"We want to assert the very principle that truth is absolute, truth is supreme, truth is never disposable in national political life. "

A Most Conservative Liberal Leader!

John Winston Howard was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia (1996-2007), and a leader of the Australian Liberal Party. Howard has described himself as "the most conservative leader the Liberals have ever had."

Howard spent his childhood in Sydney, Australia, where he attended public school. He earned his secondary education at publicly funded Canterbury Boys' School. During his senior year he was involved in a radio show, Give It A Go, which was hosted by Jack Davey, which is one of the first documented versions of his unscripted humour. After University of Sydney's Law School, he joined the Liberal Party in 1957 and became President of the Young Liberals.

He was elected to the House of Representatives as the Member of Parliament for the Sydney suburban seat of Bennelong in the Federal election in May 1974. He was soon appointed Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs, and in 1977 Treasurer; he became known as "the boy Treasurer." By 1982, he was Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party.

Howard's first term as Prime Minister began in 1996. He promised to improve standards of integrity among ministers and politicians by introducing a Code of Ministerial Conduct at the beginning of his term. Enforcement of the code led to the resignation of seven of his ministers (Jim Short, Geoff Prosser, John Sharp, David Jull, Brian Gibson, Bob Woods, and Peter McGauran).

Howard was elected for a second term in 1998. This term centered around dealings with external issues, including helping East Timor gain independence from Indonesia, backed by a United Nations referendum. He dispatched a peace keeping force to protect East Timor against Indonesian militias, which brought domestic praise but angered several countries. Another issue was the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which intended to give states responsibility for their own finances, and replaced taxes on specific goods with a flat rate on almost all goods.

After the 2001 election, Howard continued a tough line on national security and "border protection" issues. At the same time the government continued to work on pro-business reforms and conservative social policies. By this time, Howard had a tarnished reputation that was known as the children overboard affair. In the asylum-seeker debate the seekers had "thrown their children overboard" in order to be granted land in Australia. Many people believed that he had been aware of this during his campaign. However, because national security continued to be a pressing issue, Howard maintained an advantage over opponents.

In 2003, Howard supported the invasion of Iraq and the removal of Saddam Hussein from power by joining with the United Kingdom to send troops to support the United States.

On December 21, 2004, Howard became Australia's second-longest standing Prime Minister. On February 22, 2005, Howard announced that he would increase its military commitment to Iraq by adding 450 troops. Also in 2005, Howard ruled out same-sex civil unions under his government.

Howard served as prime minister for nearly 12 years, making him the second-longest serving prime minister in Australian history (after Sir Robert Menzies, leader of the Liberal Party of Australia for over 16 years). Howard was defeated in the 2007 election by Labor opposition led by Kevin Rudd. At the same time Howard was defeated in the local race in Bennelong by Maxine McKew of the Labor Party. This made him the second Australian Prime Minister to lose his own seat, joining Stanley Bruce in 1929.

Mr. Howard has been married to Janette since April 1971; Mrs. Howard is a teacher. They have three children: Melanie, Tim, and Richard. He divides his time between his family home, the Kirribilli House in Sydney, the Lodge in Canberra, and State capital cities. He avidly follows cricket and enjoys tennis and golf.