Paul Keating

Who is Paul Keating?

Paul John Keating is a former Australian politician who was the 24th Prime Minister of Australia and the Leader of the Labor Party from 1991 to 1996. Keating was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1969 as the MP for Blaxland, New South Wales. He was later appointed Treasurer of Australia in the Hawke Government, which came to power in 1983.

He was elected Deputy Leader of the Labor Party and made Deputy Prime Minister in 1990, before successfully challenging Hawke for the Labor leadership in late 1991. He subsequently became the Prime Minister, and went on to deliver a record fifth consecutive victory to Labor in 1993, defeating the Liberal–National Coalition led by John Hewson. The victory was achieved despite consistently poor opinion polling for Labor, and the effects of the early 1990s recession. After being defeated by John Howard in 1996, Keating resigned from Parliament on 23 April.