1994 Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill

Liberal Party of Australia
deputy leadership ballot, 1994
← 1993 2007 →
Deputy Leader before election; Michael Wooldridge;	Elected Deputy Leader ; Peter Costello;

A leadership spill of the federal parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party of Australia was held on 23 May 1994. The incumbent, John Hewson, was defeated by Alexander Downer in a vote of Liberal Party Members of Parliament (MPs) by 43 votes to 36 votes.^[1] Downer thus became the Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of Australia.

Background

After John Hewson lost the so called unlosable 1993 election he stayed on as Leader of the Opposition despite stating he would resign if he lost. Hewson stayed on to prevent John Howard being elected leader who Hewson defeated in a 1993 leadership challenge. However Hewson was undermined over the next 14 months amidst the Liberals having a hard time trying to fundraise and make a momentum against the Keating government and after being embarrassed on Lateline about negative Liberal party polling Hewson called a leadership spill.^[2]^[3]

Candidates

Alexander Downer, Shadow Treasurer, Member for Mayo
John Hewson, incumbent Leader, Member for Wentworth

Potential candidates who declined to run

Peter Costello, Shadow Minister for Finance, Member for Higgins^[4]
John Howard, Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations, Member for Bennelong

Results

The following table gives the ballot results:

Name		Votes	Percentage
	Alexander Downer	43	54.4
	John Hewson	36	45.6

Aftermath

Michael Wooldridge was replaced as Deputy leader by Peter Costello who became Shadow Treasurer.^[5] Downer placed Hewson in his shadow ministry as Shadow Minister for Industry, Commerce, Infrastructure and Customs, however after less than three months he was sacked.

References

^ Canberra Times, 24 May 1994
^ John Hewson: John Howard's republican debate tactics threaten same-sex marriage John Hewson - Sydney Morning Herald 21 September 2017
^ So Many Firsts - Liberal Women from Enid Lyons to the Turnbull Era Margaret Fitzherbert to the Turnbull Era
^ "Out of the rough: Kennett and Kroger end feud". The Age. 21 June 2005. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
^ "Hewson will stay on the front bench". Canberra Times. 24 May 1994.

[1] Canberra Times, 24 May 1994

[2] John Hewson: John Howard's republican debate tactics threaten same-sex marriage John Hewson - Sydney Morning Herald 21 September 2017

[3] So Many Firsts - Liberal Women from Enid Lyons to the Turnbull Era Margaret Fitzherbert to the Turnbull Era

[4] "Out of the rough: Kennett and Kroger end feud". The Age. 21 June 2005. Retrieved 30 July 2012.

[5] "Hewson will stay on the front bench". Canberra Times. 24 May 1994.

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