Fraser, John Malcolm

Fraser, John Malcolm (b. 21 May 1930). Prime Minister of Australia 1975–83 Born and raised in Melbourne, he studied at Oxford and upon his return was elected to the federal parliament in 1955 for the Liberal Party. He became Minister for the Army in Holt's government, the time of Australia's controversial involvement in the Vietnam War. Under Gorton, he was Minister for Education and Science 1968–9 and Minister for Defence 1969–71, until he resigned due to differences with Gorton. In March 1975 he became Liberal leader and his Liberal/Country coalition won the December election.

Commanding a majority in both Houses of Parliament until 1980, he was less reformist than his predecessor. He improved the relationship between the federal government and the individual states, and confronted the bellicose trade unions with an austere economic policy. Strikes decreased dramatically, and inflation was reduced to below 10 per cent in the late 1970s. He promoted the exploitation of Australia's mineral resources, so that the country benefited in full from the rise of commodity prices in 1979. He sought to improve Australia's relationship with its Asian neighbours, and in 1979 persuaded Thatcher to accept an independent, multi-racial Zimbabwe. The country plunged into another recession after 1979, caused by the second oil-price shock and compounded by the overvaluation of the Australian dollar which reduced agricultural and mineral exports further. He called an election to exploit Labor's perceived disarray, but lost after Labor rallied unanimously behind its new leader, Hawke.