in his youth, leaving him with a slight [[speech disorder|speech impediment]],<ref name="transcript-lab_opening">{{Citation | url=http://www.pm.gov.au/News/Speeches/2000/DeafnessReasearch1102.htm | title=Transcript of the Prime Minister the Hon. John Howard MP, opening of the child deafness research laboratories at The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne | publisher=PM News Room | date=16 February 2000 | accessdate=8 July 2008}}</ref> and he continues to wear a hearing aid. It also influenced him in subtle ways, limiting his early academic performance; encouraging a reliance on an excellent memory; and in his mind ruling out becoming a [[barrister]] as a likely career.<ref>{{Harvnb|Van Onselen|Errington|2007|pp=21, 35}}</ref>
Howard attended the publicly funded [[state school]]s Earlwood Primary School and [[Canterbury Boys' High School]].<ref name="SMH_Canterbury"/>
Howard won a citizenship prize in his final year at Earlwood (presented by local politician [[Eric Willis]]), and subsequently represented his secondary school at debating as well as [[cricket]] and [[rugby football|rugby]].<ref name="The Sports Factor">{{Citation | url=http://www.abc.net.au/rn/sportsfactor/stories/2001/401143.htm| title=Beazley and Howard- Politics and Sport | publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation | date=26 October 2001 | accessdate=13 March 2007}}</ref> Cricket remained a life-long hobby.<ref name="Kelly bio"/> In his final year at school he took part in a radio show hosted by [[Jack Davey]], ''Give It a Go'' broadcast on the commercial radio station, [[2GB]], and a recording of the show survives.<ref name="young_howard_recording">{{Citation | url=http://www.australianpolitics.com/sounds/2002/06/02-06-09_howard-and-jack-davey-1955.ram | title=Sixteen-year-old John Howard on a popular radio quiz show compered by Jack Davey {{RAMlink}} | publisher=australianpolitics.com | date=9 June 2002 | accessdate=8 July 2006}}</ref> After gaining his Leaving Certificate, he studied law at the [[University of Sydney]], graduating in 1961,<ref name="SMH_Canterbury"/> and subsequently practising as a solicitor for twelve years.<ref name="NMA"/>
Howard married fellow Liberal Party member [[Janette Howard|Janette Parker]] in 1971, with whom he had three children: Melanie (1974), Tim (1977) and Richard (1980).<ref name="NAA_JanetteHoward">{{Citation | url=http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/meetpm.asp?pmId=25 | title=Australia's Prime Ministers : John Howard | publisher=[[National Archives of Australia]] | accessdate=27 November 2007}}</ref>
==Early political career==
Howard joined the [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal Party]] in 1957. He held office in the [[New South Wales]] Liberal Party on the State Executive and served as President of the [[Young Liberals (Australia)|Young Liberals]] (1962–64), the party youth organisation.<ref name="young_libs">{{Citation | url=http://www.younglibs.org.au/lifemembers.php | title=Young Liberals Life Members & Past Presidents | publisher=[[Young Liberals (Australia)|Young Liberals]] |date=2006 | accessdate=8 July 2006}}</ref> Howard supported [[Military history of Australia during the Vietnam War|Australia's involvement]] in the [[Vietnam War]], although has since said there were "aspects of it that could have been handled and explained differently".<ref name=4corners>{{Citation | url=http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2004/s1212701.htm | title=John Howard Interview– 1996 | work=[[Four Corners (TV program)|Four Corners]] | date=19 February 1996 | accessdate=26 December 2006}}</ref>
At the [[Australian federal election, 1963|1963 federal election]], Howard acted as campaign manager in his local seat of [[Division of Parkes (1901-69)|Parkes]] for the successful candidacy of [[Tom Hughes (Australian politician)|Tom Hughes]] who defeated the 20 year Labor incumbent.
In 1967 with the support of party power brokers, [[John Carrick (Australian politician)|John Carrick]] and [[Eric Willis]], he was endorsed as candidate for the marginal suburban state seat of [[Electoral district of Drummoyne|Drummoyne]], held by the [[Australian Labor Party|ALP]]. Howard's mother sold the family home in [[Earlwood, New South Wales|Earlwood]] and rented a house with him at [[Five Dock, New South Wales|Five Dock]], a suburb within the electorate. At the election in February 1968, in which the incumbent state Liberal government was returned to office, Howard failed to defeat the sitting member, despite campaigning vigorously.<ref name='Drummoyne_1968'>{{Citation | url=http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/resources/nswelectionsanalysis/1968/Drummoyne.htm | title=Drummoyne– 1968 | publisher=[[Parliament of New South Wales]] | date= 25 July 2007 | accessdate=25 July 2007 }}</ref> Howard and his mother subsequently returned to Earlwood, moving to a house on the same street where he grew up.
At the [[Australian federal election, 1974|1974 federal election]], Howard successfully contested the Sydney suburban seat of [[Division of Bennelong|Bennelong]] and became a Member of Parliament in the [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] during the [[Gough Whitlam]]-led Labor Government. Howard backed [[Malcolm Fraser]] for the leadership of the Liberal Party against [[Billy Snedden]] following the 1974 election.<ref>Kelly (1994), p. 101.</ref> When Fraser won office in December 1975, Howard was appointed [[Minister for Home Affairs (Australia)|Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs]], a position in which he served until 1977.<ref name="NMA"/> At this stage, he followed the [[protectionist]] and pro-regulation stance of Fraser and the Liberal Party.<ref>Kelly (1994), pp. 101-103.</ref>
==Federal Treasurer (1977–1983)==
In December 1977, at the age of 38, Howard was appointed [[Treasurer of Australia|Treasurer]].<ref name="NMA"/> During his five years in the position, he became an adherent of [[market economics|free-market economics]],<ref>Kelly (1994), p. 102.</ref> which was challenging economic orthodoxies in place for most of the century.<ref name="Kelly 1994, pp. 50-53">Kelly (1994), pp. 50-53.</ref> He came to favour tax reform including broad-based taxation (later the [[Goods and Services Tax (Australia)|GST)]], a freer industrial system including the dismantling of the centralised wage-fixing system, the abolition of compulsory [[trade unionism]], privatisation and deregulation.<ref name="Kelly bio"/>
In 1978, the Fraser government instigated a committee of inquiry, the Campbell Committee, to investigate financial system reforms. The impetus for the commission came, not from Howard, but from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.<ref name="Bell_21">{{Harvnb|Bell|2004|p=21}}</ref> Howard supported the Campbell report, but adopted an incremental approach with Cabinet, as there was wide opposition to deregulation within the government and the treasury.<ref name="Bell_21"/><ref>{{Harvnb|Kelly|1994|p=78}}</ref> The process of reform began before the committee reported 2½ years later, with the introduction of the tender system for the sale of Treasury notes in 1979, and Treasury bonds in 1982. Ian Macfarlane (Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, 1996–2006) described these reforms as "second only in importance to the float of the Australian dollar in 1983."<ref>''[http://www.abc.net.au/rn/boyerlectures/stories/2006/1769925.htm Boyer Lecture 3: Reform and Deregulation]''26 November 2006</ref> In 1981 he proposed a broad-based indirect tax with compensatory cuts in personal rates; however, cabinet rejected it citing both inflationary and political reasons.<ref>Kelly (1994), p. 49.</ref> After the free-marketeers or "drys" of the Liberals challenged the protectionist policies of [[Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations (Australia)|Minister for Industry and Commerce]] [[Phillip Lynch]], they shifted their loyalties to Howard. Following an unsuccessful leadership challenge by [[Andrew Peacock]] to unseat Fraser as prime minister, Howard was elected deputy leader of the Liberal Party in April 1982. His election depended largely on the support of the "drys", and he became the champion of the growing free-market lobby in the party.<ref>Kelly (1994), pp. 49-50.</ref>
Fraser's negotiations with the ACTU saw him lose control of a wages explosion in 1982 just as the mining boom had ended. The economic crises of the early 1980s brought Howard into conflict with the economically conservative Fraser. As the economy headed towards the worst recession since the 1930s, [[Keynesian]] Fraser pushed an expansionary fiscal position much to Howard's and Treasury's horror. With his authority as treasurer being flouted, Howard considered resigning in July 1982, but, after discussions with his wife and senior advisor [[John Hewson]] (Liberal Party leader himself from 1990 to 1994), he decided to "tough it out".<ref name="Kelly 1994, pp. 50-53"/> The 1982 wages explosion—wages rose 16 per cent across the country—resulted in [[stagflation]]; unemployment touched double-digits and inflation peaked at 12.5% (official interest rates peaked at 21%).<ref>{{Citation | title =F01 Interest rates and yields – money market | publisher =[[Reserve Bank of Australia]] | url =http://www.rba.gov.au/Statistics/Bulletin/F01hist.xls | format =Excel file | accessdate = 29 August 2007 }}</ref>
The Fraser Government with Howard as Treasurer lost the [[Australian federal election, 1983|1983 election]] to the Labor Party led by [[Bob Hawke]]. Over the course of the 1980s, the Liberal party came to accept the free-market policies that Fraser had resisted and Howard had espoused; namely low protection, decentralisation of wage fixation, financial deregulation, a broadly-based indirect tax, and the rejection of counter-cyclical fiscal policy.<ref>Kelly (1994), p. 232.</ref>
==Opposition years (1983–1996)==
Following the [[Australian federal election, 1983|1983 defeat of the Fraser government]] and [[Malcolm Fraser|Fraser]]'s subsequent resignation from parliament, Howard contested the Liberal leadership but was defeated by [[Andrew Peacock]]. Remaining Deputy Leader of the parliamentary party, Howard became Deputy Leader of the [[Opposition (Australia)|Opposition]] and the Liberal Party were defeated by [[Bob Hawke|Hawke]] and Labor at the [[Australian federal election, 1984|1984 election]]. In 1985, as Labor's position in opinion polls improved, Peacock's popularity sank, and Howard's profile rose, leadership speculation persisted. Peacock said he would no longer accept Howard as deputy unless he offered assurances that he would not challenge for the leadership. Following Howard's refusal to offer such an assurance, Peacock sought, in September 1985, to replace him with John Moore as Deputy Leader.<ref>{{Citation |last= Barclay |first= Glen |year= 1986 |month= August |title= Australian Political Chronicle: July-December 1985 |journal= Australian Journal of Politics and History |volume= 32 |issue= 2 |page= 264 |issn=0004-9522}}</ref> The party room re-elected Howard as Deputy on 5 September (38 votes to 31), and, believing his position untenable, Peacock immediately resigned the leadership. With Peacock not contesting the ensuing Liberal Party leadership ballot, Howard defeated [[Jim Carlton]] 57 votes to 6, and became Leader of the Opposition.<ref>Kelly (1994), p. 192.</ref><ref>{{Citation
| last = Ramsay
| first = Alan
| authorlink = Alan Ramsey
| title = Howard's labours are slipping away
| work = The Sydney Morning Herald
| date = 2004-03-06
| page = 37
| url = http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/03/05/1078464638831.html
| accessdate = 2007-08-07}}</ref>{{Verify credibility|date=March 2009}}
;Leader of the opposition and new economic policy
Howard was in effect the Liberal party's first pro-market leader in the conservative coalition and spent the next two years working to revise Liberal policy away from that of Fraser's.<ref>{{Citation |year= 1987 |month= December |title= Australian Political Chronicle: January-June 1987 |journal= Australian Journal of Politics and History |volume= 33 |issue= 3 |pages= 280–281 |issn=0004-9522}}</ref> In his own words he was an "economic radical" and a [[social conservatism|social conservative]].<ref name="markus85">{{Harvnb|Markus|2001|pp=85–89}}</ref> Referring to the pro-market liberalism of the 1980s, Howard, famously said in July 1986 that "The times will suit me".<ref name='SMH20030818_TimesDoSuitHim'>{{ Citation|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/08/17/1061059710322.html?from=storyrhs
|title=The sad times do suit him; he made them|first =Anne |last = Summers|publisher =Sydney Morning Herald|date=18 August 2003}}</ref> That year the economy was seen to be in crisis with a 40% devaluation of the Australian dollar, a marked increase in the current account deficit and the loss of the Federal Government's triple A rating.<ref name='SMH20030818_TimesDoSuitHim'/> In response to the economic circumstances, Howard persistently attacked the Labor government and offered his free-market reform agenda.<ref name='SMH20030818_TimesDoSuitHim'/> Despite the economic news, support for the Labor Party and Hawke strengthened in 1985 and 1986. Howard's approval ratings dropped in the face of infighting between Howard and Peacock supporters, a "public manifestation of disunity" over policy positions, and questions over Howard's leadership.<ref>{{Citation |last= Barclay |first= Glen |year= 1986 |month= August |title= Australian Political Chronicle: July-December 1985 |journal= Australian Journal of Politics and History |volume= 32 |issue= 2 |page= 264 |issn=0004-9522}}; {{Citation |last= Barclay |first= Glen |year= 1986 |month= December |title= Australian Political Chronicle: January-June 1986 |journal= Australian Journal of Politics and History |volume= 32 |issue= 3 |page= 455 |issn=0004-9522}}</ref>
To capitalise on Coalition disunity, Hawke called the [[Australian federal election, 1987|1987 election]] six months early. In addition to the Howard–Peacock rivalry, Queensland National Party criticism of the federal Liberal and National leadership led to a split in the Coalition whereby Nationals ran against Liberals,<ref>{{Citation |year= 1987 |month= December |title= Australian Political Chronicle: January-June 1987 |journal= Australian Journal of Politics and History |volume= 33 |issue= 3 |pages= 279–285 |issn=0004-9522}}</ref> and culminated in the "[[Joh for Canberra]]" campaign. Keating successfully campaigned against John Howard's proposed tax changes forcing Howard to admit a [[double counting (accounting)|double-counting]] in the proposal,<ref name="PKelly_EndOfCertainty1994">{{Citation|last=Kelly|first=Paul|authorlink=Paul Kelly (journalist)|title=The End of Certainty: Power, Politics, and Business in Australia|url=http://books.google.com/?id=EKXBgmYeO2QC&dq|accessdate=5 October 2007|publisher=[[Allen & Unwin]]
|isbn=186373757X|pages=427,457
|year=1994}}</ref> and emphasising to the electorate that the package would mean at that stage undisclosed cuts to government services. The Hawke Government was re-elected with an increased majority.
;Howard's social agenda
In his social agenda, Howard promoted the traditional family and was antipathetic to the promotion of [[multiculturalism]] at the expense of a shared Australian identity.<ref>Kelly (1994), pp. 419.</ref> The immigration policy, ''[[One Australia policy|One Australia]]'', outlined a vision of "one nation and one future" and opposed multiculturalism.<ref name="markus85"/> In a radio interview discussing multiculturalism Howard suggested that to support "social cohesion" the rate of Asian immigration be "slowed down a little".<ref>{{Harvnb|Van Onselen|Errington|2007|p=157}}</ref> The comments divided opinion within the Coalition, and undermined Howard's standing amongst Liberal party figures including federal and state Ministers, intellectual opinion makers, business leaders, and within the Asia Pacific. Prime Minister Hawke moved a motion to affirm that race or ethnicity would not be used as immigrant selection criteria to which three Liberal MPs crossed the floor and two abstained. Many Liberals later nominated the issue as instrumental in Howard subsequently losing the leadership in 1989.<ref>Kelly (1994), pp. 427-428.</ref>
In line with "One Australia's" rejection of Aboriginal land rights, Howard said the idea of an Aboriginal treaty was ''"repugnant to the ideals of One Australia"''<ref name="markus85"/> and commented ''"I don't think it is wrong, racist, immoral or anything, for a country to say 'we will decide what the cultural identity and the cultural destiny of this country will be and nobody else."''<ref name="SMH_cricket">{{ Citation | title = When talk of racism is just not cricket | publisher = The Sydney Morning Herald | date = 16 December 2005 | url = http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2005/12/15/1134500961607.html | accessdate = 19 August 2007}}</ref>
;Loss of the leadership
As the country's economic position worsened in 1989, public opinion moved away from Labor, but Howard was unable to translate this into a firm opinion poll lead for himself and the Coalition.<ref>Kelly (1994), p. 470.</ref> In February, Liberal Party president and prominent businessman, [[John Elliott (businessman)|John Elliott]], said confidentially to Andrew Peacock that he would support him in a leadership challenge against Howard.<ref name="PKelly_EndOfCertainty1994"/> Following months of plotting by Elliot, Peacock and supporters, in May a surprise leadership coup was launched, ousting Howard as Liberal leader. When asked that day whether he could become Liberal leader again, Howard famously likened it to ''"Lazarus with a triple bypass"''.<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/02/28/1077677011993.html|title=Thoughts of a bypassed Lazarus|work=[[The Age]]|date=29 February 2004|accessdate=25 July 2007}}</ref> The loss of the Liberal Party leadership to Peacock deeply affected Howard, who admitted he would occasionally drink too much.<ref name="news_drunk">{{Citation | url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22129486-2,00.html | title=Howard: 'I was drunk at work' | work=[[The Courier-Mail]] | date=25 July 2007 | accessdate=25 July 2007}}</ref> Declining Peacock's offer of Shadow Education, Howard went to the backbench and a new period of party disunity ensued. Howard served as Shadow Minister for Industry, Technology and Communications, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader on the Public Service, Chairman of the Manpower and Labour Market Reform Group, Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations and Manager of Opposition Business in the House.
Following the Coalition's [[Australian federal election, 1990|1990 election]] loss, Peacock was replaced with former Howard staffer [[John Hewson|Dr. John Hewson]]. Howard was a supporter of Hewson's economic program, with a [[Goods and Services Tax (Australia)|Goods and Services Tax]] (GST) as its centrepiece. After Hewson lost the "unloseable" [[Australian federal election, 1993|1993 election]] to [[Paul Keating]], Howard unsuccessfully challenged Hewson for the leadership. In 1994, he was again passed over for the leadership, which went to [[Alexander Downer]]. In a 7 January 1995 newspaper article (and in 2002 as Prime Minister), Howard recanted his 1988 remarks on curbing Asian immigration.<ref name="Aus_spice">{{Citation
| last = Megalogenis
| first = George
| author-link = George Megalogenis
| title = Asian influence spices up contest
| newspaper = [[The Australian]]
| page = 11
| date = 2007-02-27
| url = http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21293182-28737,00.html
| accessdate = 2007-07-27}}</ref><ref name="Ward 1995">{{Citation |last= Ward |first= Ian |year= 1995 |month= December |title= Australian Political Chronicle: January-June 1995 |journal= Australian Journal of Politics and History |volume= 41 |issue= 3 |pages= |issn=}}</ref>
;Opposition leader again
In January 1995, leaked internal Liberal Party polling showed that with gaffe-prone Downer as leader, the Coalition had slim chance of holding its marginal seats, let alone of winning government. Media speculation of a leadership spill ended when, on 26 January 1995, Downer resigned as Liberal Leader and Howard was elected unopposed to replace him.<ref name="Ward 1995"/> As Opposition Leader for the second time, Howard revised his earlier statements against [[Medicare (Australia)|Medicare]] and Asian immigration.<ref name="Aus_spice"/> During the campaign Howard outlined his vision of Australia in 2000 to the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]]:{{quote|I want to see an Australian society that sees this country as a unique intersection of Europe, North America and Asia. Australia is incredibly lucky to have a European heritage, deep connections with North America, but to be geographically cast in the Asian/Pacific region and if we think of ourselves as that strategic intersection, then I think we have a remarkable opportunity to carve a special niche for ourselves in ... in the history of the next century.<ref name=4corners/>}}
Following Howard's election to [[Opposition (Australia)|Opposition]] Leader, the [[Coalition (Australia)|Coalition]] opened a large lead over [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]] in most opinion polls, and Howard overtook his old nemesis [[Paul Keating]] as preferred Prime Minister. Having said as leader in 1985 that it was "better to be right than popular", the second time around, Howard pursued what was described as a "small target" approach to campaigning and policy.<ref>{{Citation
| last = Mackay
| first = Hugh
| authorlink = Hugh Mackay (social researcher)
| title = The Howard factor
| work = The Age
| page = 9
| date = 2007-06-09
| url = http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/the-howard-factor/2007/06/08/1181089323492.html
| accessdate = }}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=March 2009}}{{Lopsided|date=March 2009}}
==Prime minister==
[[Image:John howard.jpg|thumb|upright|John Howard in the [[United States]] in 1997]]
{{Main|Howard Government}}
===Election win and first term===
With the support of many traditionally Labor voters—dubbed "[[Aussie battler|Howard battlers]]"—Howard led the Liberal-National party Coalition to win the [[Australian federal election, 1996|1996 election]], achieving the second-largest swing against an incumbent government since Federation. With a 45-seat majority, the size of the Coalition victory gave John Howard great power within the Liberal party and he said he came to the office "with very clear views on where I wanted to take the country".<ref>{{cite video
| people =
| title = The Howard Years (episode 1)
| medium = TV Series
| publisher = [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]
| location = Australia
|date = 2008 }}</ref> At the age of 56, he was sworn in as Prime Minister on 11 March 1996, ending a record 13 years of [[Coalition (Australia)|Coalition]] opposition.<ref name="NMA">{{Citation| url=http://www.nma.gov.au/education/school_resources/websites_and_interactives/primeministers/john_howard/ | title=Education: John Howard | publisher=[[National Museum of Australia]] | date=1 August 2007 | accessdate=14 August 2007}}</ref> Howard departed with tradition and made his primary residence [[Kirribilli House]] rather than [[The Lodge (Australia)|The Lodge]].<ref>{{Citation|last=Milne |first=Glenn |url=http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21878816-5001021,00.html |title=PM hires out Kirribilli House |publisher=News.com.au |date=2007-06-10 |accessdate=2010-04-25}}</ref>
Early in the term Howard had championed significant new restrictions on gun ownership following the [[Port Arthur massacre (Australia)|Port Arthur massacre]] in which 35 people had been shot dead. Achieving agreement in the face of immense opposition from within the Coalition and some State governments, was credited with significantly elevating John Howard’s stature as Prime Minister despite a backlash from core Coalition rural constituents.<ref>{{cite video | people = | title = The Howard Years (episode 4) | medium = TV Series | publisher = [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] | location = Australia |date = 2008 }}; {{Citation | last = Kelly | first = Paul | title = A Year of Governing Cautiously | newspaper = The Weekend Australian | pages = | year = 1997 | date = 1–2 May| url = }}; [http://www.nma.gov.au/education/school_resources/websites_and_interactives/primeministers/john_howard/ nma.gov.au]; {{Citation | last = Ward | first = Ian | authorlink = Ian Ward (professor) | title = Australian Political Chronicle: January-June 1995 | journal = Australian Journal of Politics and History | volume = 41 | issue = 3 | pages = 444–448 | year = 1995 | month = December | issn = 0004-9522}}</ref>
Howard's initial silence on the views of [[Pauline Hanson]]—a disendorsed Liberal Party candidate and later independent MP—was criticised in the press as an endorsement of her views.<ref name=howardyearschronology>[http://www.abc.net.au/news/howardyears/chronology/assets/chronology.pdf The Howard Years - Chronology], [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]</ref> Howard said that she was entitled to express her opinion, that many others would share it, and that to denounce her would "elevate it".<ref name="Hanson_Plug">{{Citation | url=http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2002/s458299.htm | title=Pauline Hanson pulls the plug as One Nation president | publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] | date=14 January 2002 | accessdate=29 August 2007}}; {{cite video
| people =
| title = The Howard Years (episode 1)
| medium = TV Series
| publisher = [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]
| location = Australia
|date = 2008 }}</ref> Howard repudiated her views seven months after Hanson's controversial maiden parliamentary speech.<ref name=howardyearschronology />
Following the [[Wik Peoples v Queensland|Wik Decision]] of the High Court in 1996, John Howard's government moved swiftly to legislate limitations on its possible implications through the so-called [[Native Title Amendment Act 1998|Ten-Point Plan]].
[[Image:HowardCohen97.jpg|thumb|right|John Howard and US Secretary of Defense [[William Cohen]] in 1997]]
From 1997, Howard spear-headed the Coalition push to introduce a [[Goods and Services Tax (Australia)|Goods and Services Tax]] (GST) at the 1998 election. Before winning the Prime Ministership, Howard had said it would "never ever" be part of Coalition policy.<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2006/s1582253.htm |title=A look back at Howard's ten years |publisher=Abc.net.au |date= |accessdate=2010-04-25}}</ref> A long held conviction of Howard’s, his tax reform package was credited with "breaking the circuit" of party morale—boosting his confidence and direction, which had appeared to wane early in the Government’s second term.<ref>{{Harvnb|Van Onselen|Errington|2007|pp=272–273}}</ref> The 1998 election was dubbed a "referendum on the GST", and the tax changes—including the GST—were implemented in the government's second term after amendments to the legislation were negotiated with the [[Australian Democrats]] to ensure its passage through the Senate.
Through much of its first term, opinion polling was disappointing for the government and its members at times feared being a "one-term wonder".<ref>{{Citation | last=Ward | first=Ian |year= 1998 |title= Australian Political Chronicle: July-December 1997 |journal= Australian Journal of Politics and History |volume= 44 |issue= 2 |page= 233|issn=}}; {{cite video
| people =
| title = The Howard Years (episode 1)
| medium = TV Series
| publisher = [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]
| location = Australia
|date = 2008 }}; {{Citation
| last = Kelly | first = Paul | title = Howard's Big Picture and Big Gamble | work = The Australian | pages = | language = | publisher = | date = 23 September 1998 | url = | accessdate = }}</ref> The popularity of Pauline Hanson, and the new restrictions on gun ownership drew many traditionally Coalition voters away from the Howard government. Also unpopular with voters were large spending cuts aimed at eliminating the budget deficit (and Howard's distinction between "core" and "non-core" election promises when cutting spending commitments), [[Workplace Relations Act 1996|industrial changes]] and the [[1998 Australian Waterfront Dispute|1998 waterfront dispute]], the partial sale of government telecommunications company [[Telstra]], and the Government's commitment to a GST. In October 1998, Howard led the Government to [[Australian federal election, 1998|win a second term]]. Actually achieving a smaller two-party preferred vote than Labor's, the Coalition's March 1996 majority of 45 seats was reduced to 12.
===Second term===
In 1998, Howard convened a [[Constitutional Convention (Australia)|Constitutional Convention]] which decided in principle that Australia should [[Republicanism in Australia|become a Republic]]. At the convention Howard confirmed himself as a monarchist, and said that of the Republican options, he preferred the minimalist model. Despite opinion polls suggesting Australians favoured a republic, a 1999 referendum rejected the model chosen by the convention.
[[Image:INTERFET 12 Feb 2000.jpg|thumb|Australian peacekeepers and East Timorese civilians in [[Dili]] during 2000]]
Although new [[Indonesian President]] [[B.J. Habibie]] had some months earlier agreed to grant special autonomy to [[Indonesian occupation of East Timor|Indonesian-occupied]] [[East Timor]], his subsequent snap decision for a referendum on the territory's independence was triggered by a Howard and Downer orchestrated shift in Australian policy. In September 1999, Howard organised an Australian-led international peace-keeping force to East Timor ([[INTERFET]]), after [[pro-Indonesia militia]] launched a violent "scorched-earth" campaign in retaliation to the referendum's overwhelming vote in favour of independence. The successful mission was widely supported by Australian voters, but the government was criticised for "foreign policy failure" following the violence and collapse of diplomatic relations with Indonesia. By Howard's fourth term, relations with Indonesia had recovered to include counter-terrorism cooperation and Australia's $1bn [[Boxing Day Tsunami]] relief efforts, and were assisted by good relations between Howard and [[Indonesian President]] [[Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono]].<ref>{{Citation|author=AAP Mar 06, 2006 |url=http://en.epochtimes.com/news/6-3-6/38988.html |title=The Epoch Times | Indonesia-Australian Relationship Best Ever |publisher=En.epochtimes.com |date=2006-03-06 |accessdate=2010-04-25}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.kbri-canberra.org.au/speeches/2005/050301e.htm |title='Indonesia - Australian Relations: East Timor, Bali Bombing, Tsunami and Beyond' by Ambassador Imron Cotan |publisher=Kbri-canberra.org.au |date= |accessdate=2010-04-25}}</ref>
Throughout his prime-ministership, Howard was resolute in his refusal to provide a parliamentary "apology" to [[Indigenous Australians]] as recommended by the 1997 “[[Bringing Them Home]]” Report. Howard argued this was inappropriate, because "Australians of this generation should not be required to accept guilt and blame for past actions and policies."<ref name="speech-reconciliation_convention">{{Citation | url=http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/special/rsjproject/rsjlibrary/car/arc/speeches/opening/howard.htm | title=Opening Speech of Australian Reconciliation Convention | publisher=Australasian Legal Information Institute | date=26 May 2000 | accessdate=23 August 2006}}</ref> Howard did offer this personal apology before the release of the Report: "I feel deep sorrow for those of my fellow Australians who suffered injustices under the practices of past generations towards indigenous people. Equally, I am sorry for the hurt and trauma many here today may continue to feel, as a consequence of these practices” <ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/20080221_1.htm |title=The History of Apologies Down Under [Thinking Faith - the online journal of the British Jesuits] |publisher=Thinkingfaith.org |date= |accessdate=2010-04-25}}</ref>.
In 1999 Howard negotiated a "[[Motion of Reconciliation]]" with Aboriginal Senator [[Aden Ridgeway]]. Eschewing use of the word "sorry", the motion recognised mistreatment of Aborigines as the "most blemished chapter" in Australia's history; offered "deep and sincere ''regret''" for past injustices.<ref>{{Citation|url=http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=(Id:media/pressrel/23e06);rec=0; |title=ParlInfo - Title Details |publisher=Parlinfo.aph.gov.au |date= |accessdate=2010-04-25}}</ref> Following his 2007 loss of the premiership, Howard was the only living former Prime Minister who declined to attend the February 2008 apology made by [[Kevin Rudd]] with bi-partisan support.<ref>{{Citation
| last = Welch
| first = Dylan
| title = Kevin Rudd says sorry
| work = The Sydney Moning Herald
| date = 2008-02-13
| url = http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/rudd-says-sorry/2008/02/13/1202760342960.html
| format = online briefing
| accessdate = }}</ref>
Howard did not commit to serving a full term if he won the next election; on his 61st birthday in July 2000 he said he would consider the question of retirement when he turned 64.<ref>{{Citation
| work=The 7:30 Report
| title =When I'm 64: Howard
| publisher =[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]
| date =5 October 2001
| url =http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2001/s383820.htm
| accessdate =29 August 2007 }}</ref> This was interpreted as boosting Costello’s leadership aspirations, and the enmity over leadership and succession resurfaced publicly when Howard did not retire at the age of 64.<ref>{{Citation
| last = Henderson
| first = Gerard
| authorlink = Gerard Henderson
| title = The high cost of Howard's big tease
| work = The Age
| page = 11
| date = 2003-06-10
| url = http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/06/09/1055010926380.html
| accessdate = 2009-01-12}}; {{Citation
| last = Yaxley
| first = Louise
| title = PM decides to stay
| work = [[PM (ABC Radio)|PM]]
| publisher = [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]
| date = 2003-06-03
| url = http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2003/s871302.htm
| format = transcript
| accessdate = 2007-08-29}}</ref> In the first half of 2001, rising petrol prices, voter enmity over the implementation of the GST, a spike in inflation and economic slowdown led to bad opinion polls and predictions the Government would lose office in the election later that year.<ref name=wear2001>{{Citation | last=Wear | first=Rae |year= 2001 |month= December |title= Australian Political Chronicle: January-June 2001 |journal= Australian Journal of Politics and History |volume= 47 |issue= 4 |pages= 531–536 |issn=0004-9522}}</ref> With Howard telling Cabinet he would not be "sacrificed on the pyre of ideological purity", the government announced a series of policy reversals and softenings which boosted the government's fortunes, as did news that the economy had avoided recession. Following the Liberal Party win at the Aston by-election, Howard said that the Coalition was "back in the game".<ref name=wear2001/> The government's position on "border protection", in particular the [[Tampa affair]] where Howard refused the landing of asylum seekers rescued by a Norwegian freighter, consolidated the improving polls for the government, as did the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]].<ref name="Heinemann">{{Citation |url=http://www.hi.com.au/resource/rfactsa.asp?kla=13&subtopicid=3274 |title= Tampa Crisis |work=Infobase (Atlas) |publisher=[[Heinemann (book publisher)|Heinemann Interactive]] |accessdate=15 July 2006}}</ref> Howard led the government to victory in the [[Australian federal election, 2001|2001 federal election]] with an increased majority.<ref>{{Citation | work=PM | title =Latest poll 'a nonsense': former Labor pollster | publisher =[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] | date =1 June 2004 | url =http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2004/s1120811.htm | accessdate =29 August 2007 }}; {{Citation | work=Australia votes | title =Antony Green's Election Summary | publisher =[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |year=2004 | url =http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2004/guide/summary.htm | accessdate =29 August 2007 }}; {{Citation | first=Shaun | last=Carney | title =The challenge for Australia | work =[[The Age]] | date = 11 September 2004 | url =http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/09/10/1094789685556.html | accessdate =29 August 2007 }}</ref>
===Third term===
[[Image:Vladimir Putin with John Howard-1.jpg|thumb|right|220px|upright|Howard with [[Russia]]n [[President of Russia|President]] [[Vladimir Putin]] during the [[APEC Australia 2007|2007 APEC Summit]]]]
Howard had first met [[President of the United States|US President]] [[George W. Bush]] in the days before the September 11 terrorist attacks and was in Washington the morning of the attacks.<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2008/s2465378.htm |title=Howard accepts Presidential Medal of Freedom, AM program transcript, ABC Radio |publisher=Abc.net.au |date=2009-01-14 |accessdate=2010-04-25}}</ref> In response to the attacks, Howard invoked the [[ANZUS Treaty]] and said that the invocation of the treaty ''"demonstrates Australia's steadfast commitment to work with the United States.”'' In October, he committed Australian military personnel to the war in Afghanistan. Howard developed a strong personal relationship with the president,<ref name="NYT_Ally">{{Citation
| last = Johnston
| first = Tim
| title = Ally of Bush Is Defeated in Australia
| url = http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/25/world/asia/25australia.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
| work = [[The New York Times]]
| page = 8
| date = 2007-11-25
| accessdate = 2008-05-06}}</ref> and they shared often similar ideological positions - including on the role of the United States in world affairs and their approach to the "[[War on Terror]]". In May, 2003, Howard made an overnight stay at Bush's [[Prairie Chapel Ranch]] in [[Texas]], after which Bush said that Howard "...is not only a man of steel, he's showed the world he's a man of heart."<ref name="SMH+lauds">{{Citation |title=Bush lauds Howard as 'man of steel' |url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/05/04/1051987592763.html |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=4 May 2003 |accessdate=6 May 2008 }}</ref>
Howard responded to the [[2002 Bali bombing]], in which 88 Australian citizens were killed, by calling on Australians to "wrap their arms around the people of Indonesia" and said that, while affected, Australia remained "strong and free and open and tolerant".<ref>{{Citation|url=http://tvnz.co.nz/view/tvnz_smartphone_story_skin/139900 |title=John Howard's Bali memorial speech - TVNZ Smartphone |publisher=tvnz.co.nz |date=2002-10-18 |accessdate=2010-04-25}}</ref> Howard re-dedicated his government to the "[[War on Terror]]", saying the Bali bombing was proof that no country was "immune" to the effects of terrorism.
In March 2003, Australia joined the US-led "[[Multinational force in Iraq]]" in [[Australian contribution to the 2003 invasion of Iraq|sending 2,000 troops and naval units]] to support in the [[2003 invasion of Iraq|invasion of Iraq]]. Howard said that the invasion to "disarm Iraq...is right, it is lawful, and it is in Australia’s national interest." He later said that the decision to go into Iraq was the most difficult he made as Prime Minister.<ref>{{cite video
| people =
| title = The Howard Years (episode 3)
| medium = TV Series
| publisher = [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]
| location = Australia
|date = 2008 }}</ref> In response to the Australian participation in the invasion, there were large protests in Australian cities during March 2003, and Prime Minister Howard was heckled from the public gallery of Parliament House.<ref>{{Citation|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2880519.stm| title = Malaysian PM condemns Iraq war |date = 24 March 2003 | publisher = BBC News|accessdate = 19 August 2008}}</ref> While opinion polls showed that opposition to the war without UN backing was between 48 and 92 per cent,<ref name = SMH1April2003>{{Citation|url = http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/03/31/1048962700480.html|title = Support for the fight growing |last = Riley|first = Mark|date = 1 April 2003 |accessdate = 22 August 2008|publisher = Sydney Morning Herald}}</ref> Howard remained preferred prime-minister over opposition leader, [[Simon Crean]], and his approval dropped compared to before the war.<ref>When it was reported that that Iraq did not possess weapons of mass destruction, 70% of Australians believed John Howard misled them, although most believed he did so unintentionally.</ref><ref name = SMH24Sept2003>{{Citation|url = http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/09/23/1064082997799.html|title = Poll: majority of Australians 'feel misled' by Howard |last = Riley|first = Mark|date = 24 September 2003 |accessdate = 22 August 2008|publisher = Sydney Morning Herald}}</ref>
Throughout 2002 and 2003 Howard had increased his opinion poll lead over Labor leader, [[Simon Crean]]. In December 2003, Crean resigned after losing party support and [[Mark Latham]] was elected leader. Howard called [[Australian federal election, 2004|an election for 9 October 2004]]. While the government was behind Labor in the opinion polls, Howard himself had a large lead over Latham as preferred Prime Minister. In the lead up to the election, Howard again did not commit to serving a full term.<ref>{{Citation | work=The 7:30 Report | title =I'm committed and ready, says Latham | publisher =[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] | date =7 October 2004 | url =http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2004/s1215444.htm | accessdate =29 August 2007 }}</ref> Howard campaigned on the theme of trust, asking: "Who do you trust to keep the economy strong, and protect family living standards? Who do you trust to keep interest rates low?"<ref name='SMH20040829_Trust'>{{ Citation
| url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/08/29/1093717817944.html
| title=Howard: election to be about trust
| publisher=Sydney Morning Herald
| date=29 August 2004
| accessdate=2008-10-04}}</ref> Howard attacked Latham's economic record as [[Mayor]] of [[City of Liverpool, New South Wales|Liverpool City Council]] and attacked Labor's economic history saying: "It is an historic fact that interest rates have always gone up under Labor governments over the last 30 years, because Labor governments spend more than they collect and drive budgets into deficit ... So it will be with a Latham Labor government... I will guarantee that interest rates are always going to be lower under a Coalition government."<ref name='TheAge20040830_PMonInterestRates'>{{Citation | last =Wade | first =Matt | title =Labor means rate rises, PM claims | publisher =The Age | date =30 August 2004| url = http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/08/29/1093717840808.html | accessdate = 29 August 2007 }}</ref> The election resulted in an increased Coalition majority in the House of Representatives and the first, albeit slim, government majority in the Senate since 1981. For the second time since becoming Prime Minister, Howard had to go to preferences in order to win another term in his own seat winning 53.3 percent of the two-party preferred vote.<ref>http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/2004/2004repsnsw.txt</ref> On 21 December 2004, Howard became the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after [[Robert Menzies|Sir Robert Menzies]].<ref name="ABC_favourite">{{Citation| url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200412/s1269441.htm | title=PM still favourite as he celebrates milestone | publisher=ABC News | date=21 December 2004 | accessdate=14 August 2007}}</ref>
===Fourth term===
[[Image:20060516-13 p051606pm-0685-515h.jpg|thumb|right|John Howard, [[Janette Howard]], and [[President of the United States|U.S. President]] [[George W. Bush]] at the [[Sydney Opera House]] during [[APEC Australia 2007]]]]
In 2006, with the government now controlling both houses of parliament for the first time since the [[Malcolm Fraser|Fraser government]], industrial relations changes were enacted. Named “[[WorkChoices]]” and championed by Howard, they were intended to fundamentally change the employer-employee relationship. Opposed by a broad trade union campaign and antipathy within the electorate, WorkChoices was subsequently seen as a major factor in the government’s 2007 election loss.<ref>{{cite video
| people =
| title = The Howard Years (episode 4)
| medium = TV Series
| publisher = [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]
| location = Australia
|date = 2008 }};{{Citation |last = Wanna | first = John |year= 2007 |title= Australian Political Chronicle: July-December 2007 |journal= Australian Journal of Politics and History |volume= 54 |issue= 2 |page= 291 |issn=}}; {{Citation |last = Wanna | first = John |year= 1995 |title= Australian Political Chronicle: January-June 2007 |journal= Australian Journal of Politics and History |volume= 53 |issue= 4 |page= 619 |issn=}}</ref>
In April 2006, the government announced it had completely paid off the last of $96 billion of Commonwealth net debt inherited when it came to power in 1996.<ref name='CostelloSpeech200604_DebtRepaid'>{{Citation
|url= http://www.treasurer.gov.au/tsr/content/speeches/2006/008.asp
|title=Speech to the Committee for Economic Development of Australia : "DEBT-FREE DAY"
|last=Costello
|first=Peter
|date=20 April 2006
}}</ref> By 2007, Howard had been in office for 11 of the 15 years of consecutive annual growth enjoyed by the Australian economy. Unemployment had fallen from 8.1% at the start of his term to 4.1% in 2007,<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/allprimarymainfeatures/41703847D79B26F4CA25716A00751846?opendocument |title=Australian Bureau of Statistics |publisher=Abs.gov.au |date= |accessdate=2010-04-25}}; {{Citation|url=http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/allprimarymainfeatures/27AF92FCC4F2D2CECA2573AF0014B6C3?opendocument |title=Australia Bureau of Statistics |publisher=Abs.gov.au |date= |accessdate=2010-04-25}}</ref> and average weekly earnings grew 24.4% in real terms.<ref name="quadrant.org.au"/> Howard often cited economic management as a strong point of the government, and during his Prime Ministership, opinion polling consistently showed that a majority of the electorate thought his government were better to handle the economy than the Opposition.<ref>Newspoll (various 2000-2007)</ref>
In February 2007, referring to the US presidential contest, Howard claimed that [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nomination candidate [[Barack Obama]]'s stance on the war would encourage terrorism in [[Iraq]].<ref>{{Citation |title=Obama hits back after Australian PM slams his Iraq stance |url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/02/11/obama.comment/index.html |publisher=CNN |date=12 February 2008 |accessdate=7 May 2008 }}; {{Citation|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/12/AR2007021201342.html|title=Australian Premier Defends Remark On Obama, Terror|accessdate=24 May 2008|date=13 February 2007|publisher=Washington Post}}; {{Citation|url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24678507-5013948,00.html|title=Lib defends Howard's Obama claim|date=20 November 2008|accessdate=20 November 2008|publisher=The Australian}}</ref>
In 2006, [[Ian McLachlan]] and Peter Costello said that under a 1994 deal between Howard and Costello, Howard would serve one and half terms as Prime Minister if the Coalition won the next election before stepping aside to allow Costello to take over. Howard denied that this constituted a deal;<ref>{{Citation| url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19736460-2,00.html | title=Costello backers savage Howard | publisher=[[News Limited]] | author=Steve Lewis | date=10 July 2006 | accessdate=10 July 2006}}; {{Citation| url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19734797-2,00.html | title=No, Prime Minister, you cannot deny it | publisher=[[News Limited]] | author=Glenn Milne | date=10 July 2006 | accessdate=10 July 2006}}; {{Citation| url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200607/s1682824.htm | title=Howard promised me a handover: Costello / Howard rejects Costello's deal claim | publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] | date=10 July 2006 | accessdate=10 July 2006}}</ref> and there were calls for Costello to either challenge or quit.<ref>{{Citation| url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200607/s1683090.htm | title=Labor sees end to Howard-Costello duet | publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] | date=10 July 2006 | accessdate=10 July 2006}}; {{Citation| url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200607/s1683201.htm | title=Call for Costello to quit or challenge | publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] | date=11 July 2006 | accessdate=11 July 2006}}</ref> Citing strong party room support for him as leader, Howard stated later that month that he would remain to contest the 2007 election.<ref name="howards_decision_welcomed">{{Citation| url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200607/s1701315.htm | title=
PM's decision to face electorate welcomed | publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] | date=31 July 2006 | accessdate=31 July 2006}}</ref> Six weeks before the election, Howard said that, if elected, he would stand down during the next term, and anointed Costello as his successor.<ref name='ABC20070912_HowardOnLeadership'>{{Citation
| last = O'Brien
| first = Kerry
| title = John Howard on the latest round of leadership turmoil
| work= [[The 7.30 Report]]
| publisher= [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]]
| accessdate = 12 September 2007
| date = 12 September 2007
| url = http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2007/s2031023.htm
}}</ref> [[Peter Costello]] commented, in 2007 whilst still in government, that "The Howard treasurership was not a success in terms of interest rates and inflation... he had not been a great reformer," and questioned Howard's account of his conflicts with the Prime Minister Fraser.<ref name="smh_treasurer">{{Citation | url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/07/18/1184559867197.html | title=Howard failed as treasurer, says Costello | work=Sydney Morning Herald | date=19 July 2007 | accessdate=25 July 2007}}</ref>
The Coalition trailed Labor in opinion polls from mid-2006 onward, but Howard still consistently led Labor leader [[Kim Beazley]] on the question of preferred Prime Minister — and was even described as a "revolutionary" in his opposition to unionism.<ref>{{cite video
| people = Kassey Dickie
| title = The Union Show (04 July)
| medium = TV-Series
| publisher = [[C31 Melbourne]]
|date = 2006 }}</ref> In December 2006, after [[Kevin Rudd]] became Labor leader, the two-party preferred deficit widened even further and Rudd swiftly overtook Howard as preferred Prime Minister. Howard chaired [[APEC Australia 2007]], culminating in the [[Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation|APEC]] Economic Leaders Meeting in Sydney during September.<ref name='DPMC_APEC2007'>{{Citation|title =APEC 2007 Taskforce|date=30 June 2006|publisher =[[Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Australia)|Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet]]|url = http://www.pmc.gov.au/about_pmc/divisions/apec2007/|accessdate =13 September 2007}}</ref> The meeting was at times overshadowed by further leadership speculation following continued poor poll results.<ref>{{Citation|title = Leadership talk dogs PM|date= 7 September 2007|work=ABC Online|url =http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/07/2026860.htm
|accessdate =11 September 2007 }}</ref>
===2007 election defeat===
[[Image:1699730661 1b1d7843d3 b.jpg|thumb|Electioneering balloons from the Liberal and Labor parties in [[Division of Bennelong|Bennelong]] during the [[Australian federal election, 2007|2007 federal election]].]]
{{Main|Australian federal election, 2007}}
Leading up to the [[Australian federal election, 2007|24 November election]], the Coalition trailed Labor in the polls since the Labor party elected [[Kevin Rudd]] as party leader in late 2006. Howard and his Coalition government were defeated in the election, suffering a 23-seat swing to Labor. Howard lost his seat of Bennelong to former journalist [[Maxine McKew]] by 44,685 votes (51.4 percent) to Howard's 42,251 (48.6 percent).<ref name='ABC2007ElectionBennelong'>{{Citation
| title = Bennelong (Key Seat)
| publisher = Australian Broadcasting Corporation
| date = 25 November 2007
| url = http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2007/guide/benn.htm
| accessdate = 25 November 2007
}}; {{Citation
| title = Bennelong too close to call, says McKew
| publisher = news.com.au
|date = 25 November 2007
| url = http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22817877-29277,00.html
| accessdate = 25 November 2007
}}</ref> Howard told a former colleague that losing Bennelong was a "[[silver lining]] in the thunder cloud of defeat" as it spared him the ignominy of opposition.<ref name="AUS20080405_Comments">{{ Citation
|url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23484820-5013871,00.html
|title=Dark tea-time of the soul
|author=Kate Legge
|publisher=News Ltd
|work=The Australian
|date=5 April 2008
}}</ref> He remained in office as caretaker Prime Minister until the formal swearing in of Rudd's government on 3 December.<ref>{{ Citation
|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/03/2107424.htm
|title=Rudd feeling 'chipper' about swearing in
|work=ABC Online
|date=3 December 2007
}}</ref> Howard is the second Australian Prime Minister, after [[Stanley Bruce]], to lose his seat in an election.<ref>{{ Citation
| author = Paul Bibby
| title = Finally, Howard admits McKew has it
| publisher = The Sydney Morning Herald
| date = 12 December 2007
| url = http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/12/12/1197135541910.html
| accessdate = 12 December 2007
}}</ref>
After the election loss, Costello declined to accept the role of leader of the opposition,<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/25/1195947541163.html|title=Costello won't stand|work=Sydney Morning Herald|date=25 November 2007|accessdate=25 November 2007}}</ref> and [[Brendan Nelson]] was elected as leader of the parliamentary Liberal Party.
Federal Liberal Party director Brian Loughnane said "it was the failure of [[Kim Beazley]]'s leadership that had masked voter concerns about Howard".<ref name='AUS20071224_Milne'>{{ Citation
|url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22966945-7583,00.html
|title=Roadrunner Rudd on track
|author=Glenn Milne
|work=The Australian
|publisher=News Ltd
|date=24 December 2007
}}</ref> Media analysis of The Australian Election Study, a postal survey of 1873 voters during the 2007 poll, found that although respondents respected Howard and thought he had won the 6-week election campaign, Howard was considered "at odds with public opinion on cut-through issues", his opponent had achieved the highest "likeability" rating in the survey's 20-year history, and a majority had decided their voting intention prior to the election campaign.<ref name='AUS20080524_AustElectionSurvey'>{{ Citation
| format={{dead link|date=July 2010}}
| url=http://www.smh.com.au/text/articles/2008/05/23/1211183103011.html
| title=What made battlers turn the tide
| author=Mark Davis
| work=Sydney Morning Herald
| publisher=Fairfax
| date=24 May 2008
}}</ref>
==After politics==
In January 2008, John Howard signed with a prominent speaking agency called the Washington Speakers Bureau, joining [[Tony Blair]], [[Colin Powell]], [[Madeleine Albright]], and others. He will be available for two speeches, ''Leadership in the New Century'' and ''The Global Economic Future''.<ref>{{Citation|author=Paul Maley |url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23074758-5014046,00.html |title=Howard signs up to talk the talk | The Australian |publisher=Theaustralian.news.com.au |date=2008-01-19 |accessdate=2010-04-25}}</ref>
The Australian and New Zealand cricket boards jointly nominated Howard as their candidate for president of the [[International Cricket Council]]. However, his nomination was rejected by the ICC's executive board in Singapore after members from six countries signaled their intention to block the appointment.<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/02/2834380.htm|title=Howard put up for ICC presidency|date=2 March 2010|work=ABC News|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=2 March 2010}}</ref> Howard is currently the [[chairman]] of the [[International Democrat Union]], a body of international conservative political parties.<ref>http://www.idu.org/officers.aspx| Retrieved 2010-04-11</ref>
==Honours==
[[File:Howard MOF.jpg|thumb|right|Howard (left) being awarded the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]] by President George W. Bush]]
[[Image:John Howard bust.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Bust of John Howard by political cartoonist, caricaturist and sculptor [[Peter Nicholson (cartoonist)|Peter Nicholson]] located in the [[Prime Minister's Avenue]] in the [[Ballarat Botanical Gardens]]]]
* Recognised as [[Australian Father of the Year award|Australian Father of the Year]] in 1997
* Awarded the [[Centenary Medal]] on 1 January 2001<ref>{{Citation
|title=Its an Honour: Centenary Medal
|publisher=Australian Government
|work=
|url=http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1125729&search_type=quick&showInd=true
|accessdate=2009-05-03}}</ref>
* Awarded the [[Star of the Solomon Islands]] together with [[Prime Minister of New Zealand]] [[Helen Clark]] on 15 June 2005 for their respective roles in restoring law and order in the [[Solomon Islands]]<ref name="solomon_award">{{Citation | url=http://www.beehive.govt.nz/ViewDocument.aspx?DocumentID=23419 | title=PM awarded the Star of the Solomon Islands | publisher=Beehive | date=20 June 2005 | accessdate=8 July 2006}}</ref> This award allows him to use the post-nominal letters "SSI"<ref>
[http://medals.org.uk/solomons/solomons001.htm Medals of the World - Solomon Islands: Star of the Solomon Islands]. Retrieved on 24 September 2006
</ref>
* Received the [[Woodrow Wilson Awards|Woodrow Wilson Award]] from the [[Woodrow Wilson Center]] of the U.S. [[Smithsonian Institution]] on 22 August 2005 in Sydney
* [[B'nai B'rith International]] bestowed its [[B'nai B'rith#Awards|Presidential Gold Medal]] on Howard in May 2006<ref>[http://www.ajn.com.au/news/news_print.asp?pgID=533aus_award_id=1138585&search_type=advanced&showInd=true Presidential Gold Medal]{{dead link|date=April 2010}}</ref>
* [[Irving Kristol Award]], the highest award of the [[American Enterprise Institute]], 5 March 2008<ref name=aei>[http://www.aei.org/publications/filter.all,pubID.27308/pub_detail.asp Australia's John Howard Receives 2008 Irving Kristol Award] [[American Enterprise Institute|AEI]] press release 3 January 2008</ref>
* [[Common Wealth Award of Distinguished Service]] in Government, 6 April 2008<ref>{{Citation|last=Patterson |first=Stuart |url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23498136-12377,00.html |title=Howard wins $54,000 for good PM-ing | The Australian |publisher=Theaustralian.news.com.au |date= |accessdate=2010-04-25}}</ref>
* Appointed a Companion of the [[Order of Australia]] in the 2008 [[Queen's Birthday Honours]] list "for distinguished service to the Parliament of Australia, particularly as Prime Minister and through contributions to economic and social policy reform, fostering and promoting Australia's interests internationally, and the development of significant philanthropic links between the business sector, arts and charitable organisations."<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1138585&search_type=advanced&showInd=true |title=It's an Honour: AC |publisher=Itsanhonour.gov.au |date=2008-06-09 |accessdate=2010-04-25}}</ref>
* Received honorary doctorate from the [[Hebrew University of Jerusalem]] in December 2008 for "outstanding statesmanship and leading role on the world stage in promoting democracy and combating international terrorism" and his "remarkable understanding of, and exceptional support for, the State of Israel and his deep friendship with the Australian Jewish community"<ref name="mumbai-attacks">[http://www.ajn.com.au/news/news.asp?pgID=6688 Howard: Mumbai attacks a message to Obama]{{dead link|date=April 2010}}</ref>
* Awarded the United States [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]] on 13 January 2009 by President George W. Bush<ref>{{Citation|url=http://news.theage.com.au/national/howard-to-receive-us-presidential-award-20090106-7aoy.html |title=Howard to receive US presidential award |publisher=News.theage.com.au |date=2009-01-06 |accessdate=2010-04-25}}</ref>
*Honorary doctorate from [[Bond University]], 14 February 2009<ref>{{Citation | last=Gilmore | first=Heath | title=An honourable mention for Dr John | date=15 February 2009 | publisher=Sydney Morning Herald | url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/an-honourable-mention-for-dr-john-20090214-87n2.html}}</ref>
*His portrait, by Australian artist [[Shen Jiawei]], was hung in the Members' Hall of the [[Parliament House, Canberra|Australian Parliament House]] in 2010 as part of the Historic Memorials Collection<ref >{{cite news | title =Blast from the past as Howard makes surprise appearance | work = Tim Lester and Erik Jensen | publisher = brisbanetimes | date =July 21, 2010 | url = http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/federal-election/blast-from-the-past-as-howard-makes-surprise-appearance-20100720-10jlv.html| accessdate = July 21, 2010}}</ref>
==See also==
*[[First Howard Ministry]]
*[[Second Howard Ministry]]
*[[Third Howard Ministry]]
*[[Fourth Howard Ministry]]
==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
==Bibliography==
*{{Citation
| last = Bell
| first = Stephen
| title = Australia's Money Mandarins
| publisher = Cambridge University Press
| year = 2004
| isbn = 0521839904
| ref = CITEREFBell2004}}
*{{Citation
| last = Garran
| first = Robert
| title= True Believer: John Howard, George Bush and the American Alliance
| publisher = Allen & Unwin
| location = Sydney, Australia
| year = 2004
| isbn = 1741144183
| ref = CITEREFGarran2004}}
* [[Michelle Grattan|Grattan, Michelle]] (2000), 'John Winston Howard', in Michelle Grattan (ed.), ''Australian Prime Ministers'', New Holland, Frenchs Forest, New South Wales, Pages 436-463. ISBN 1 86436 756 3
*{{Citation
| unused_data = Paul Kelly
| last = Kelly
| first = Paul
| authorlink = Paul Kelly (journalist)
| title = The End of Certainty: Power, Politics, and Business in Australia
| publisher = Allen & Unwin
| location = Sydney, Australia
| year = 1992, 1994
| isbn = 186373757X
| ref = CITEREFKelly1994}}
*{{Citation
| last = Markus
| first = Andrew
| title = Race: John Howard and the Remaking of Australia
| publisher = Allen & Unwin
| location = Sydney, Australia
| year = 2001
| isbn = 1864488662
| ref = CITEREFMarkus2001}}
*{{Citation
| last = Van Onselen
| first = Peter
| authorlink = Peter van Onselen
| last2 = Errington
| first2 = Wayne
| title = John Winston Howard: The Biography
| publisher = Melbourne University Press
| year = 2007
| isbn = 9780522853346
| ref = CITEREFVan OnselenErrington2007}}
==Further reading==
;'''Publications'''
{{See also|List of books about John Howard}}
*{{Citation | last = Barnett | first = David | authorlink = David Barnett (Australian journalist) | coauthors = [[Pru Goward|Goward, Pru]] | year = 1997 | title = John Howard, Prime Minister | publisher = Viking | isbn = 0-670-87389-6}}
*Boucher, Geoff; Sharpe, Matthew (2008). ''[[The Times Will Suit Them|The Times Will Suit Them: Postmodern Conservatism in Australia ]]''. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 9781741756241
*{{Citation | last = Cater | first = Nick | authorlink = Nick Cater | year = 2006 | title = The Howard Factor | publisher = Melbourne University Publishing | isbn = 0-522-85284-X}}
*Errington, Wayne; Van Onselen, Peter (2007). ''John Winston Howard: The Biography''. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press. ISBN 9780522853346
* [[Peter Hartcher|Hartcher, Peter]]. ''To the Bitter End:The Dramatic Story of the Fall of John Howard and the Rise of Kevin Rudd''. Crows Nest, NSW:Allen & Unwin, 2009. ISBN 978-1-74175-623-4
*{{Citation | last = Kingston | first = Margo | authorlink = Margo Kingston | year = 2004 | month=June | title = [[Not Happy, John|Not Happy, John! defending Australia's democracy]] | publisher = Penguin | isbn = 0-14-300258-9}}
*{{Citation | last = Maddox | first = Marion | authorlink = Marion Maddox | year = 2005 | month=February | title = [[God under Howard|God Under Howard: The rise of the religious right in Australian politics]] | publisher = Allen & Unwin | location = St Leonards | isbn = 1-74114-568-6}}
*{{Citation | last = Marr | first = David | authorlink = David Marr (journalist) | coauthors = [[Marian Wilkinson|Wilkinson, Marian]] | year = 2005 | month=August | title = [[Dark Victory (book)|Dark Victory]] | publisher = Allen & Unwin | location = St Leonards | isbn = 1-74114-447-7}}
*Wesley, Michael (2007) ''[[The Howard Paradox|The Howard Paradox: Australian Diplomacy in Asia 1996-2006]]'' ABC Books. ISBN 9780733320781`
;'''Websites'''
* {{Citation | url=http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/view_document.aspx?ID=2199337&TABLE=HANSARDR | title=Howard's speech to parliament in which he puts forward his claims of threat from Iraq as reasons for Australian support of the subsequent invasion of Iraq in 2003 | publisher=Hansard of the Parliament of Australia | date=4 February 2003 | accessdate=8 July 2006}}
==External links==
{{sisterlinks|John Howard}}
* [http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/howard/ Australia's Prime Ministers: John Howard] National Archives of Australia
{{OpenAustralia}}
* [http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060518/howard_canada_060518/ John Howard addresses a joint session of parliament in Canada], the first Australian Prime Minister to do so since [[John Curtin]] in 1944.
* [http://www.smh.com.au/multimedia/2007/national/john-howard-career/index.html John Howard: A political life– a slideshow of John Howard's life]
* [http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/special_eds/20080218/howard/default.htm ABC's Four Corners– ''Howard's End'']– video
* [http://www.abc.net.au/news/howardyears/ ABC's ''The Howard Years'']– video
* [http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/meetpm.asp?pmId=25 Past PMs Website]
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|au}}
{{s-bef|before=[[John Cramer (Australian politician)|Sir John Cramer]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Division of Bennelong|Member for Bennelong]]|years=1974–2007}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Maxine McKew]]}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef | before= [[Ivor Greenwood]]|as=Minister for Customs}}
{{s-ttl | title= [[Minister for Home Affairs (Australia)|Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs]] | years= 1975–1977}}
{{s-aft | after= [[Wal Fife]] }}
{{s-new }}
{{s-ttl | title= [[Minister for Trade (Australia)|Minister for Special Trade Negotiations]] | years= 1977}}
{{s-aft | after= [[Victor Garland]] }}
{{s-bef|before=[[Phillip Lynch]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Treasurer of Australia]]|years=1977–1983}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Paul Keating]]}}
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{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Australian Leaders of the Opposition|Leader of the Opposition of Australia]]|years=1985–1989}}
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{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Australian Leaders of the Opposition|Leader of the Opposition of Australia]]|years=1995–1996}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Kim Beazley]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Paul Keating]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Prime Minister of Australia]]|years=1996–2007}}
{{s-aft|after= [[Kevin Rudd]]}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Phillip Lynch]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Liberal Party of Australia|Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia]]|years=1982–1985}}
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{{s-ttl|title=[[Liberal Party of Australia|Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia]]|years=1985–1989}}
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{{s-ttl|title=[[Commonwealth Chairperson-in-Office]]|years=2002–2003}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Olusegun Obasanjo]]}}
{{end}}
{{Prime Ministers of Australia}}
{{Leaders of the Liberal Party of Australia}}
{{Commonwealth Chairpersons-in-Office}}
{{Persondata
|NAME=Howard, John Winston
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=Prime Minister of Australia
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|PLACE OF BIRTH=[[Sydney]], [[Australia]]
|DATE OF DEATH=Living
|PLACE OF DEATH=
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Howard, John}}
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Prime Ministers of Australia]]
[[Category:Treasurers of Australia]]
[[Category:Members of the Cabinet of Australia]]
[[Category:Australian Leaders of the Opposition]]
[[Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Bennelong]]
[[Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives]]
[[Category:Liberal Party of Australia politicians]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Chairpersons-in-Office]]
[[Category:Australian monarchists]]
[[Category:Old Cantabrians]]
[[Category:People from Sydney]]
[[Category:New South Wales federal politicians]]
[[Category:Australian Anglicans]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Centenary Medal]]
[[Category:Companions of the Order of Australia]]
[[Category:Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients]]
[[Category:University of Sydney alumni]]
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[[zh-yue:霍華德]]
[[zh:約翰·霍華德]]' |
New page wikitext, after the edit (new_wikitext) | '{{otherpeople2|John Howard (disambiguation)}}
{{pp-pending|small=yes}}
{{Infobox Prime Minister
|honorific-prefix = <small>[[The Honourable]]</small><br />
|name = John Howard<br />
|honorific-suffix = <small>[[Order of Australia|AC]] [[Star of the Solomon Islands|SSI]]</small>
|image = PMincoffs.jpg
|order = [[List of Prime Ministers of Australia|25th]] [[Prime Minister of Australia]]
<br /> <small>Elections: [[Australian federal election, 1987|1987]], [[Australian federal election, 1996|1996]], [[Australian federal election, 1998|1998]], [[Australian federal election, 2001|2001]], [[Australian federal election, 2004|2004]], [[Australian federal election, 2007|2007]]</small>
|term_start = 11 March 1996
|term_end = 3 December 2007
|deputy = [[Tim Fischer]] (1996–1999)<br />[[John Anderson (Australian politician)|John Anderson]] (1999–2005)<br />[[Mark Vaile]] (2005–2007)
|predecessor = [[Paul Keating]]
|successor = [[Kevin Rudd]]
|order2 = 29th
|office2 = Treasurer of Australia
|term_start2 = 19 November 1977
|term_end2 = 11 March 1983
|predecessor2 = [[Phillip Lynch]]
|successor2 = [[Paul Keating]]
|constituency_MP3 = [[Division of Bennelong|Bennelong]]
|parliament3 = Australian
|term_start3 = 18 May 1974
|term_end3 = 24 November 2007
|predecessor3 = [[John Cramer (Australian politician)|John Cramer]]
|successor3 = [[Maxine McKew]]
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1939|07|26|df=y}}
|birth_place = [[Sydney]], [[New South Wales]], [[Australia]]
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = [[Liberal Party of Australia]]
|spouse = [[Janette Howard]]
|alma_mater = [[University of Sydney]]
|profession = [[Solicitor]]
|religion = [[Anglican]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/opinion/editorial/general/having-faith-in-politics/1886050.aspx|title=Having faith in politics|date=15 July 2010|work=canberratimes.com.au|accessdate=21 July 2010}}</ref>
|signature = John Howard Signature.svg
}}
'''John Winston Howard''', [[Order of Australia|AC]] (born 26 July 1939) was the [[List of Prime Ministers of Australia|25th]] [[Prime Minister of Australia]], from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after [[Robert Menzies|Sir Robert Menzies]].
Howard was a member of the [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] from [[Australian federal election, 1974|1974]] to [[Australian federal election, 2007|2007]], representing the [[Division of Bennelong]], [[New South Wales]]. He served as [[Treasurer of Australia|Treasurer]] in the [[Malcolm Fraser|Fraser]] [[Second Fraser Ministry|government]] of from 1977 to 1983. He was Leader of the Liberal Party and [[Coalition (Australia)|Coalition]] Opposition from 1985 to 1989, which included the [[Australian federal election, 1987|1987 federal election]] against [[Bob Hawke]]. He was re-elected as Leader of the Opposition in 1995.
Howard led the [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]]-[[National Party of Australia|National]] [[Coalition (Australia)|Coalition]] to victory at the [[Australian federal election, 1996|1996 federal election]], defeating [[Paul Keating]]'s [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]] [[Keating Government|government]] and ending a record thirteen years of [[Coalition (Australia)|Coalition]] [[Opposition (Australia)|opposition]]. The [[Howard Government]] was re-elected at the [[Australian federal election, 1998|1998]], [[Australian federal election, 2001|2001]] and [[Australian federal election, 2004|2004]] elections, presiding over a period of strong economic growth and prosperity.<ref name="quadrant.org.au">{{Citation|author=John Stone |url=http://www.quadrant.org.au/magazine/issue/2009/1-2/growth-jobs-and-prosperity |title=John Stone, Growth, Jobs, and Prosperity, Quadrant. January-February 2009 |publisher=Quadrant.org.au |date= |accessdate=2010-04-25}}</ref> Major issues for the Howard Government included taxation, industrial relations, immigration, the Iraq war, and Aboriginal relations. Howard's coalition government was defeated at the [[Australian federal election, 2007|2007 election]] by the Labor Party led by [[Kevin Rudd]]. Howard also lost his [[Division of Bennelong|own parliamentary seat]] at the election; he was the second Australian Prime Minister, after [[Stanley Bruce]] in 1929, to do so.
==Early life==
[[Image:John Howard boy.jpg|left|thumb|upright|John Howard as a boy]]
John Howard is the fourth son of Mona (''née'' Kell) and [[Lyall Howard]]. His parents were married in 1925. His eldest brother Stanley was born in 1926, followed by Walter in 1929, and Robert (Bob) in 1936. Lyall Howard was an admirer of [[Winston Churchill]],<ref>{{Harvnb|Garran|2004|p=10}}</ref> and a sympathiser with the [[New Guard]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Van Onselen|Errington|2007|pp=7–9}}</ref>
Howard grew up in the [[Sydney]] suburb of [[Earlwood, New South Wales|Earlwood]] in a [[Methodist]] family.<ref name="Kelly bio">{{Citation
| last = Kelly | first = Paul | title = The Common Man as Prime Minister | work = The Australian | pages = | language = | publisher = | date = 19 May 1999 | url = | accessdate = }}</ref> His mother had been an office worker until her marriage. His father and his paternal grandfather, Walter Howard, were both veterans of the [[First Australian Imperial Force|First AIF]] in World War I. They also ran two [[Dulwich Hill, New South Wales|Dulwich Hill]] petrol stations where John Howard worked as a boy.<ref name="SMH_Petrol">{{Citation | url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/06/18/1150569210879.html?page=fullpage | title=Tin soldered for the King in Howard's home | work=Sydney Morning Herald | date=19 June 2006 | accessdate=29 August 2007}}</ref>
Lyall Howard died in 1955 when John was sixteen, leaving his mother to take care of John<ref>Birnbauer, Bill, "Rise Of A Common Man", ''The Age'', 4 March 1996</ref> (or "Jack" as he was also known).<ref name="SMH_Canterbury">{{Citation| url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/09/17/1095394004427.html | title=Canterbury tales | work=Sydney Morning Herald | date=18 September 2004 | accessdate=5 September 2007}}</ref>
Howard suffered a hearing impairment in his youth, leaving him with a slight [[speech disorder|speech impediment]],<ref name="transcript-lab_opening">{{Citation | url=http://www.pm.gov.au/News/Speeches/2000/DeafnessReasearch1102.htm | title=Transcript of the Prime Minister the Hon. John Howard MP, opening of the child deafness research laboratories at The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne | publisher=PM News Room | date=16 February 2000 | accessdate=8 July 2008}}</ref> and he continues to wear a hearing aid. It also influenced him in subtle ways, limiting his early academic performance; encouraging a reliance on an excellent memory; and in his mind ruling out becoming a [[barrister]] as a likely career.<ref>{{Harvnb|Van Onselen|Errington|2007|pp=21, 35}}</ref>
Howard attended the publicly funded [[state school]]s Earlwood Primary School and [[Canterbury Boys' High School]].<ref name="SMH_Canterbury"/>
Howard won a citizenship prize in his final year at Earlwood (presented by local politician [[Eric Willis]]), and subsequently represented his secondary school at debating as well as [[cricket]] and [[rugby football|rugby]].<ref name="The Sports Factor">{{Citation | url=http://www.abc.net.au/rn/sportsfactor/stories/2001/401143.htm| title=Beazley and Howard- Politics and Sport | publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation | date=26 October 2001 | accessdate=13 March 2007}}</ref> Cricket remained a life-long hobby.<ref name="Kelly bio"/> In his final year at school he took part in a radio show hosted by [[Jack Davey]], ''Give It a Go'' broadcast on the commercial radio station, [[2GB]], and a recording of the show survives.<ref name="young_howard_recording">{{Citation | url=http://www.australianpolitics.com/sounds/2002/06/02-06-09_howard-and-jack-davey-1955.ram | title=Sixteen-year-old John Howard on a popular radio quiz show compered by Jack Davey {{RAMlink}} | publisher=australianpolitics.com | date=9 June 2002 | accessdate=8 July 2006}}</ref> After gaining his Leaving Certificate, he studied law at the [[University of Sydney]], graduating in 1961,<ref name="SMH_Canterbury"/> and subsequently practising as a solicitor for twelve years.<ref name="NMA"/>
Howard married fellow Liberal Party member [[Janette Howard|Janette Parker]] in 1971, with whom he had three children: Melanie (1974), Tim (1977) and Richard (1980).<ref name="NAA_JanetteHoward">{{Citation | url=http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/meetpm.asp?pmId=25 | title=Australia's Prime Ministers : John Howard | publisher=[[National Archives of Australia]] | accessdate=27 November 2007}}</ref>
POO POO WEE WEE
==Early political career==
Howard joined the [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal Party]] in 1957. He held office in the [[New South Wales]] Liberal Party on the State Executive and served as President of the [[Young Liberals (Australia)|Young Liberals]] (1962–64), the party youth organisation.<ref name="young_libs">{{Citation | url=http://www.younglibs.org.au/lifemembers.php | title=Young Liberals Life Members & Past Presidents | publisher=[[Young Liberals (Australia)|Young Liberals]] |date=2006 | accessdate=8 July 2006}}</ref> Howard supported [[Military history of Australia during the Vietnam War|Australia's involvement]] in the [[Vietnam War]], although has since said there were "aspects of it that could have been handled and explained differently".<ref name=4corners>{{Citation | url=http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2004/s1212701.htm | title=John Howard Interview– 1996 | work=[[Four Corners (TV program)|Four Corners]] | date=19 February 1996 | accessdate=26 December 2006}}</ref>
At the [[Australian federal election, 1963|1963 federal election]], Howard acted as campaign manager in his local seat of [[Division of Parkes (1901-69)|Parkes]] for the successful candidacy of [[Tom Hughes (Australian politician)|Tom Hughes]] who defeated the 20 year Labor incumbent.
In 1967 with the support of party power brokers, [[John Carrick (Australian politician)|John Carrick]] and [[Eric Willis]], he was endorsed as candidate for the marginal suburban state seat of [[Electoral district of Drummoyne|Drummoyne]], held by the [[Australian Labor Party|ALP]]. Howard's mother sold the family home in [[Earlwood, New South Wales|Earlwood]] and rented a house with him at [[Five Dock, New South Wales|Five Dock]], a suburb within the electorate. At the election in February 1968, in which the incumbent state Liberal government was returned to office, Howard failed to defeat the sitting member, despite campaigning vigorously.<ref name='Drummoyne_1968'>{{Citation | url=http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/resources/nswelectionsanalysis/1968/Drummoyne.htm | title=Drummoyne– 1968 | publisher=[[Parliament of New South Wales]] | date= 25 July 2007 | accessdate=25 July 2007 }}</ref> Howard and his mother subsequently returned to Earlwood, moving to a house on the same street where he grew up.
At the [[Australian federal election, 1974|1974 federal election]], Howard successfully contested the Sydney suburban seat of [[Division of Bennelong|Bennelong]] and became a Member of Parliament in the [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] during the [[Gough Whitlam]]-led Labor Government. Howard backed [[Malcolm Fraser]] for the leadership of the Liberal Party against [[Billy Snedden]] following the 1974 election.<ref>Kelly (1994), p. 101.</ref> When Fraser won office in December 1975, Howard was appointed [[Minister for Home Affairs (Australia)|Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs]], a position in which he served until 1977.<ref name="NMA"/> At this stage, he followed the [[protectionist]] and pro-regulation stance of Fraser and the Liberal Party.<ref>Kelly (1994), pp. 101-103.</ref>
==Federal Treasurer (1977–1983)==
In December 1977, at the age of 38, Howard was appointed [[Treasurer of Australia|Treasurer]].<ref name="NMA"/> During his five years in the position, he became an adherent of [[market economics|free-market economics]],<ref>Kelly (1994), p. 102.</ref> which was challenging economic orthodoxies in place for most of the century.<ref name="Kelly 1994, pp. 50-53">Kelly (1994), pp. 50-53.</ref> He came to favour tax reform including broad-based taxation (later the [[Goods and Services Tax (Australia)|GST)]], a freer industrial system including the dismantling of the centralised wage-fixing system, the abolition of compulsory [[trade unionism]], privatisation and deregulation.<ref name="Kelly bio"/>
In 1978, the Fraser government instigated a committee of inquiry, the Campbell Committee, to investigate financial system reforms. The impetus for the commission came, not from Howard, but from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.<ref name="Bell_21">{{Harvnb|Bell|2004|p=21}}</ref> Howard supported the Campbell report, but adopted an incremental approach with Cabinet, as there was wide opposition to deregulation within the government and the treasury.<ref name="Bell_21"/><ref>{{Harvnb|Kelly|1994|p=78}}</ref> The process of reform began before the committee reported 2½ years later, with the introduction of the tender system for the sale of Treasury notes in 1979, and Treasury bonds in 1982. Ian Macfarlane (Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, 1996–2006) described these reforms as "second only in importance to the float of the Australian dollar in 1983."<ref>''[http://www.abc.net.au/rn/boyerlectures/stories/2006/1769925.htm Boyer Lecture 3: Reform and Deregulation]''26 November 2006</ref> In 1981 he proposed a broad-based indirect tax with compensatory cuts in personal rates; however, cabinet rejected it citing both inflationary and political reasons.<ref>Kelly (1994), p. 49.</ref> After the free-marketeers or "drys" of the Liberals challenged the protectionist policies of [[Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations (Australia)|Minister for Industry and Commerce]] [[Phillip Lynch]], they shifted their loyalties to Howard. Following an unsuccessful leadership challenge by [[Andrew Peacock]] to unseat Fraser as prime minister, Howard was elected deputy leader of the Liberal Party in April 1982. His election depended largely on the support of the "drys", and he became the champion of the growing free-market lobby in the party.<ref>Kelly (1994), pp. 49-50.</ref>
Fraser's negotiations with the ACTU saw him lose control of a wages explosion in 1982 just as the mining boom had ended. The economic crises of the early 1980s brought Howard into conflict with the economically conservative Fraser. As the economy headed towards the worst recession since the 1930s, [[Keynesian]] Fraser pushed an expansionary fiscal position much to Howard's and Treasury's horror. With his authority as treasurer being flouted, Howard considered resigning in July 1982, but, after discussions with his wife and senior advisor [[John Hewson]] (Liberal Party leader himself from 1990 to 1994), he decided to "tough it out".<ref name="Kelly 1994, pp. 50-53"/> The 1982 wages explosion—wages rose 16 per cent across the country—resulted in [[stagflation]]; unemployment touched double-digits and inflation peaked at 12.5% (official interest rates peaked at 21%).<ref>{{Citation | title =F01 Interest rates and yields – money market | publisher =[[Reserve Bank of Australia]] | url =http://www.rba.gov.au/Statistics/Bulletin/F01hist.xls | format =Excel file | accessdate = 29 August 2007 }}</ref>
The Fraser Government with Howard as Treasurer lost the [[Australian federal election, 1983|1983 election]] to the Labor Party led by [[Bob Hawke]]. Over the course of the 1980s, the Liberal party came to accept the free-market policies that Fraser had resisted and Howard had espoused; namely low protection, decentralisation of wage fixation, financial deregulation, a broadly-based indirect tax, and the rejection of counter-cyclical fiscal policy.<ref>Kelly (1994), p. 232.</ref>
==Opposition years (1983–1996)==
Following the [[Australian federal election, 1983|1983 defeat of the Fraser government]] and [[Malcolm Fraser|Fraser]]'s subsequent resignation from parliament, Howard contested the Liberal leadership but was defeated by [[Andrew Peacock]]. Remaining Deputy Leader of the parliamentary party, Howard became Deputy Leader of the [[Opposition (Australia)|Opposition]] and the Liberal Party were defeated by [[Bob Hawke|Hawke]] and Labor at the [[Australian federal election, 1984|1984 election]]. In 1985, as Labor's position in opinion polls improved, Peacock's popularity sank, and Howard's profile rose, leadership speculation persisted. Peacock said he would no longer accept Howard as deputy unless he offered assurances that he would not challenge for the leadership. Following Howard's refusal to offer such an assurance, Peacock sought, in September 1985, to replace him with John Moore as Deputy Leader.<ref>{{Citation |last= Barclay |first= Glen |year= 1986 |month= August |title= Australian Political Chronicle: July-December 1985 |journal= Australian Journal of Politics and History |volume= 32 |issue= 2 |page= 264 |issn=0004-9522}}</ref> The party room re-elected Howard as Deputy on 5 September (38 votes to 31), and, believing his position untenable, Peacock immediately resigned the leadership. With Peacock not contesting the ensuing Liberal Party leadership ballot, Howard defeated [[Jim Carlton]] 57 votes to 6, and became Leader of the Opposition.<ref>Kelly (1994), p. 192.</ref><ref>{{Citation
| last = Ramsay
| first = Alan
| authorlink = Alan Ramsey
| title = Howard's labours are slipping away
| work = The Sydney Morning Herald
| date = 2004-03-06
| page = 37
| url = http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/03/05/1078464638831.html
| accessdate = 2007-08-07}}</ref>{{Verify credibility|date=March 2009}}
;Leader of the opposition and new economic policy
Howard was in effect the Liberal party's first pro-market leader in the conservative coalition and spent the next two years working to revise Liberal policy away from that of Fraser's.<ref>{{Citation |year= 1987 |month= December |title= Australian Political Chronicle: January-June 1987 |journal= Australian Journal of Politics and History |volume= 33 |issue= 3 |pages= 280–281 |issn=0004-9522}}</ref> In his own words he was an "economic radical" and a [[social conservatism|social conservative]].<ref name="markus85">{{Harvnb|Markus|2001|pp=85–89}}</ref> Referring to the pro-market liberalism of the 1980s, Howard, famously said in July 1986 that "The times will suit me".<ref name='SMH20030818_TimesDoSuitHim'>{{ Citation|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/08/17/1061059710322.html?from=storyrhs
|title=The sad times do suit him; he made them|first =Anne |last = Summers|publisher =Sydney Morning Herald|date=18 August 2003}}</ref> That year the economy was seen to be in crisis with a 40% devaluation of the Australian dollar, a marked increase in the current account deficit and the loss of the Federal Government's triple A rating.<ref name='SMH20030818_TimesDoSuitHim'/> In response to the economic circumstances, Howard persistently attacked the Labor government and offered his free-market reform agenda.<ref name='SMH20030818_TimesDoSuitHim'/> Despite the economic news, support for the Labor Party and Hawke strengthened in 1985 and 1986. Howard's approval ratings dropped in the face of infighting between Howard and Peacock supporters, a "public manifestation of disunity" over policy positions, and questions over Howard's leadership.<ref>{{Citation |last= Barclay |first= Glen |year= 1986 |month= August |title= Australian Political Chronicle: July-December 1985 |journal= Australian Journal of Politics and History |volume= 32 |issue= 2 |page= 264 |issn=0004-9522}}; {{Citation |last= Barclay |first= Glen |year= 1986 |month= December |title= Australian Political Chronicle: January-June 1986 |journal= Australian Journal of Politics and History |volume= 32 |issue= 3 |page= 455 |issn=0004-9522}}</ref>
To capitalise on Coalition disunity, Hawke called the [[Australian federal election, 1987|1987 election]] six months early. In addition to the Howard–Peacock rivalry, Queensland National Party criticism of the federal Liberal and National leadership led to a split in the Coalition whereby Nationals ran against Liberals,<ref>{{Citation |year= 1987 |month= December |title= Australian Political Chronicle: January-June 1987 |journal= Australian Journal of Politics and History |volume= 33 |issue= 3 |pages= 279–285 |issn=0004-9522}}</ref> and culminated in the "[[Joh for Canberra]]" campaign. Keating successfully campaigned against John Howard's proposed tax changes forcing Howard to admit a [[double counting (accounting)|double-counting]] in the proposal,<ref name="PKelly_EndOfCertainty1994">{{Citation|last=Kelly|first=Paul|authorlink=Paul Kelly (journalist)|title=The End of Certainty: Power, Politics, and Business in Australia|url=http://books.google.com/?id=EKXBgmYeO2QC&dq|accessdate=5 October 2007|publisher=[[Allen & Unwin]]
|isbn=186373757X|pages=427,457
|year=1994}}</ref> and emphasising to the electorate that the package would mean at that stage undisclosed cuts to government services. The Hawke Government was re-elected with an increased majority.
;Howard's social agenda
In his social agenda, Howard promoted the traditional family and was antipathetic to the promotion of [[multiculturalism]] at the expense of a shared Australian identity.<ref>Kelly (1994), pp. 419.</ref> The immigration policy, ''[[One Australia policy|One Australia]]'', outlined a vision of "one nation and one future" and opposed multiculturalism.<ref name="markus85"/> In a radio interview discussing multiculturalism Howard suggested that to support "social cohesion" the rate of Asian immigration be "slowed down a little".<ref>{{Harvnb|Van Onselen|Errington|2007|p=157}}</ref> The comments divided opinion within the Coalition, and undermined Howard's standing amongst Liberal party figures including federal and state Ministers, intellectual opinion makers, business leaders, and within the Asia Pacific. Prime Minister Hawke moved a motion to affirm that race or ethnicity would not be used as immigrant selection criteria to which three Liberal MPs crossed the floor and two abstained. Many Liberals later nominated the issue as instrumental in Howard subsequently losing the leadership in 1989.<ref>Kelly (1994), pp. 427-428.</ref>
In line with "One Australia's" rejection of Aboriginal land rights, Howard said the idea of an Aboriginal treaty was ''"repugnant to the ideals of One Australia"''<ref name="markus85"/> and commented ''"I don't think it is wrong, racist, immoral or anything, for a country to say 'we will decide what the cultural identity and the cultural destiny of this country will be and nobody else."''<ref name="SMH_cricket">{{ Citation | title = When talk of racism is just not cricket | publisher = The Sydney Morning Herald | date = 16 December 2005 | url = http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2005/12/15/1134500961607.html | accessdate = 19 August 2007}}</ref>
;Loss of the leadership
As the country's economic position worsened in 1989, public opinion moved away from Labor, but Howard was unable to translate this into a firm opinion poll lead for himself and the Coalition.<ref>Kelly (1994), p. 470.</ref> In February, Liberal Party president and prominent businessman, [[John Elliott (businessman)|John Elliott]], said confidentially to Andrew Peacock that he would support him in a leadership challenge against Howard.<ref name="PKelly_EndOfCertainty1994"/> Following months of plotting by Elliot, Peacock and supporters, in May a surprise leadership coup was launched, ousting Howard as Liberal leader. When asked that day whether he could become Liberal leader again, Howard famously likened it to ''"Lazarus with a triple bypass"''.<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/02/28/1077677011993.html|title=Thoughts of a bypassed Lazarus|work=[[The Age]]|date=29 February 2004|accessdate=25 July 2007}}</ref> The loss of the Liberal Party leadership to Peacock deeply affected Howard, who admitted he would occasionally drink too much.<ref name="news_drunk">{{Citation | url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22129486-2,00.html | title=Howard: 'I was drunk at work' | work=[[The Courier-Mail]] | date=25 July 2007 | accessdate=25 July 2007}}</ref> Declining Peacock's offer of Shadow Education, Howard went to the backbench and a new period of party disunity ensued. Howard served as Shadow Minister for Industry, Technology and Communications, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader on the Public Service, Chairman of the Manpower and Labour Market Reform Group, Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations and Manager of Opposition Business in the House.
Following the Coalition's [[Australian federal election, 1990|1990 election]] loss, Peacock was replaced with former Howard staffer [[John Hewson|Dr. John Hewson]]. Howard was a supporter of Hewson's economic program, with a [[Goods and Services Tax (Australia)|Goods and Services Tax]] (GST) as its centrepiece. After Hewson lost the "unloseable" [[Australian federal election, 1993|1993 election]] to [[Paul Keating]], Howard unsuccessfully challenged Hewson for the leadership. In 1994, he was again passed over for the leadership, which went to [[Alexander Downer]]. In a 7 January 1995 newspaper article (and in 2002 as Prime Minister), Howard recanted his 1988 remarks on curbing Asian immigration.<ref name="Aus_spice">{{Citation
| last = Megalogenis
| first = George
| author-link = George Megalogenis
| title = Asian influence spices up contest
| newspaper = [[The Australian]]
| page = 11
| date = 2007-02-27
| url = http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21293182-28737,00.html
| accessdate = 2007-07-27}}</ref><ref name="Ward 1995">{{Citation |last= Ward |first= Ian |year= 1995 |month= December |title= Australian Political Chronicle: January-June 1995 |journal= Australian Journal of Politics and History |volume= 41 |issue= 3 |pages= |issn=}}</ref>
;Opposition leader again
In January 1995, leaked internal Liberal Party polling showed that with gaffe-prone Downer as leader, the Coalition had slim chance of holding its marginal seats, let alone of winning government. Media speculation of a leadership spill ended when, on 26 January 1995, Downer resigned as Liberal Leader and Howard was elected unopposed to replace him.<ref name="Ward 1995"/> As Opposition Leader for the second time, Howard revised his earlier statements against [[Medicare (Australia)|Medicare]] and Asian immigration.<ref name="Aus_spice"/> During the campaign Howard outlined his vision of Australia in 2000 to the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]]:{{quote|I want to see an Australian society that sees this country as a unique intersection of Europe, North America and Asia. Australia is incredibly lucky to have a European heritage, deep connections with North America, but to be geographically cast in the Asian/Pacific region and if we think of ourselves as that strategic intersection, then I think we have a remarkable opportunity to carve a special niche for ourselves in ... in the history of the next century.<ref name=4corners/>}}
Following Howard's election to [[Opposition (Australia)|Opposition]] Leader, the [[Coalition (Australia)|Coalition]] opened a large lead over [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]] in most opinion polls, and Howard overtook his old nemesis [[Paul Keating]] as preferred Prime Minister. Having said as leader in 1985 that it was "better to be right than popular", the second time around, Howard pursued what was described as a "small target" approach to campaigning and policy.<ref>{{Citation
| last = Mackay
| first = Hugh
| authorlink = Hugh Mackay (social researcher)
| title = The Howard factor
| work = The Age
| page = 9
| date = 2007-06-09
| url = http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/the-howard-factor/2007/06/08/1181089323492.html
| accessdate = }}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=March 2009}}{{Lopsided|date=March 2009}}
==Prime minister==
[[Image:John howard.jpg|thumb|upright|John Howard in the [[United States]] in 1997]]
{{Main|Howard Government}}
===Election win and first term===
With the support of many traditionally Labor voters—dubbed "[[Aussie battler|Howard battlers]]"—Howard led the Liberal-National party Coalition to win the [[Australian federal election, 1996|1996 election]], achieving the second-largest swing against an incumbent government since Federation. With a 45-seat majority, the size of the Coalition victory gave John Howard great power within the Liberal party and he said he came to the office "with very clear views on where I wanted to take the country".<ref>{{cite video
| people =
| title = The Howard Years (episode 1)
| medium = TV Series
| publisher = [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]
| location = Australia
|date = 2008 }}</ref> At the age of 56, he was sworn in as Prime Minister on 11 March 1996, ending a record 13 years of [[Coalition (Australia)|Coalition]] opposition.<ref name="NMA">{{Citation| url=http://www.nma.gov.au/education/school_resources/websites_and_interactives/primeministers/john_howard/ | title=Education: John Howard | publisher=[[National Museum of Australia]] | date=1 August 2007 | accessdate=14 August 2007}}</ref> Howard departed with tradition and made his primary residence [[Kirribilli House]] rather than [[The Lodge (Australia)|The Lodge]].<ref>{{Citation|last=Milne |first=Glenn |url=http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21878816-5001021,00.html |title=PM hires out Kirribilli House |publisher=News.com.au |date=2007-06-10 |accessdate=2010-04-25}}</ref>
Early in the term Howard had championed significant new restrictions on gun ownership following the [[Port Arthur massacre (Australia)|Port Arthur massacre]] in which 35 people had been shot dead. Achieving agreement in the face of immense opposition from within the Coalition and some State governments, was credited with significantly elevating John Howard’s stature as Prime Minister despite a backlash from core Coalition rural constituents.<ref>{{cite video | people = | title = The Howard Years (episode 4) | medium = TV Series | publisher = [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] | location = Australia |date = 2008 }}; {{Citation | last = Kelly | first = Paul | title = A Year of Governing Cautiously | newspaper = The Weekend Australian | pages = | year = 1997 | date = 1–2 May| url = }}; [http://www.nma.gov.au/education/school_resources/websites_and_interactives/primeministers/john_howard/ nma.gov.au]; {{Citation | last = Ward | first = Ian | authorlink = Ian Ward (professor) | title = Australian Political Chronicle: January-June 1995 | journal = Australian Journal of Politics and History | volume = 41 | issue = 3 | pages = 444–448 | year = 1995 | month = December | issn = 0004-9522}}</ref>
Howard's initial silence on the views of [[Pauline Hanson]]—a disendorsed Liberal Party candidate and later independent MP—was criticised in the press as an endorsement of her views.<ref name=howardyearschronology>[http://www.abc.net.au/news/howardyears/chronology/assets/chronology.pdf The Howard Years - Chronology], [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]</ref> Howard said that she was entitled to express her opinion, that many others would share it, and that to denounce her would "elevate it".<ref name="Hanson_Plug">{{Citation | url=http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2002/s458299.htm | title=Pauline Hanson pulls the plug as One Nation president | publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] | date=14 January 2002 | accessdate=29 August 2007}}; {{cite video
| people =
| title = The Howard Years (episode 1)
| medium = TV Series
| publisher = [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]
| location = Australia
|date = 2008 }}</ref> Howard repudiated her views seven months after Hanson's controversial maiden parliamentary speech.<ref name=howardyearschronology />
Following the [[Wik Peoples v Queensland|Wik Decision]] of the High Court in 1996, John Howard's government moved swiftly to legislate limitations on its possible implications through the so-called [[Native Title Amendment Act 1998|Ten-Point Plan]].
[[Image:HowardCohen97.jpg|thumb|right|John Howard and US Secretary of Defense [[William Cohen]] in 1997]]
From 1997, Howard spear-headed the Coalition push to introduce a [[Goods and Services Tax (Australia)|Goods and Services Tax]] (GST) at the 1998 election. Before winning the Prime Ministership, Howard had said it would "never ever" be part of Coalition policy.<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2006/s1582253.htm |title=A look back at Howard's ten years |publisher=Abc.net.au |date= |accessdate=2010-04-25}}</ref> A long held conviction of Howard’s, his tax reform package was credited with "breaking the circuit" of party morale—boosting his confidence and direction, which had appeared to wane early in the Government’s second term.<ref>{{Harvnb|Van Onselen|Errington|2007|pp=272–273}}</ref> The 1998 election was dubbed a "referendum on the GST", and the tax changes—including the GST—were implemented in the government's second term after amendments to the legislation were negotiated with the [[Australian Democrats]] to ensure its passage through the Senate.
Through much of its first term, opinion polling was disappointing for the government and its members at times feared being a "one-term wonder".<ref>{{Citation | last=Ward | first=Ian |year= 1998 |title= Australian Political Chronicle: July-December 1997 |journal= Australian Journal of Politics and History |volume= 44 |issue= 2 |page= 233|issn=}}; {{cite video
| people =
| title = The Howard Years (episode 1)
| medium = TV Series
| publisher = [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]
| location = Australia
|date = 2008 }}; {{Citation
| last = Kelly | first = Paul | title = Howard's Big Picture and Big Gamble | work = The Australian | pages = | language = | publisher = | date = 23 September 1998 | url = | accessdate = }}</ref> The popularity of Pauline Hanson, and the new restrictions on gun ownership drew many traditionally Coalition voters away from the Howard government. Also unpopular with voters were large spending cuts aimed at eliminating the budget deficit (and Howard's distinction between "core" and "non-core" election promises when cutting spending commitments), [[Workplace Relations Act 1996|industrial changes]] and the [[1998 Australian Waterfront Dispute|1998 waterfront dispute]], the partial sale of government telecommunications company [[Telstra]], and the Government's commitment to a GST. In October 1998, Howard led the Government to [[Australian federal election, 1998|win a second term]]. Actually achieving a smaller two-party preferred vote than Labor's, the Coalition's March 1996 majority of 45 seats was reduced to 12.
===Second term===
In 1998, Howard convened a [[Constitutional Convention (Australia)|Constitutional Convention]] which decided in principle that Australia should [[Republicanism in Australia|become a Republic]]. At the convention Howard confirmed himself as a monarchist, and said that of the Republican options, he preferred the minimalist model. Despite opinion polls suggesting Australians favoured a republic, a 1999 referendum rejected the model chosen by the convention.
[[Image:INTERFET 12 Feb 2000.jpg|thumb|Australian peacekeepers and East Timorese civilians in [[Dili]] during 2000]]
Although new [[Indonesian President]] [[B.J. Habibie]] had some months earlier agreed to grant special autonomy to [[Indonesian occupation of East Timor|Indonesian-occupied]] [[East Timor]], his subsequent snap decision for a referendum on the territory's independence was triggered by a Howard and Downer orchestrated shift in Australian policy. In September 1999, Howard organised an Australian-led international peace-keeping force to East Timor ([[INTERFET]]), after [[pro-Indonesia militia]] launched a violent "scorched-earth" campaign in retaliation to the referendum's overwhelming vote in favour of independence. The successful mission was widely supported by Australian voters, but the government was criticised for "foreign policy failure" following the violence and collapse of diplomatic relations with Indonesia. By Howard's fourth term, relations with Indonesia had recovered to include counter-terrorism cooperation and Australia's $1bn [[Boxing Day Tsunami]] relief efforts, and were assisted by good relations between Howard and [[Indonesian President]] [[Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono]].<ref>{{Citation|author=AAP Mar 06, 2006 |url=http://en.epochtimes.com/news/6-3-6/38988.html |title=The Epoch Times | Indonesia-Australian Relationship Best Ever |publisher=En.epochtimes.com |date=2006-03-06 |accessdate=2010-04-25}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.kbri-canberra.org.au/speeches/2005/050301e.htm |title='Indonesia - Australian Relations: East Timor, Bali Bombing, Tsunami and Beyond' by Ambassador Imron Cotan |publisher=Kbri-canberra.org.au |date= |accessdate=2010-04-25}}</ref>
Throughout his prime-ministership, Howard was resolute in his refusal to provide a parliamentary "apology" to [[Indigenous Australians]] as recommended by the 1997 “[[Bringing Them Home]]” Report. Howard argued this was inappropriate, because "Australians of this generation should not be required to accept guilt and blame for past actions and policies."<ref name="speech-reconciliation_convention">{{Citation | url=http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/special/rsjproject/rsjlibrary/car/arc/speeches/opening/howard.htm | title=Opening Speech of Australian Reconciliation Convention | publisher=Australasian Legal Information Institute | date=26 May 2000 | accessdate=23 August 2006}}</ref> Howard did offer this personal apology before the release of the Report: "I feel deep sorrow for those of my fellow Australians who suffered injustices under the practices of past generations towards indigenous people. Equally, I am sorry for the hurt and trauma many here today may continue to feel, as a consequence of these practices” <ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/20080221_1.htm |title=The History of Apologies Down Under [Thinking Faith - the online journal of the British Jesuits] |publisher=Thinkingfaith.org |date= |accessdate=2010-04-25}}</ref>.
In 1999 Howard negotiated a "[[Motion of Reconciliation]]" with Aboriginal Senator [[Aden Ridgeway]]. Eschewing use of the word "sorry", the motion recognised mistreatment of Aborigines as the "most blemished chapter" in Australia's history; offered "deep and sincere ''regret''" for past injustices.<ref>{{Citation|url=http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=(Id:media/pressrel/23e06);rec=0; |title=ParlInfo - Title Details |publisher=Parlinfo.aph.gov.au |date= |accessdate=2010-04-25}}</ref> Following his 2007 loss of the premiership, Howard was the only living former Prime Minister who declined to attend the February 2008 apology made by [[Kevin Rudd]] with bi-partisan support.<ref>{{Citation
| last = Welch
| first = Dylan
| title = Kevin Rudd says sorry
| work = The Sydney Moning Herald
| date = 2008-02-13
| url = http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/rudd-says-sorry/2008/02/13/1202760342960.html
| format = online briefing
| accessdate = }}</ref>
Howard did not commit to serving a full term if he won the next election; on his 61st birthday in July 2000 he said he would consider the question of retirement when he turned 64.<ref>{{Citation
| work=The 7:30 Report
| title =When I'm 64: Howard
| publisher =[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]
| date =5 October 2001
| url =http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2001/s383820.htm
| accessdate =29 August 2007 }}</ref> This was interpreted as boosting Costello’s leadership aspirations, and the enmity over leadership and succession resurfaced publicly when Howard did not retire at the age of 64.<ref>{{Citation
| last = Henderson
| first = Gerard
| authorlink = Gerard Henderson
| title = The high cost of Howard's big tease
| work = The Age
| page = 11
| date = 2003-06-10
| url = http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/06/09/1055010926380.html
| accessdate = 2009-01-12}}; {{Citation
| last = Yaxley
| first = Louise
| title = PM decides to stay
| work = [[PM (ABC Radio)|PM]]
| publisher = [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]
| date = 2003-06-03
| url = http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2003/s871302.htm
| format = transcript
| accessdate = 2007-08-29}}</ref> In the first half of 2001, rising petrol prices, voter enmity over the implementation of the GST, a spike in inflation and economic slowdown led to bad opinion polls and predictions the Government would lose office in the election later that year.<ref name=wear2001>{{Citation | last=Wear | first=Rae |year= 2001 |month= December |title= Australian Political Chronicle: January-June 2001 |journal= Australian Journal of Politics and History |volume= 47 |issue= 4 |pages= 531–536 |issn=0004-9522}}</ref> With Howard telling Cabinet he would not be "sacrificed on the pyre of ideological purity", the government announced a series of policy reversals and softenings which boosted the government's fortunes, as did news that the economy had avoided recession. Following the Liberal Party win at the Aston by-election, Howard said that the Coalition was "back in the game".<ref name=wear2001/> The government's position on "border protection", in particular the [[Tampa affair]] where Howard refused the landing of asylum seekers rescued by a Norwegian freighter, consolidated the improving polls for the government, as did the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]].<ref name="Heinemann">{{Citation |url=http://www.hi.com.au/resource/rfactsa.asp?kla=13&subtopicid=3274 |title= Tampa Crisis |work=Infobase (Atlas) |publisher=[[Heinemann (book publisher)|Heinemann Interactive]] |accessdate=15 July 2006}}</ref> Howard led the government to victory in the [[Australian federal election, 2001|2001 federal election]] with an increased majority.<ref>{{Citation | work=PM | title =Latest poll 'a nonsense': former Labor pollster | publisher =[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] | date =1 June 2004 | url =http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2004/s1120811.htm | accessdate =29 August 2007 }}; {{Citation | work=Australia votes | title =Antony Green's Election Summary | publisher =[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |year=2004 | url =http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2004/guide/summary.htm | accessdate =29 August 2007 }}; {{Citation | first=Shaun | last=Carney | title =The challenge for Australia | work =[[The Age]] | date = 11 September 2004 | url =http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/09/10/1094789685556.html | accessdate =29 August 2007 }}</ref>
===Third term===
[[Image:Vladimir Putin with John Howard-1.jpg|thumb|right|220px|upright|Howard with [[Russia]]n [[President of Russia|President]] [[Vladimir Putin]] during the [[APEC Australia 2007|2007 APEC Summit]]]]
Howard had first met [[President of the United States|US President]] [[George W. Bush]] in the days before the September 11 terrorist attacks and was in Washington the morning of the attacks.<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2008/s2465378.htm |title=Howard accepts Presidential Medal of Freedom, AM program transcript, ABC Radio |publisher=Abc.net.au |date=2009-01-14 |accessdate=2010-04-25}}</ref> In response to the attacks, Howard invoked the [[ANZUS Treaty]] and said that the invocation of the treaty ''"demonstrates Australia's steadfast commitment to work with the United States.”'' In October, he committed Australian military personnel to the war in Afghanistan. Howard developed a strong personal relationship with the president,<ref name="NYT_Ally">{{Citation
| last = Johnston
| first = Tim
| title = Ally of Bush Is Defeated in Australia
| url = http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/25/world/asia/25australia.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
| work = [[The New York Times]]
| page = 8
| date = 2007-11-25
| accessdate = 2008-05-06}}</ref> and they shared often similar ideological positions - including on the role of the United States in world affairs and their approach to the "[[War on Terror]]". In May, 2003, Howard made an overnight stay at Bush's [[Prairie Chapel Ranch]] in [[Texas]], after which Bush said that Howard "...is not only a man of steel, he's showed the world he's a man of heart."<ref name="SMH+lauds">{{Citation |title=Bush lauds Howard as 'man of steel' |url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/05/04/1051987592763.html |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=4 May 2003 |accessdate=6 May 2008 }}</ref>
Howard responded to the [[2002 Bali bombing]], in which 88 Australian citizens were killed, by calling on Australians to "wrap their arms around the people of Indonesia" and said that, while affected, Australia remained "strong and free and open and tolerant".<ref>{{Citation|url=http://tvnz.co.nz/view/tvnz_smartphone_story_skin/139900 |title=John Howard's Bali memorial speech - TVNZ Smartphone |publisher=tvnz.co.nz |date=2002-10-18 |accessdate=2010-04-25}}</ref> Howard re-dedicated his government to the "[[War on Terror]]", saying the Bali bombing was proof that no country was "immune" to the effects of terrorism.
In March 2003, Australia joined the US-led "[[Multinational force in Iraq]]" in [[Australian contribution to the 2003 invasion of Iraq|sending 2,000 troops and naval units]] to support in the [[2003 invasion of Iraq|invasion of Iraq]]. Howard said that the invasion to "disarm Iraq...is right, it is lawful, and it is in Australia’s national interest." He later said that the decision to go into Iraq was the most difficult he made as Prime Minister.<ref>{{cite video
| people =
| title = The Howard Years (episode 3)
| medium = TV Series
| publisher = [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]
| location = Australia
|date = 2008 }}</ref> In response to the Australian participation in the invasion, there were large protests in Australian cities during March 2003, and Prime Minister Howard was heckled from the public gallery of Parliament House.<ref>{{Citation|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2880519.stm| title = Malaysian PM condemns Iraq war |date = 24 March 2003 | publisher = BBC News|accessdate = 19 August 2008}}</ref> While opinion polls showed that opposition to the war without UN backing was between 48 and 92 per cent,<ref name = SMH1April2003>{{Citation|url = http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/03/31/1048962700480.html|title = Support for the fight growing |last = Riley|first = Mark|date = 1 April 2003 |accessdate = 22 August 2008|publisher = Sydney Morning Herald}}</ref> Howard remained preferred prime-minister over opposition leader, [[Simon Crean]], and his approval dropped compared to before the war.<ref>When it was reported that that Iraq did not possess weapons of mass destruction, 70% of Australians believed John Howard misled them, although most believed he did so unintentionally.</ref><ref name = SMH24Sept2003>{{Citation|url = http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/09/23/1064082997799.html|title = Poll: majority of Australians 'feel misled' by Howard |last = Riley|first = Mark|date = 24 September 2003 |accessdate = 22 August 2008|publisher = Sydney Morning Herald}}</ref>
Throughout 2002 and 2003 Howard had increased his opinion poll lead over Labor leader, [[Simon Crean]]. In December 2003, Crean resigned after losing party support and [[Mark Latham]] was elected leader. Howard called [[Australian federal election, 2004|an election for 9 October 2004]]. While the government was behind Labor in the opinion polls, Howard himself had a large lead over Latham as preferred Prime Minister. In the lead up to the election, Howard again did not commit to serving a full term.<ref>{{Citation | work=The 7:30 Report | title =I'm committed and ready, says Latham | publisher =[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] | date =7 October 2004 | url =http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2004/s1215444.htm | accessdate =29 August 2007 }}</ref> Howard campaigned on the theme of trust, asking: "Who do you trust to keep the economy strong, and protect family living standards? Who do you trust to keep interest rates low?"<ref name='SMH20040829_Trust'>{{ Citation
| url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/08/29/1093717817944.html
| title=Howard: election to be about trust
| publisher=Sydney Morning Herald
| date=29 August 2004
| accessdate=2008-10-04}}</ref> Howard attacked Latham's economic record as [[Mayor]] of [[City of Liverpool, New South Wales|Liverpool City Council]] and attacked Labor's economic history saying: "It is an historic fact that interest rates have always gone up under Labor governments over the last 30 years, because Labor governments spend more than they collect and drive budgets into deficit ... So it will be with a Latham Labor government... I will guarantee that interest rates are always going to be lower under a Coalition government."<ref name='TheAge20040830_PMonInterestRates'>{{Citation | last =Wade | first =Matt | title =Labor means rate rises, PM claims | publisher =The Age | date =30 August 2004| url = http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/08/29/1093717840808.html | accessdate = 29 August 2007 }}</ref> The election resulted in an increased Coalition majority in the House of Representatives and the first, albeit slim, government majority in the Senate since 1981. For the second time since becoming Prime Minister, Howard had to go to preferences in order to win another term in his own seat winning 53.3 percent of the two-party preferred vote.<ref>http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/2004/2004repsnsw.txt</ref> On 21 December 2004, Howard became the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after [[Robert Menzies|Sir Robert Menzies]].<ref name="ABC_favourite">{{Citation| url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200412/s1269441.htm | title=PM still favourite as he celebrates milestone | publisher=ABC News | date=21 December 2004 | accessdate=14 August 2007}}</ref>
===Fourth term===
[[Image:20060516-13 p051606pm-0685-515h.jpg|thumb|right|John Howard, [[Janette Howard]], and [[President of the United States|U.S. President]] [[George W. Bush]] at the [[Sydney Opera House]] during [[APEC Australia 2007]]]]
In 2006, with the government now controlling both houses of parliament for the first time since the [[Malcolm Fraser|Fraser government]], industrial relations changes were enacted. Named “[[WorkChoices]]” and championed by Howard, they were intended to fundamentally change the employer-employee relationship. Opposed by a broad trade union campaign and antipathy within the electorate, WorkChoices was subsequently seen as a major factor in the government’s 2007 election loss.<ref>{{cite video
| people =
| title = The Howard Years (episode 4)
| medium = TV Series
| publisher = [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]
| location = Australia
|date = 2008 }};{{Citation |last = Wanna | first = John |year= 2007 |title= Australian Political Chronicle: July-December 2007 |journal= Australian Journal of Politics and History |volume= 54 |issue= 2 |page= 291 |issn=}}; {{Citation |last = Wanna | first = John |year= 1995 |title= Australian Political Chronicle: January-June 2007 |journal= Australian Journal of Politics and History |volume= 53 |issue= 4 |page= 619 |issn=}}</ref>
In April 2006, the government announced it had completely paid off the last of $96 billion of Commonwealth net debt inherited when it came to power in 1996.<ref name='CostelloSpeech200604_DebtRepaid'>{{Citation
|url= http://www.treasurer.gov.au/tsr/content/speeches/2006/008.asp
|title=Speech to the Committee for Economic Development of Australia : "DEBT-FREE DAY"
|last=Costello
|first=Peter
|date=20 April 2006
}}</ref> By 2007, Howard had been in office for 11 of the 15 years of consecutive annual growth enjoyed by the Australian economy. Unemployment had fallen from 8.1% at the start of his term to 4.1% in 2007,<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/allprimarymainfeatures/41703847D79B26F4CA25716A00751846?opendocument |title=Australian Bureau of Statistics |publisher=Abs.gov.au |date= |accessdate=2010-04-25}}; {{Citation|url=http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/allprimarymainfeatures/27AF92FCC4F2D2CECA2573AF0014B6C3?opendocument |title=Australia Bureau of Statistics |publisher=Abs.gov.au |date= |accessdate=2010-04-25}}</ref> and average weekly earnings grew 24.4% in real terms.<ref name="quadrant.org.au"/> Howard often cited economic management as a strong point of the government, and during his Prime Ministership, opinion polling consistently showed that a majority of the electorate thought his government were better to handle the economy than the Opposition.<ref>Newspoll (various 2000-2007)</ref>
In February 2007, referring to the US presidential contest, Howard claimed that [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nomination candidate [[Barack Obama]]'s stance on the war would encourage terrorism in [[Iraq]].<ref>{{Citation |title=Obama hits back after Australian PM slams his Iraq stance |url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/02/11/obama.comment/index.html |publisher=CNN |date=12 February 2008 |accessdate=7 May 2008 }}; {{Citation|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/12/AR2007021201342.html|title=Australian Premier Defends Remark On Obama, Terror|accessdate=24 May 2008|date=13 February 2007|publisher=Washington Post}}; {{Citation|url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24678507-5013948,00.html|title=Lib defends Howard's Obama claim|date=20 November 2008|accessdate=20 November 2008|publisher=The Australian}}</ref>
In 2006, [[Ian McLachlan]] and Peter Costello said that under a 1994 deal between Howard and Costello, Howard would serve one and half terms as Prime Minister if the Coalition won the next election before stepping aside to allow Costello to take over. Howard denied that this constituted a deal;<ref>{{Citation| url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19736460-2,00.html | title=Costello backers savage Howard | publisher=[[News Limited]] | author=Steve Lewis | date=10 July 2006 | accessdate=10 July 2006}}; {{Citation| url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19734797-2,00.html | title=No, Prime Minister, you cannot deny it | publisher=[[News Limited]] | author=Glenn Milne | date=10 July 2006 | accessdate=10 July 2006}}; {{Citation| url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200607/s1682824.htm | title=Howard promised me a handover: Costello / Howard rejects Costello's deal claim | publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] | date=10 July 2006 | accessdate=10 July 2006}}</ref> and there were calls for Costello to either challenge or quit.<ref>{{Citation| url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200607/s1683090.htm | title=Labor sees end to Howard-Costello duet | publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] | date=10 July 2006 | accessdate=10 July 2006}}; {{Citation| url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200607/s1683201.htm | title=Call for Costello to quit or challenge | publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] | date=11 July 2006 | accessdate=11 July 2006}}</ref> Citing strong party room support for him as leader, Howard stated later that month that he would remain to contest the 2007 election.<ref name="howards_decision_welcomed">{{Citation| url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200607/s1701315.htm | title=
PM's decision to face electorate welcomed | publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] | date=31 July 2006 | accessdate=31 July 2006}}</ref> Six weeks before the election, Howard said that, if elected, he would stand down during the next term, and anointed Costello as his successor.<ref name='ABC20070912_HowardOnLeadership'>{{Citation
| last = O'Brien
| first = Kerry
| title = John Howard on the latest round of leadership turmoil
| work= [[The 7.30 Report]]
| publisher= [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]]
| accessdate = 12 September 2007
| date = 12 September 2007
| url = http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2007/s2031023.htm
}}</ref> [[Peter Costello]] commented, in 2007 whilst still in government, that "The Howard treasurership was not a success in terms of interest rates and inflation... he had not been a great reformer," and questioned Howard's account of his conflicts with the Prime Minister Fraser.<ref name="smh_treasurer">{{Citation | url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/07/18/1184559867197.html | title=Howard failed as treasurer, says Costello | work=Sydney Morning Herald | date=19 July 2007 | accessdate=25 July 2007}}</ref>
The Coalition trailed Labor in opinion polls from mid-2006 onward, but Howard still consistently led Labor leader [[Kim Beazley]] on the question of preferred Prime Minister — and was even described as a "revolutionary" in his opposition to unionism.<ref>{{cite video
| people = Kassey Dickie
| title = The Union Show (04 July)
| medium = TV-Series
| publisher = [[C31 Melbourne]]
|date = 2006 }}</ref> In December 2006, after [[Kevin Rudd]] became Labor leader, the two-party preferred deficit widened even further and Rudd swiftly overtook Howard as preferred Prime Minister. Howard chaired [[APEC Australia 2007]], culminating in the [[Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation|APEC]] Economic Leaders Meeting in Sydney during September.<ref name='DPMC_APEC2007'>{{Citation|title =APEC 2007 Taskforce|date=30 June 2006|publisher =[[Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Australia)|Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet]]|url = http://www.pmc.gov.au/about_pmc/divisions/apec2007/|accessdate =13 September 2007}}</ref> The meeting was at times overshadowed by further leadership speculation following continued poor poll results.<ref>{{Citation|title = Leadership talk dogs PM|date= 7 September 2007|work=ABC Online|url =http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/07/2026860.htm
|accessdate =11 September 2007 }}</ref>
===2007 election defeat===
[[Image:1699730661 1b1d7843d3 b.jpg|thumb|Electioneering balloons from the Liberal and Labor parties in [[Division of Bennelong|Bennelong]] during the [[Australian federal election, 2007|2007 federal election]].]]
{{Main|Australian federal election, 2007}}
Leading up to the [[Australian federal election, 2007|24 November election]], the Coalition trailed Labor in the polls since the Labor party elected [[Kevin Rudd]] as party leader in late 2006. Howard and his Coalition government were defeated in the election, suffering a 23-seat swing to Labor. Howard lost his seat of Bennelong to former journalist [[Maxine McKew]] by 44,685 votes (51.4 percent) to Howard's 42,251 (48.6 percent).<ref name='ABC2007ElectionBennelong'>{{Citation
| title = Bennelong (Key Seat)
| publisher = Australian Broadcasting Corporation
| date = 25 November 2007
| url = http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2007/guide/benn.htm
| accessdate = 25 November 2007
}}; {{Citation
| title = Bennelong too close to call, says McKew
| publisher = news.com.au
|date = 25 November 2007
| url = http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22817877-29277,00.html
| accessdate = 25 November 2007
}}</ref> Howard told a former colleague that losing Bennelong was a "[[silver lining]] in the thunder cloud of defeat" as it spared him the ignominy of opposition.<ref name="AUS20080405_Comments">{{ Citation
|url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23484820-5013871,00.html
|title=Dark tea-time of the soul
|author=Kate Legge
|publisher=News Ltd
|work=The Australian
|date=5 April 2008
}}</ref> He remained in office as caretaker Prime Minister until the formal swearing in of Rudd's government on 3 December.<ref>{{ Citation
|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/03/2107424.htm
|title=Rudd feeling 'chipper' about swearing in
|work=ABC Online
|date=3 December 2007
}}</ref> Howard is the second Australian Prime Minister, after [[Stanley Bruce]], to lose his seat in an election.<ref>{{ Citation
| author = Paul Bibby
| title = Finally, Howard admits McKew has it
| publisher = The Sydney Morning Herald
| date = 12 December 2007
| url = http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/12/12/1197135541910.html
| accessdate = 12 December 2007
}}</ref>
After the election loss, Costello declined to accept the role of leader of the opposition,<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/25/1195947541163.html|title=Costello won't stand|work=Sydney Morning Herald|date=25 November 2007|accessdate=25 November 2007}}</ref> and [[Brendan Nelson]] was elected as leader of the parliamentary Liberal Party.
Federal Liberal Party director Brian Loughnane said "it was the failure of [[Kim Beazley]]'s leadership that had masked voter concerns about Howard".<ref name='AUS20071224_Milne'>{{ Citation
|url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22966945-7583,00.html
|title=Roadrunner Rudd on track
|author=Glenn Milne
|work=The Australian
|publisher=News Ltd
|date=24 December 2007
}}</ref> Media analysis of The Australian Election Study, a postal survey of 1873 voters during the 2007 poll, found that although respondents respected Howard and thought he had won the 6-week election campaign, Howard was considered "at odds with public opinion on cut-through issues", his opponent had achieved the highest "likeability" rating in the survey's 20-year history, and a majority had decided their voting intention prior to the election campaign.<ref name='AUS20080524_AustElectionSurvey'>{{ Citation
| format={{dead link|date=July 2010}}
| url=http://www.smh.com.au/text/articles/2008/05/23/1211183103011.html
| title=What made battlers turn the tide
| author=Mark Davis
| work=Sydney Morning Herald
| publisher=Fairfax
| date=24 May 2008
}}</ref>
==After politics==
In January 2008, John Howard signed with a prominent speaking agency called the Washington Speakers Bureau, joining [[Tony Blair]], [[Colin Powell]], [[Madeleine Albright]], and others. He will be available for two speeches, ''Leadership in the New Century'' and ''The Global Economic Future''.<ref>{{Citation|author=Paul Maley |url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23074758-5014046,00.html |title=Howard signs up to talk the talk | The Australian |publisher=Theaustralian.news.com.au |date=2008-01-19 |accessdate=2010-04-25}}</ref>
The Australian and New Zealand cricket boards jointly nominated Howard as their candidate for president of the [[International Cricket Council]]. However, his nomination was rejected by the ICC's executive board in Singapore after members from six countries signaled their intention to block the appointment.<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/02/2834380.htm|title=Howard put up for ICC presidency|date=2 March 2010|work=ABC News|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=2 March 2010}}</ref> Howard is currently the [[chairman]] of the [[International Democrat Union]], a body of international conservative political parties.<ref>http://www.idu.org/officers.aspx| Retrieved 2010-04-11</ref>
==Honours==
[[File:Howard MOF.jpg|thumb|right|Howard (left) being awarded the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]] by President George W. Bush]]
[[Image:John Howard bust.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Bust of John Howard by political cartoonist, caricaturist and sculptor [[Peter Nicholson (cartoonist)|Peter Nicholson]] located in the [[Prime Minister's Avenue]] in the [[Ballarat Botanical Gardens]]]]
* Recognised as [[Australian Father of the Year award|Australian Father of the Year]] in 1997
* Awarded the [[Centenary Medal]] on 1 January 2001<ref>{{Citation
|title=Its an Honour: Centenary Medal
|publisher=Australian Government
|work=
|url=http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1125729&search_type=quick&showInd=true
|accessdate=2009-05-03}}</ref>
* Awarded the [[Star of the Solomon Islands]] together with [[Prime Minister of New Zealand]] [[Helen Clark]] on 15 June 2005 for their respective roles in restoring law and order in the [[Solomon Islands]]<ref name="solomon_award">{{Citation | url=http://www.beehive.govt.nz/ViewDocument.aspx?DocumentID=23419 | title=PM awarded the Star of the Solomon Islands | publisher=Beehive | date=20 June 2005 | accessdate=8 July 2006}}</ref> This award allows him to use the post-nominal letters "SSI"<ref>
[http://medals.org.uk/solomons/solomons001.htm Medals of the World - Solomon Islands: Star of the Solomon Islands]. Retrieved on 24 September 2006
</ref>
* Received the [[Woodrow Wilson Awards|Woodrow Wilson Award]] from the [[Woodrow Wilson Center]] of the U.S. [[Smithsonian Institution]] on 22 August 2005 in Sydney
* [[B'nai B'rith International]] bestowed its [[B'nai B'rith#Awards|Presidential Gold Medal]] on Howard in May 2006<ref>[http://www.ajn.com.au/news/news_print.asp?pgID=533aus_award_id=1138585&search_type=advanced&showInd=true Presidential Gold Medal]{{dead link|date=April 2010}}</ref>
* [[Irving Kristol Award]], the highest award of the [[American Enterprise Institute]], 5 March 2008<ref name=aei>[http://www.aei.org/publications/filter.all,pubID.27308/pub_detail.asp Australia's John Howard Receives 2008 Irving Kristol Award] [[American Enterprise Institute|AEI]] press release 3 January 2008</ref>
* [[Common Wealth Award of Distinguished Service]] in Government, 6 April 2008<ref>{{Citation|last=Patterson |first=Stuart |url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23498136-12377,00.html |title=Howard wins $54,000 for good PM-ing | The Australian |publisher=Theaustralian.news.com.au |date= |accessdate=2010-04-25}}</ref>
* Appointed a Companion of the [[Order of Australia]] in the 2008 [[Queen's Birthday Honours]] list "for distinguished service to the Parliament of Australia, particularly as Prime Minister and through contributions to economic and social policy reform, fostering and promoting Australia's interests internationally, and the development of significant philanthropic links between the business sector, arts and charitable organisations."<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1138585&search_type=advanced&showInd=true |title=It's an Honour: AC |publisher=Itsanhonour.gov.au |date=2008-06-09 |accessdate=2010-04-25}}</ref>
* Received honorary doctorate from the [[Hebrew University of Jerusalem]] in December 2008 for "outstanding statesmanship and leading role on the world stage in promoting democracy and combating international terrorism" and his "remarkable understanding of, and exceptional support for, the State of Israel and his deep friendship with the Australian Jewish community"<ref name="mumbai-attacks">[http://www.ajn.com.au/news/news.asp?pgID=6688 Howard: Mumbai attacks a message to Obama]{{dead link|date=April 2010}}</ref>
* Awarded the United States [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]] on 13 January 2009 by President George W. Bush<ref>{{Citation|url=http://news.theage.com.au/national/howard-to-receive-us-presidential-award-20090106-7aoy.html |title=Howard to receive US presidential award |publisher=News.theage.com.au |date=2009-01-06 |accessdate=2010-04-25}}</ref>
*Honorary doctorate from [[Bond University]], 14 February 2009<ref>{{Citation | last=Gilmore | first=Heath | title=An honourable mention for Dr John | date=15 February 2009 | publisher=Sydney Morning Herald | url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/an-honourable-mention-for-dr-john-20090214-87n2.html}}</ref>
*His portrait, by Australian artist [[Shen Jiawei]], was hung in the Members' Hall of the [[Parliament House, Canberra|Australian Parliament House]] in 2010 as part of the Historic Memorials Collection<ref >{{cite news | title =Blast from the past as Howard makes surprise appearance | work = Tim Lester and Erik Jensen | publisher = brisbanetimes | date =July 21, 2010 | url = http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/federal-election/blast-from-the-past-as-howard-makes-surprise-appearance-20100720-10jlv.html| accessdate = July 21, 2010}}</ref>
==See also==
*[[First Howard Ministry]]
*[[Second Howard Ministry]]
*[[Third Howard Ministry]]
*[[Fourth Howard Ministry]]
==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
==Bibliography==
*{{Citation
| last = Bell
| first = Stephen
| title = Australia's Money Mandarins
| publisher = Cambridge University Press
| year = 2004
| isbn = 0521839904
| ref = CITEREFBell2004}}
*{{Citation
| last = Garran
| first = Robert
| title= True Believer: John Howard, George Bush and the American Alliance
| publisher = Allen & Unwin
| location = Sydney, Australia
| year = 2004
| isbn = 1741144183
| ref = CITEREFGarran2004}}
* [[Michelle Grattan|Grattan, Michelle]] (2000), 'John Winston Howard', in Michelle Grattan (ed.), ''Australian Prime Ministers'', New Holland, Frenchs Forest, New South Wales, Pages 436-463. ISBN 1 86436 756 3
*{{Citation
| unused_data = Paul Kelly
| last = Kelly
| first = Paul
| authorlink = Paul Kelly (journalist)
| title = The End of Certainty: Power, Politics, and Business in Australia
| publisher = Allen & Unwin
| location = Sydney, Australia
| year = 1992, 1994
| isbn = 186373757X
| ref = CITEREFKelly1994}}
*{{Citation
| last = Markus
| first = Andrew
| title = Race: John Howard and the Remaking of Australia
| publisher = Allen & Unwin
| location = Sydney, Australia
| year = 2001
| isbn = 1864488662
| ref = CITEREFMarkus2001}}
*{{Citation
| last = Van Onselen
| first = Peter
| authorlink = Peter van Onselen
| last2 = Errington
| first2 = Wayne
| title = John Winston Howard: The Biography
| publisher = Melbourne University Press
| year = 2007
| isbn = 9780522853346
| ref = CITEREFVan OnselenErrington2007}}
==Further reading==
;'''Publications'''
{{See also|List of books about John Howard}}
*{{Citation | last = Barnett | first = David | authorlink = David Barnett (Australian journalist) | coauthors = [[Pru Goward|Goward, Pru]] | year = 1997 | title = John Howard, Prime Minister | publisher = Viking | isbn = 0-670-87389-6}}
*Boucher, Geoff; Sharpe, Matthew (2008). ''[[The Times Will Suit Them|The Times Will Suit Them: Postmodern Conservatism in Australia ]]''. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 9781741756241
*{{Citation | last = Cater | first = Nick | authorlink = Nick Cater | year = 2006 | title = The Howard Factor | publisher = Melbourne University Publishing | isbn = 0-522-85284-X}}
*Errington, Wayne; Van Onselen, Peter (2007). ''John Winston Howard: The Biography''. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press. ISBN 9780522853346
* [[Peter Hartcher|Hartcher, Peter]]. ''To the Bitter End:The Dramatic Story of the Fall of John Howard and the Rise of Kevin Rudd''. Crows Nest, NSW:Allen & Unwin, 2009. ISBN 978-1-74175-623-4
*{{Citation | last = Kingston | first = Margo | authorlink = Margo Kingston | year = 2004 | month=June | title = [[Not Happy, John|Not Happy, John! defending Australia's democracy]] | publisher = Penguin | isbn = 0-14-300258-9}}
*{{Citation | last = Maddox | first = Marion | authorlink = Marion Maddox | year = 2005 | month=February | title = [[God under Howard|God Under Howard: The rise of the religious right in Australian politics]] | publisher = Allen & Unwin | location = St Leonards | isbn = 1-74114-568-6}}
*{{Citation | last = Marr | first = David | authorlink = David Marr (journalist) | coauthors = [[Marian Wilkinson|Wilkinson, Marian]] | year = 2005 | month=August | title = [[Dark Victory (book)|Dark Victory]] | publisher = Allen & Unwin | location = St Leonards | isbn = 1-74114-447-7}}
*Wesley, Michael (2007) ''[[The Howard Paradox|The Howard Paradox: Australian Diplomacy in Asia 1996-2006]]'' ABC Books. ISBN 9780733320781`
;'''Websites'''
* {{Citation | url=http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/view_document.aspx?ID=2199337&TABLE=HANSARDR | title=Howard's speech to parliament in which he puts forward his claims of threat from Iraq as reasons for Australian support of the subsequent invasion of Iraq in 2003 | publisher=Hansard of the Parliament of Australia | date=4 February 2003 | accessdate=8 July 2006}}
==External links==
{{sisterlinks|John Howard}}
* [http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/howard/ Australia's Prime Ministers: John Howard] National Archives of Australia
{{OpenAustralia}}
* [http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060518/howard_canada_060518/ John Howard addresses a joint session of parliament in Canada], the first Australian Prime Minister to do so since [[John Curtin]] in 1944.
* [http://www.smh.com.au/multimedia/2007/national/john-howard-career/index.html John Howard: A political life– a slideshow of John Howard's life]
* [http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/special_eds/20080218/howard/default.htm ABC's Four Corners– ''Howard's End'']– video
* [http://www.abc.net.au/news/howardyears/ ABC's ''The Howard Years'']– video
* [http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/meetpm.asp?pmId=25 Past PMs Website]
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{{Prime Ministers of Australia}}
{{Leaders of the Liberal Party of Australia}}
{{Commonwealth Chairpersons-in-Office}}
{{Persondata
|NAME=Howard, John Winston
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=Prime Minister of Australia
|DATE OF BIRTH=26 July 1939
|PLACE OF BIRTH=[[Sydney]], [[Australia]]
|DATE OF DEATH=Living
|PLACE OF DEATH=
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Howard, John}}
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Prime Ministers of Australia]]
[[Category:Treasurers of Australia]]
[[Category:Members of the Cabinet of Australia]]
[[Category:Australian Leaders of the Opposition]]
[[Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Bennelong]]
[[Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives]]
[[Category:Liberal Party of Australia politicians]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Chairpersons-in-Office]]
[[Category:Australian monarchists]]
[[Category:Old Cantabrians]]
[[Category:People from Sydney]]
[[Category:New South Wales federal politicians]]
[[Category:Australian Anglicans]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Centenary Medal]]
[[Category:Companions of the Order of Australia]]
[[Category:Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients]]
[[Category:University of Sydney alumni]]
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[[zh-yue:霍華德]]
[[zh:約翰·霍華德]]' |
