John Howard is an Australian lawyer, politician, and Liberal Party member who served as the country’s 25th Prime Minister. In 1996, he was elected Prime Minister and served until 2007. After Robert Menzies, he is the longest-serving Prime Minister. He began his political career by running for office in the state of New South Wales, but he was defeated by a razor-thin margin. He then ran for and was elected as the representative of the ‘Division of Bennelong,’ which is located in northern New South Wales. He remained in this position until 2007. After becoming Prime Minister of Australia, he changed the gun laws, instituted reforms in immigration and labor relations, and imposed a value-added tax on the whole country. He led the ‘International Force for East Timor’ as well as sending Australian troops to fight in the ‘War in Afghanistan’ and the ‘Iraq War.’ When his Liberal government was defeated in federal elections in 2007 and the Labor Party took control, he lost his own seat.
Childhood and Adolescence
Lyall Howard and Mona Kell gave birth to John Winston Howard on July 26, 1939 in the Earlwood neighborhood of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Stanley, Walter, and Robert were his older brothers, and he was the youngest of his parents’ four boys. He went to the NSW state-run ‘Earlwood Primary School’ and ‘Canterbury Boy’s High School.’
Following his ‘School Leaving Certificate,’ he studied law at the ‘University of Sydney,’ graduating in 1961.
Career of John Howard
John Howard worked as a solicitor in the NSW Supreme Court for twelve years after graduating from university, but he did not pursue a career as a barrister and instead went into politics. He joined the Liberal Party of New South Wales in 1957 and served as president of the party’s ‘Young Liberals’ youth group from 1962 to 1964. In 1967, he was chosen as the Labor Party’s candidate for the Drummoyne suburban seat, which was held by Reg Coady.
Despite the Liberal government’s return to power, Howard lost by a razor-thin margin to Coady in the 1968 federal election. In the 1974 elections, he was elected as a ‘Member of Parliament’ in the ‘House of Representatives’ representing Bennelong, a Sydney suburb.
In 1975, he was named “Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs.” He served in this capacity until 1977. Howard was named treasurer in December 1977, and he began promoting free-market economics, a departure from his previous pro-regulation and protectionist views. He made several reforms to the economy, including changing tax legislation, widening the tax base (which later became the GST), and abolishing the centrally fixed wage structure.
He also removed mandatory trade union membership and promoted deregulation and privatization. In 1978, when the Fraser administration began a study into financial reforms, Howard, against resistance from the Treasury benches, endorsed the Campbell report.
In 1981, he advocated a broadening of indirect taxes and a reduction in personal taxation, but the government failed to follow his proposals. He was elected to the position of Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party in April 1982. In July 1982, Howard considered resigning owing to a disagreement with Fraser over budgetary changes, but he subsequently chose to see it through with the help of his wife and senior adviser John Hewson.
In 1983, Fraser’s Liberal administration was defeated in elections. Howard ran for the Liberal Party’s leadership but was beaten by Andrew Peacock. When the Labor Party came to power in 1984, he became the opposition’s Deputy Leader. He was re-elected as the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party in September 1985, defeating John Moore.
Peacock resigned, and Carlton was defeated to become the Liberal Party’s Leader and the opposition.
The Labor Party was re-elected in 1987, and Howard was ousted as leader of the Liberal Party in 1989.
When Alexander Downer resigned from the Liberal Party on January 26, 1995, he reclaimed the leadership.
At the age of 56, Howard became Australia’s 25th Prime Minister for the first time on March 11, 1996.
He called for elections three months ahead of schedule in 1998, and was re-elected for a second term until 2001.
In 1999, he dispatched Australian peacekeepers to East Timor as part of the UN peacekeeping mission. In the year 2000, he implemented a new tax system. In the federal elections of 2001, he was re-elected for a third term as Prime Minister.
Despite opposition from his own countrymen, he dispatched 2,000 Australian troops to join the ‘Multinational Force in Iraq’ in April 2002. On December 21, 2004, Howard was re-elected to his fourth term as Prime Minister, making him Australia’s second-longest-serving Prime Minister behind Sir Robert Menzies. In the 2007 election, he was defeated for the position of Prime Minister.
Personal History and Legacy
In 1971, John Howard married Janette Parker, a Liberal Party colleague.
From his marriage, he has a daughter, Melanie, and two sons, Tim and Richard.
Estimated Net Worth
As of April 1, 2022, John L Howard’s estimated net worth is at least $21.7 million USD. Mr. Howard holds over 1,732 units of W.W. Grainger stock valued over $10,723,222 and has sold GWW shares for over $8,444,504 during the previous 18 years. In addition, he earns $2,510,610 as W.W. Grainger’s Senior Vice President and General Counsel.
Trivia
Due to a speech impairment, he was unable to pursue a legal profession and instead resorted to politics.