Hundreds of Liberal Party faithful have celebrated the 20th anniversary of John Howard's victory at a dinner in Canberra on Wednesday.
On March 2, 1996, Mr Howard and his Liberal-National team unseated the Hawke-Keating Labor government after 13 years in power.
The 45-seat majority was the second largest in Australian political history, after that attained by Malcolm Fraser.
In his election night victory speech, Mr Howard promised to focus on "the things that bind us together".
The Liberal leader went on to win elections in 1998, 2001 and 2004 before losing government and his own seat of Bennelong in 2007.
"These are different times and different challenges and we are different prime ministers obviously," said Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
"But nonetheless you brought to the leadership of this country a discipline and a respect for the cabinet system, which is a system that has been built up over hundreds of years of wisdom.
"You respected that. And the template in my considered view for capable, confident, considered decision making is one of the golden threads of the Howard legacy."
The 76-year-old politician will mark 60 years as a member of the Liberal Party next year.
