Political Figures of Australia: Views Mapped

On one compass

Each dot is one figure: economic views across, the mean of the civil and society axes up and down. Hover or tap a dot for the name.

5Economic left

3Near the economic centre

5Economic right

Up and down the compass: 7 on the authority side, 2 near the middle and 4 on the liberty side.

Heads of state and government

In order of office

1st Prime Minister of Australia (1901-1903)Edmund BartonFederation leader and Australia's first prime minister, who led a protectionist government, created the High Court and public service, extended the...
2nd Prime Minister of Australia (1903-1904, 1905-1908, 1909-1910)Alfred DeakinThree-time prime minister and chief architect of the 'Australian settlement' of protection, compulsory arbitration, White Australia and imperial...
12th Prime Minister of Australia (1939-1941, 1949-1966)Robert MenziesAustralia's longest-serving prime minister, who founded the Liberal Party, opposed socialism and bank nationalisation, sought to outlaw the Communist...
14th Prime Minister of Australia (1941-1945)John CurtinLabor prime minister who led Australia through the Pacific War, turned to the United States for defence, and laid the foundations of the federal...
16th Prime Minister of Australia (1945-1949)Ben ChifleyLabor prime minister and treasurer who led postwar reconstruction, expanded the welfare state, launched mass immigration and the Snowy Mountains...
21st Prime Minister of Australia (1972-1975)Gough WhitlamLabor prime minister whose 1972-1975 government introduced universal health insurance, free university tuition, Indigenous land rights and...
22nd Prime Minister of Australia (1975-1983)Malcolm FraserLiberal prime minister who came to power after the 1975 dismissal of Gough Whitlam, governed as a cautious economic conservative, and championed...
23rd Prime Minister of Australia (1983-1991)Bob HawkeUnion leader turned Labor prime minister who governed through consensus with unions and business, floated the dollar, cut tariffs and deregulated...
24th Prime Minister of Australia (1991-1996)Paul KeatingLabor treasurer and prime minister who drove the float of the dollar, tariff cuts and financial deregulation, then pursued compulsory superannuation,...
25th Prime Minister of Australia (1996-2007)John HowardAustralia's second-longest-serving prime minister, a Liberal who combined market reforms such as the GST, privatisation and workplace deregulation...
27th Prime Minister of Australia (2010-2013)Julia GillardAustralia's first woman prime minister, who led a Labor minority government that introduced a carbon price, the National Disability Insurance Scheme...
29th Prime Minister of Australia (2015-2018)Malcolm TurnbullLiberal prime minister and longtime republican who promoted an innovation agenda, tax cuts for business and free trade, backed same-sex marriage and...
30th Prime Minister of Australia (2018-2022)Scott MorrisonLiberal prime minister who first rose as the minister in charge of Operation Sovereign Borders, won the 2019 'miracle' election, led Australia...

Quick quiz

Which Australian Prime Minister Are You?

Answer 12 statements and see whose recorded views sit closest to yours. Free, about two minutes.

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FAQ

Australia: questions

Which political figures from Australia are on PoliticalTests?

13 figures from Australia, born between 1849 and 1968, including 13 heads of state or government. Each has a profile with sources. Leaders still active in politics are not included.

Where do figures from Australia sit on the political compass?

On the economic axis, 5 sit on the left, 3 near the centre and 5 on the right. Up and down the compass, 7 are on the authority side, 2 near the middle and 4 on the liberty side.

How are these positions worked out?

Each person is placed on the 12 axes of the 12 Axes Political Test from their own speeches, writings, votes and record in office, with sources on every profile page. The compass shows two of those measures: economic views across, and the mean of the civil and society axes up and down. The placements describe stated positions, not character or success in office.

Where can I compare all Australian prime ministers?

The page Political Views of Australian Prime Ministers puts every one of them on one compass and lists them in order of office.

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