Liberal Party of Australia leadership election, 2007
Encyclopedia
An election for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Australia
was held on 29 November 2007. At the same time an election for the deputy leadership of the party was held, as under Liberal Party rules, all leadership positions are declared vacant after a general election, no matter what the outcome.
The Liberal-National coalition
led by outgoing Prime Minister John Howard
was defeated at the 2007 federal election by the Australian Labor Party
led by Kevin Rudd
.
. He had led the party since 1995 and been Prime Minister
since 1996.
The deputy leader and outgoing treasurer
Peter Costello
had for a long time been publicly heralded as the natural successor to John Howard—and was publicly confirmed as such by Howard on 12 September. However, on 25 November he announced he would not be a candidate for either leader or deputy leader of the party in opposition, saying that it was time for the party to move to the next generation, and that he himself would be leaving Parliament during the current term.
s and Senators
were invited to attend, including those whose seats had yet to be decided, with the federal director deciding who would be eligible to vote based on the most up-to-date election results. Due to this, questions within the party were raised over the rules and legitimacy of the ballot. The loss of John Howard in Bennelong
meant that the election of a new leader had to be held much closer to the election than would normally occur.
Brendan Nelson
and outgoing Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Malcolm Turnbull
indicated they would run for the party leadership. Outgoing Minister for Health and Ageing
Tony Abbott
also initially indicated his intention to stand for leader, but on 28 November, one day before the leadership election, he announced that he would no longer be a candidate. Abbott said that he did not have enough support among the remaining Liberal MPs.
Prominent outgoing ministers such as Alexander Downer
and Joe Hockey
ruled themselves out of the election.
Outgoing Minister for Education, Science and Training
Julie Bishop
, Minister for Ageing Christopher Pyne
and Minister for Vocational and Further Education Andrew Robb
indicated they would run for the deputy leadership.
Turnbull and Abbott proposed that the party should drop its support for the WorkChoices
legislation following their defeat in the federal election. However Nelson said he would not support undoing WorkChoices.
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
was held on 29 November 2007. At the same time an election for the deputy leadership of the party was held, as under Liberal Party rules, all leadership positions are declared vacant after a general election, no matter what the outcome.
The Liberal-National coalition
Coalition (Australia)
The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...
led by outgoing Prime Minister John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
was defeated at the 2007 federal election by the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
led by Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
.
Background
John Howard announced his resignation on election night after the coalition's defeat in the 2007 federal election, including his failure to be reelected to Parliament in his former seat of BennelongDivision of Bennelong
The Division of Bennelong is an Australian electorate in New South Wales. The division was created in 1949 and is named for Bennelong, an Aboriginal man befriended by the first Governor of New South Wales, Arthur Phillip...
. He had led the party since 1995 and been Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
since 1996.
The deputy leader and outgoing treasurer
Treasurer of Australia
The Treasurer of Australia is the minister in the Government of Australia responsible for government expenditure and revenue raising. He is the head of the Department of the Treasury. The Treasurer plays a key role in the economic policy of the government...
Peter Costello
Peter Costello
Peter Howard Costello AC is an Australian politician and lawyer who served as the Treasurer in the Australian government from 1996 to 2007. He is the longest-serving Treasurer in Australian history. Costello was a Member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1990 to 2009, representing...
had for a long time been publicly heralded as the natural successor to John Howard—and was publicly confirmed as such by Howard on 12 September. However, on 25 November he announced he would not be a candidate for either leader or deputy leader of the party in opposition, saying that it was time for the party to move to the next generation, and that he himself would be leaving Parliament during the current term.
Election rules
Peter Costello announced on 27 November that the leadership and deputy leadership would be decided at a meeting held at midday on 29 November. All Liberal MPAustralian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
s and Senators
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
were invited to attend, including those whose seats had yet to be decided, with the federal director deciding who would be eligible to vote based on the most up-to-date election results. Due to this, questions within the party were raised over the rules and legitimacy of the ballot. The loss of John Howard in Bennelong
Division of Bennelong
The Division of Bennelong is an Australian electorate in New South Wales. The division was created in 1949 and is named for Bennelong, an Aboriginal man befriended by the first Governor of New South Wales, Arthur Phillip...
meant that the election of a new leader had to be held much closer to the election than would normally occur.
Candidates
Outgoing Defence MinisterMinister for Defence (Australia)
The Minister for Defence of Australia administers his portfolio through the Australian Defence Organisation, which comprises the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force. Stephen Smith is the current Minister.-Ministers for Defence:...
Brendan Nelson
Brendan Nelson
Dr Brendan John Nelson is a former Australian politician and former federal Opposition leader. He served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives from the 1996 federal election until 19 October 2009 as the Liberal member for Bradfield, a northern Sydney seat...
and outgoing Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Bligh Turnbull is an Australian politician. He has been a member of the Australian House of Representatives since 2004, and was Leader of the Opposition and parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party from 16 September 2008 to 1 December 2009.Turnbull has represented the Division...
indicated they would run for the party leadership. Outgoing Minister for Health and Ageing
Minister for Health and Ageing (Australia)
The Minister for Health and Ageing is a portfolio in the Government of Australia with the responsibility for national health policy. The current Minister for Health and Ageing is Nicola Roxon...
Tony Abbott
Tony Abbott
Anthony John "Tony" Abbott is the Leader of the Opposition in the Australian House of Representatives and federal leader of the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. Abbott has represented the seat of Warringah since the 1994 by-election...
also initially indicated his intention to stand for leader, but on 28 November, one day before the leadership election, he announced that he would no longer be a candidate. Abbott said that he did not have enough support among the remaining Liberal MPs.
Prominent outgoing ministers such as Alexander Downer
Alexander Downer
Alexander John Gosse Downer is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was Foreign Minister of Australia from March 1996 to December 2007, the longest-serving in Australian history...
and Joe Hockey
Joe Hockey
Joseph Benedict "Joe" Hockey , is an Australian politician and member of the Australian House of Representatives, representing the Division of North Sydney for the Liberal Party of Australia since 1996....
ruled themselves out of the election.
Outgoing Minister for Education, Science and Training
Minister for Education, Science and Training (Australia)
The Australian Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth has responsibilities which include the following areas:*Education policy and programs including schools, vocational, higher education and Indigenous education, but excluding migrant adult education*Education and training...
Julie Bishop
Julie Bishop
Julie Isabel Bishop is an Australian politician and the current Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of Australia. She holds this title as the deputy leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. She is the party's first female Deputy Leader and the third woman in Australian history to...
, Minister for Ageing Christopher Pyne
Christopher Pyne
Christopher Maurice Pyne, MP , Australian politician, has been a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives since 13 March 1993, representing the Division of Sturt, South Australia.-Early years:...
and Minister for Vocational and Further Education Andrew Robb
Andrew Robb
Andrew John Robb AO , Australian politician and former federal Director of the Liberal Party of Australia, was elected to the House of Representatives as member for the Division of Goldstein, Victoria for the Liberal Party of Australia at the 2004 federal election.Robb, one of nine children, was...
indicated they would run for the deputy leadership.
Campaign
Malcolm Turnbull was the first candidate to announce his intention to lead the party and was said to have the largest support from Liberal MPs going into the ballot.Turnbull and Abbott proposed that the party should drop its support for the WorkChoices
WorkChoices
The Workplace Relations Act 1996, as amended by the Workplace Relations Amendment Act 2005, popularly known as Work Choices, was a Legislative Act of the Australian Parliament that came into effect in March 2006 which involved many controversial amendments to the Workplace Relations Act 1996, the...
legislation following their defeat in the federal election. However Nelson said he would not support undoing WorkChoices.
Outcome
Brendan Nelson won the ballot for leader against Malcolm Turnbull, by 45 votes to 42. Julie Bishop was elected deputy leader with 44 votes, against 25 for Andrew Robb and 18 for Christopher Pyne.Leadership election
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brendan Nelson Brendan Nelson Dr Brendan John Nelson is a former Australian politician and former federal Opposition leader. He served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives from the 1996 federal election until 19 October 2009 as the Liberal member for Bradfield, a northern Sydney seat... |
45 | 51.7 | |
| Malcolm Turnbull Malcolm Turnbull Malcolm Bligh Turnbull is an Australian politician. He has been a member of the Australian House of Representatives since 2004, and was Leader of the Opposition and parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party from 16 September 2008 to 1 December 2009.Turnbull has represented the Division... |
42 | 48.4 | |
Deputy leadership election
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Julie Bishop Julie Bishop Julie Isabel Bishop is an Australian politician and the current Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of Australia. She holds this title as the deputy leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. She is the party's first female Deputy Leader and the third woman in Australian history to... |
44 | 50.6 | |
| Andrew Robb Andrew Robb Andrew John Robb AO , Australian politician and former federal Director of the Liberal Party of Australia, was elected to the House of Representatives as member for the Division of Goldstein, Victoria for the Liberal Party of Australia at the 2004 federal election.Robb, one of nine children, was... |
25 | 28.7 | |
| Christopher Pyne Christopher Pyne Christopher Maurice Pyne, MP , Australian politician, has been a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives since 13 March 1993, representing the Division of Sturt, South Australia.-Early years:... |
18 | 20.7 | |
See also
- Liberal Party of Australia leadership election, 2008Liberal Party of Australia leadership election, 2008An election for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Australia was held on 16 September 2008. The successful candidate was Malcolm Turnbull who defeated former leader Brendan Nelson...
- Liberal Party of Australia leadership election, 2009Liberal Party of Australia leadership election, 2009An election for the federal parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party of Australia was held on 1 December 2009. The incumbent, Malcolm Turnbull, was defeated by Tony Abbott in a three-way vote of Liberal Party Members of Parliament . Joe Hockey also stood as a candidate...