| Election Name: | Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill, 1969 |
| Flag Image: | Liberal-Party-of-Australia-stub.svg |
| Type: | presidential |
| Vote Type: | Caucus |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1968 Liberal Party of Australia leadership election |
| Previous Year: | 1968 |
| Next Election: | Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill, 1971 |
| Next Year: | 1971 |
| Election Date: | 7 November 1969 |
| 1Blank: | First Ballot |
| 2Blank: | Seat |
| Candidate1: | John Gorton |
| Colour1: | 0047AB |
| 1Data1: | 34–40 (est.) |
| 2Data1: | Higgins (Vic.) |
| Candidate2: | William McMahon |
| Colour2: | 0047AB |
| 1Data2: | 20–25 (est.) |
| 2Data2: | Lowe (NSW) |
| Candidate3: | David Fairbairn |
| Colour3: | 0047AB |
| 1Data3: | 5–6 (est.) |
| 2Data3: | Farrer (NSW) |
| Leader | |
| Before Election: | John Gorton |
| After Election: | John Gorton |
The Liberal Party of Australia held a leadership spill on 7 November 1969, following the party's poor performance at the federal election on 25 October. Prime Minister John Gorton was re-elected as the party's leader, defeating challengers William McMahon and David Fairbairn.
The Liberal–Country coalition lost a combined 16 seats at the 1969 federal election, and the Labor Party (under Gough Whitlam) won the two-party-preferred vote. On 2 November, National Development Minister David Fairbairn announced his intention to challenge Gorton for the leadership of the Liberal Party.[1] He was joined the following day by Treasurer William McMahon, who had been deputy leader since 1966.[2] Deputy Prime Minister John McEwen, the leader of the Country Party, announced that his party was willing to work with any of the three candidates; this lifted the veto he had applied to McMahon at the previous leadership ballot in January 1968.[3]
The election on 7 November was set for 10 a.m., but delayed by an hour as five MPs travelling from Melbourne were delayed by a faulty aircraft. With Speaker William Aston presiding, the 65 members of the Liberal partyroom took 49 minutes to elect a leader. Gorton won an absolute majority on the first ballot, but the final results were kept secret, with the ballot papers burnt immediately after being tallied.[4] Alan Reid of The Daily Telegraph estimated Gorton had won 34 votes,[3] while The Canberra Times estimated 38 votes;[4] Gorton's supporters claimed up to 40 votes.[3] The deputy leadership was also declared vacant, and McMahon was re-elected over Immigration Minister Billy Snedden and Postmaster-General Alan Hulme with about 35 votes, with Snedden receiving the majority of the rest.[4]
| Election Name: | Liberal Party of Australia deputy leadership ballot, 1969 |
| Flag Image: | Liberal-Party-of-Australia-stub.svg |
| Type: | presidential |
| Vote Type: | Caucus |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1966 Liberal Party of Australia leadership election |
| Previous Year: | 1966 |
| Next Election: | 1971 Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill |
| Next Year: | 1971 (Mar) |
| Candidate1: | William McMahon |
| Colour1: | 0047AB |
| Popular Vote1: | >33 |
| Candidate2: | Billy Snedden |
| Colour2: | 0047AB |
| Popular Vote2: | <33 |
| Candidate3: | Alan Hulme |
| Colour3: | 0047AB |
| Popular Vote3: | <33 |
| Deputy Leader | |
| Before Election: | William McMahon |
| After Election: | William McMahon |
The following table gives the ballot result:
| Name | Votes | Percentage | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Gorton | 34–40 (est.) | |||
| William McMahon | 20–25 (est.) | |||
| David Fairbairn | 5–6 (est.) | |||
| Name | Final ballot | Percentage | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William McMahon | >33 | |||
| Billy Snedden | <33 | |||
| Alan Hulme | <33 | |||
After the challenge, Fairbairn resigned from cabinet and McMahon was demoted to Minister for External Affairs. Gorton resigned in March 1971 after a vote of confidence in his leadership was tied 33-33, and McMahon won the subsequent leadership contest against Billy Snedden.[3]