1969 Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill

April 2022 Liberal Party of Australialeadership spill, 1969 Liberal-Party-of-Australia-stub.svg presidential Caucus no 1968 Liberal Party of Australia leadership election 1968 Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill, 1971 1971 7 November 1969 First Ballot Seat 150x150px John Gorton 0047AB 34–40 (est.) Higgins (Vic.) 150x150px William McMahon 0047AB 20–25 (est.) Lowe (NSW) 150x150px David Fairbairn 0047AB 5–6 (est.) Farrer (NSW) Leader John Gorton John Gorton The Liberal Party of Australia held a leadership spill on 7 November 1969, following the party's poor performance at the federal election on 25 October. Prime Minister John Gorton was re-elected as the party's leader, defeating challengers William McMahon and David Fairbairn. This is the only time that a prime minister had been challenged for the party leadership directly following on from an election. Background The Liberal–Country coalition lost a combined 16 seats at the 1969 federal election, and the Labor Party (under Gough Whitlam) won the two-party-preferred vote. On 2 November, National Development Minister David Fairbairn announced his intention to challenge Gorton for the leadership of the Liberal Party.Struggle for PM's post sharpens, The Canberra Times, 3 November 1969. He was joined the following day by Treasurer William McMahon, who had been deputy leader since 1966.McMahon in race for P.M., The Canberra Times, 4 November 1969. Deputy Prime Minister John McEwen, the leader of the Country Party, announced that his party was willing to work with any of the three candidates; this lifted the veto he had applied to McMahon at the previous leadership ballot in January 1968.Summer of ’69: lessons from a Liberal spill, Crikey, 2 February 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2017. Candidates David Fairbairn, Minister for National Development, Member for Farrer John Gorton, incumbent Leader, Prime Minister of Australia, Member for Higgins William McMahon, incumbent Deputy Leader, Treasurer of Australia, Member for Lowe Election thumb|left|Gorton with William McMahon shortly after the unsuccessful leadership challenge. The election on 7 November was set for 10 a.m., but delayed by an hour as five MPs travelling from Melbourne were delayed by a faulty aircraft. With Speaker William Aston presiding, the 65 members of the Liberal partyroom took 49 minutes to elect a leader. Gorton won an absolute majority on the first ballot, but the final results were kept secret, with the ballot papers burnt immediately after being tallied.Result a secret, The Canberra Times, 8 November 1969. Alan Reid of The Daily Telegraph estimated Gorton had won 34 votes, while The Canberra Times estimated 38 votes; Gorton's supporters claimed up to 40 votes. The deputy leadership was also declared vacant, and McMahon was re-elected over Immigration Minister Billy Snedden and Postmaster-General Alan Hulme with about 35 votes, with Snedden receiving the majority of the rest. Results Liberal Party of Australia deputy leadership ballot, 1969 Liberal-Party-of-Australia-stub.svg presidential Caucus no 1966 Liberal Party of Australia leadership election 1966 1971 Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill 1971 (Mar) 150x150px William McMahon 0047AB >33 150x150px Billy Snedden 0047AB <33 150x150px Alan Hulme 0047AB <33 Deputy Leader William McMahon William McMahon The following table gives the ballot result: Leadership ballot Name Votes Percentage John Gorton 34–40 (est.) William McMahon 20–25 (est.) David Fairbairn 5–6 (est.) Deputy leadership ballot Name Final ballot Percentage William McMahon >33 Billy Snedden <33 Alan Hulme <33 Aftermath After the challenge, Fairbairn resigned from cabinet and McMahon was demoted to Minister for External Affairs. Gorton resigned in March 1971 after a vote of confidence in his leadership was tied 33-33, and McMahon won the subsequent leadership contest against Billy Snedden. References External links Interview with John Gorton the day after the leadership challenge Category:Liberal Party of Australia leadership spills Category:November 1969 in Australia Category:1969 elections in Australia Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill