Twanna M. Powell Lecture Series - 3/19/2008
John Howard
The Honorable John Winston Howard served as the 25th Prime Minister of Australia from March 1996 until November 2007. He was Australia’s second longest serving Prime Minister. Mr. Howard led the centre/right Liberal Party of Australia for 16 years and was a member of the House of Representatives for 33 years. Prior to becoming Prime Minister, Mr. Howard had extensive senior experience in both government and opposition including service as Treasurer (finance minister) in a previous government and as opposition party leader for a number of years.
A conservative on social policy, Mr. Howard pursued broad pro-market economic policies resulting in economic growth averaging 3.6% annually. Under Mr. Howard’s leadership, $96 billion of federal government debt was repaid, leaving the government with no net debt. The Howard government undertook a major reform of the Australian taxation system through the introduction of a goods and services tax accompanied by reductions in personal income tax and corporate tax rates. He also substantially reformed Australia’s labor laws through a freer and less regulated labor market.
Mr. Howard’s government was also responsible for major reforms in social policy including measures to move people from welfare payments into paid work, the involvement of faith-based and other non-government organizations in the provision of certain welfare services, and a strengthening of Australia’s universal medicare system. Shortly after Mr. Howard came to power, he responded to the massacre of 35 people by implementing national gun control laws which curtailed the possession of many firearms.
In the field of foreign policy, Australia was both a strong and close ally of the United States. Under Mr. Howard’s leadership, Australian forces joined the coalition in Iraq in March 2003, and Australian military personnel remain in the Iraqi theater and continue to serve alongside American and other coalition forces in Afghanistan. Defense spending rose significantly with increases of 47% in real terms between 1996 and 2007. Mr. Howard’s government also expanded links with the Asian nations, particularly China, which is now Australia’s largest export market.
Mr. Howard was in Washington on an official visit at the time of the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, and he addressed a joint session of Congress in 2002. He currently serves as Chairman of the International Democratic Union – an international grouping of centre/right parties including the Republican Party.
Mr. Howard graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Laws in 1961 and was admitted as a Solicitor of the New South Wales Supreme Court in July 1962. Prior to his election to Parliament, he was a partner in a Sydney firm of solicitors.
Mr. Howard and his wife Janette, a teacher by profession, have three children, Melanie, Tim and Richard. John and Janette Howard currently live in Sydney.