Australian Timeline

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1977

The Second Fraser Ministry was the fifty-second Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 22 December 1975 to 20 December 1977.

Don Chipp and Senator Tom Drake-Brockman had been in Fraser's first Ministry as they had been Shadow Ministers at the time of the Dismissal, but after a massive electoral victory he now had other people in mind. Rather than having their commissions terminated, an embarrassing position for a new Prime Minister to take so early into his term, he resigned as Prime Minister on 22 December and recommended to the Governor-General Sir John Kerr he be recommissioned with a new ministry, from which Chipp and Drake-Brockman were excluded.[2] The consequence of Chipp's exclusion from the new ministry saw him resign from the Liberal Party and form his own party the Australian Democrats.

Liberal Party of Australia–National Country Party Coalition

Cabinet

  • Rt Hon Malcolm Fraser, MP: Prime Minister
  • Rt Hon Doug Anthony, MP: Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for National Resources, Minister for Overseas Trade (NCP)
  • Rt Hon Phillip Lynch, MP: Treasurer (to 19 November 1977). Minister for Finance (7 December 1976 to 19 November 1977)
  • Rt Hon Ian Sinclair, MP: Minister for Primary Industry (NCP)
  • Senator Rt Hon Reg Withers: Minister for Administrative Services, Vice-President of the Executive Council
  • Senator Hon Ivor Greenwood, QC: Minister for Environment, Housing and Community Development (to 8 July 1976)
  • Senator Hon Bob Cotton: Minister for Industry and Commerce
  • Hon Tony Street, MP: Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations, Minister assisting the Prime Minister for Public Service Matters. Minister assisting the Prime Minister in Women's Affairs (16 August 1976 to 8 November 1976)
  • Hon Peter Nixon, MP: Minister for Transport (NCP)
  • Senator Hon John Carrick: Minister for Education, Minister assisting the Prime Minister for Federal Affairs
  • Hon Andrew Peacock, MP: Minister for Foreign Affairs
  • Hon James Killen, MP: Minister for Defence
  • Senator Hon Margaret Guilfoyle: Minister for Social Security. Minister assisting the Prime Minister for Child Care Matters (to 23 July 1976) (in Cabinet from 8 July 1976)

Outer ministry

  • Hon Robert Ellicott, QC MP: Attorney-General (to 6 September 1977)
  • Hon John Howard, MP: Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs (to 17 July 1977). Minister assisting the Prime Minister (from 24 May 1977). Minister for Special Trade Negotiations (from 17 July 1977). Treasurer (from 19 November 1977)
  • Hon Victor Garland, MP: Minister for Post and Telecommunications, Minister assisting the Treasurer (to 6 February 1976). Minister for Veterans' Affairs (from 6 September 1977)
  • Hon Ralph Hunt, MP: Minister for Health (NCP)
  • Hon Michael MacKellar, MP: Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs
  • Hon Ian Viner, MP: Minister for Aboriginal Affairs. Minister assisting the Treasurer (from 7 December 1976)
  • Hon Evan Adermann, MP: Minister for the Northern Territory, Minister assisting the Minister for National Resources (NCP)
  • Hon Eric Robinson, MP: Minister for the Capital Territory (to 16 February 1976). Minister for Post and Telecommunications, Minister assisting the Treasurer (from 6 February 1976)
  • Hon John McLeay, MP: Minister for Construction, Minister assisting the Minister for Defence
  • Hon Kevin Newman, MP: Minister for Repatriation (to 8 July 1976). Minister for Environment, Housing and Community Development (from 8 July 1976)
  • Senator Hon James Webster: Minister for Science (NCP)
  • Hon Tony Staley, MP: Minister for the Capital Territory (from 16 February 1976). Minister assisting the Prime Minister in matters concerning the Arts (from 16 August 1976)
  • Senator Hon Peter Durack, QC MP: Minister for Repatriation (8 July 1976 to 5 October 1976). Minister for Veterans' Affairs (5 October 1976 to 6 September 1977). Attorney-General (from 6 September 1977)
  • Hon Ian Macphee, MP: Minister for Productivity. Minister assisting the Prime Minister in Women's Affairs, Minister assisting the Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations (from 8 November 1976)
  • Hon Wal Fife, MP: Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs (from 17 July 1977)