# Second Howard ministry

* This article is part of a series about John Howard
Early life
Member for Bennelong (1974–2007)
Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs
Minister for Special Trade Negotiations
Treasurer of Australia
Early 1980s recession
1983 Liberal Party leadership election
1985 Liberal Party leadership spill
Joh for Canberra debacle
1987 Liberal Party leadership spill
One Australia
1989 Liberal Party leadership spill
Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations
1993 Liberal Party leadership spill
1995 Liberal Party leadership spill
Prime Minister of Australia
Term of government (1996–2007)
Gun control
Workplace Relations Act 1996
1996 Parliament House riot
Wik Peoples v Queensland
Waterfront dispute
Native Title Amendment Act 1998
Work for the Dole scheme
1998 Australian Constitutional Convention
Republic referendum
Australian intervention in East Timor
GST and taxation
Tampa affair
The Pacific Solution
Australian involvement in the War in Afghanistan
Australian involvement in the Iraq War
Marriage Amendment Act 2004
WorkChoices
Northern Territory intervention
Ministries
First Ministry
Second Ministry
Third Ministry
Fourth Ministry
Elections
1987
1996
1998
2001
2004
2007
Lazarus Rising :
vte :
The second Howard ministry (Liberal–National coalition) was the 61st ministry of the Government of Australia. It was led by the country's 25th prime minister, John Howard. The second Howard ministry succeeded the first Howard ministry, which dissolved on 21 October 1998 following the federal election that took place on 3 October. The ministry was replaced by the third Howard ministry on 10 November 2001 following the 2001 federal election.

## Cabinet

| Party | Minister | Portfolio |
| Liberal | Hon John Howard (1939-) MP for Bennelong (1974-2007) | Prime Minister Leader of the Liberal Party |
| Nationals | Hon Tim Fischer (1946–2019) MP for Farrer (1984–2001) | Deputy Prime Minister (to 20 July 1999) Leader of the National Party (to 1 July 1999) Minister for Trade (to 20 July 1999) |
| Liberal | Hon Peter Costello (1957-) MP for Higgins (1990-2009) | Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party Treasurer |
| Nationals | Hon John Anderson (1956–) MP for Gwydir (1989–2007) | Deputy Prime Minister (from 20 July 1999) Leader of the National Party (from 1 July 1999) Deputy Leader of the National Party (to 1 July 1999) Minister for Transport and Regional Services |
| Liberal | Hon Robert Hill (1946–) Senator for South Australia (1981–2006) | Leader of the Government in the Senate Minister for the Environment and Heritage |
| Liberal | Hon Richard Alston (1941–) Senator for Victoria (1986–2004) | Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts |
| Liberal | Hon Peter Reith (1950–2022) MP for Flinders (1984–2001) | Minister for Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business (to 30 January 2001) Minister for Defence (from 30 January 2001) Leader of the House |
| Liberal | Hon Jocelyn Newman (1937–2018) Senator for Tasmania (1986–2002) | Minister for Family and Community Services (to 30 January 2001) Minister assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women (to 30 January 2001) |
| Liberal | Hon Alexander Downer (1951–) MP for Mayo (1984–2008) | Minister for Foreign Affairs |
| Liberal | Hon John Moore (1936–) MP for Ryan (1975–2001) | Minister for Defence (to 30 January 2001) |
| Liberal | Hon Dr Michael Wooldridge (1956–) MP for Casey (1998–2001) | Minister for Health and Aged Care |
| Liberal | Hon John Fahey (1945–2020) MP for Macarthur (1996–2001) | Minister for Finance and Administration |
| Liberal | Hon Dr David Kemp (1941–) MP for Goldstein (1990–2004) | Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs Vice-President of the Executive Council Minister assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service |
| Liberal | Hon Daryl Williams QC (1942–) MP for Tangney (1993–2004) | Attorney-General |
| Nationals | Hon Mark Vaile (1956–) MP for Lyne (1993–2008) | Deputy Leader of the National Party (from 1 July 1999) Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (to 20 July 1999) Minister for Trade (from 20 July 1999) |
| Liberal | Hon Philip Ruddock (1943–) MP for Berowra (1993–2016) | Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs Minister assisting the Prime Minister for Reconciliation (to 30 January 2001) Minister for Reconciliation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs (from 30 January 2001) |
| Liberal | Hon Nick Minchin (1953–) Senator for South Australia (1993–2011) | Minister for Industry, Science and Resources |
| Nationals | Hon Warren Truss (1948–) MP for Wide Bay (1990–2016) (in Cabinet from 20 July 1999) | Minister for Community Services (to 20 July 1999) Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (from 20 July 1999) |
| Liberal | Hon Amanda Vanstone (1952–) Senator for South Australia (1984–2007) (in Cabinet from 30 January 2001) | Minister for Justice and Customs (to 30 January 2001) Minister for Family and Community Services (from 30 January 2001) Minister assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women (from 30 January 2001) |
| Liberal | Hon Tony Abbott (1957–) MP for Warringah (1994–2019) (in Cabinet from 30 January 2001) | Minister for Employment Services (to 30 January 2001) Minister for Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business (from 30 January 2001) |

## Outer ministry

| Party | Minister | Portfolio |
| Liberal | Hon Bronwyn Bishop (1942–) MP for Mackellar (1994–2016) | Minister for Aged Care |
| Nationals | Hon Bruce Scott (1943–) MP for Maranoa (1990–2016) | Minister for Veterans' Affairs Minister assisting the Minister for Defence |
| Liberal | Hon John Herron (1932–2019) Senator for Queensland (1990–2002) | Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs (to 30 January 2001) |
| Liberal | Hon Rod Kemp (1944–) Senator for Victoria (1990–2008) | Assistant Treasurer |
| Liberal | Hon Chris Ellison (1954–) Senator for Western Australia (1993–2009) | Special Minister of State (to 30 January 2001) Minister for Justice and Customs (from 30 January 2001) |
| Liberal | Hon Joe Hockey (1965–) MP for North Sydney (1996–2015) | Minister for Financial Services and Regulation |
| Liberal | Hon Jackie Kelly (1964–) MP for Lindsay (1996–2007) | Minister for Sport and Tourism Minister assisting the Prime Minister for the Sydney 2000 Games |
| Liberal | Hon Ian Macdonald (1945–) Senator for Queensland (1990–2019) | Minister for Regional Services, Territories and Local Government |
| Nationals | Hon Peter McGauran (1955–) MP for Gippsland (1983–2008) | Minister for the Arts and the Centenary of Federation |
| Liberal | Hon Wilson Tuckey (1935–) MP for O'Connor (1980–2010) | Minister for Forestry and Conservation Minister assisting the Prime Minister |
| Nationals | Hon Larry Anthony (1961–) MP for Richmond (1996–2004) (in ministry from 20 July 1999) | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Trade (to 20 July 1999) Minister for Community Services (from 20 July 1999) |
| Liberal | Hon Eric Abetz (1958–) Senator for Tasmania (1994–) (in ministry from 30 January 2001) | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence (to 30 January 2001) Special Minister of State (from 30 January 2001) |
| Liberal | Hon Ian Macfarlane (1955–) MP for Groom (1998–2016) (in ministry from 30 January 2001) | Minister for Small Business (from 30 January 2001) |
| Liberal | Hon Mal Brough (1961–) MP for Longman (1996–2007) (in ministry from 14 February 2001) | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business (from 16 February 2000 to 30 January 2001) Minister for Employment Services (from 14 February 2001) |

## Parliamentary Secretaries

| Party | Minister | Portfolio |
| Liberal | Ian Campbell (1959–) Senator for Western Australia (1990–2007) | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts Manager of Government Business in the Senate |
| Country Liberal | Grant Tambling (1943–2025) Senator for Northern Territory (1987–2001) | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Aged Care |
| Liberal | Hon Trish Worth (1946–) MP for Adelaide (1993–2004) | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs |
| Liberal | Hon Kathy Sullivan (1942–) MP for Moncrieff (1984–2001) | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs (to 16 February 2000) |
| Liberal | Hon Judith Troeth (1940–) Senator for Victoria (1993–2011) | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry |
| Liberal | Hon Warren Entsch (1950–) MP for Leichhardt (1996–2007) | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry, Science and Resources |
| Liberal | Bill Heffernan (1943–) Senator for New South Wales (1996–2016) | Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet |
| Liberal | Hon Kay Patterson (1944–) Senator for Victoria (1987–2008) | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs (from 16 February 2000) |
| Liberal | Hon Peter Slipper (1950–) MP for Fisher (1993–2013) | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance and Administration |
| Liberal | Hon Dr Sharman Stone (1951–) MP for Murray (1996–2016) | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage |
| Nationals | Hon Ron Boswell (1940–) Senator for Queensland (1983–2014) | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport and Regional Services (from 20 July 1999) |
| Liberal | Hon Dr Brendan Nelson (1958–) MP for Bradfield (1996–2009) | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence (from 30 January 2001) |
| Liberal | Hon Chris Gallus (1943–) MP for Hindmarsh (1993–2004) | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Reconciliation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs (from 30 January 2001) |