Election 2022: The Liberal Party

There's no other figure that looms larger over the Liberal Party of Australia than Sir Robert Menzies. In fact few Australians have gained such fame, or held such influence, over the nation than the former Liberal prime minister. He created the party, was Australia's longest serving prime minister and is bound to be quoted or referred to by Liberal candidates during the federal election campaign.

Sir Robert Menzies is installed as Warden of the Cinque Ports, during a ceremony at Dover, England, 20th July 1966. Source: Getty

Sir Robert Gordon Menzies was born in Jeparit in Victoria on the 20th of December 1894.

He became Australia's longest-serving prime minister, holding the position twice - from 1939 to 1941, and from 1949 to 1966 - a total of 18 years and five months.

Meanwhile it was another Liberal who became Australia's second-longest serving prime minister.

John Howard - who was Prime minister from 1996 to 2007 - brought in tough gun laws following the Port Arthur massacre, abolished the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Commission and created Australia's offshore processing system for asylum seekers.

John Howard also committed Australia to the United States-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan after the September 11 terrorist attacks.

But the stability of the Menzies and Howard eras fell apart in the years since Mr Howard lost the 2007 election to Kevin Rudd's Labor Party.

That election triggered a period in Australian political history of unstable leadership for both major parties.

It was Mr Scott Morrison who led the coalition to victory in the election campaign against the Labor party led by Bill Shorten in 2019.

Polls and pundits all backed a Labor win and there were suggestions that Prime Minister Scott Morrison couldn’t overcome the damage done to the Liberal Party’s reputation by its leadership turmoil.

But Mr Morrison and the Liberal party proved everyone wrong with the electorate failing to warm to Mr Shorten, who had led the Labor party for six years.

It was a sweet victory for Mr Morrison.

 

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