Australian Federal Election
March 13, 1993
The 1993 election win for the ALP was described by Prime Minister Paul Keating as "the sweetest victory of all". The Labor Government had now won 5 elections in a row and the party's faith in Keating following his coup against Bob Hawke on December 19, 1991 had been rewarded.
The Opposition was led by Dr. John Hewson, an economic conservative who had entered Parliament in 1987. Hewson had campaigned strongly in the 1990 election and had succeeded Peacock following the coalition loss.
Hewson had launched Fightback!, a radical prescription of tough, economically "dry" measures, including a radical overhaul of Medicare and Industrial Relations. But the contentious 15% Goods and Services Tax was the centrepiece of the campaign. Hewson had been forced by pressure group activity and public opinion to exempt food from the proposed GST, but this was not enough against the formidable campaigning skills of Paul Keating.
The election saw a substantial lift in the ALP primary vote and an increased majority for the Labor Government which now entered its eleventh year in office.
Sound Archive
- Keating's Victory Speech - this is the speech where Keating said "this is the sweetest victory of all - this is a victory for the true believers".
- Fightback! - listen to audio of a Liberal Party campaign video extolling the virtues of Fightback! Participants include John Hewson, John Howard, Peter Reith, Bronwyn Bishop and Fred Chaney.
Video Archive
Election Results
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