Alexander Downer | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2014 | |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 23 May 1994 – 30 January 1995 | |
| Prime Minister | Paul Keating |
| Deputy | Peter Costello |
| Preceded by | John Hewson |
| Succeeded by | John Howard |
| Leader of the Liberal Party | |
| In office 23 May 1994 – 30 January 1995 | |
| Deputy | Peter Costello |
| Preceded by | John Hewson |
| Succeeded by | John Howard |
| Minister for Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 11 March 1996 – 3 December 2007 | |
| Prime Minister | John Howard |
| Preceded by | Gareth Evans |
| Succeeded by | Stephen Smith |
| Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom | |
| In office 27 June 2014 – 27 April 2018 | |
| Nominated by | Tony Abbott |
| Preceded by | Mike Rann |
| Succeeded by | George Brandis |
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Mayo | |
| In office 1 December 1984 – 14 July 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Jamie Briggs |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Alexander John Gosse Downer 9 September 1951 Adelaide, South Australia, Australia |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse |
Nicola Robinson (m. 1978) |
| Children | 4 |
| Parents | |
| Education | |
| Alma mater | Newcastle University, England |
| Occupation | |
| Profession | |
Alexander John Gosse Downer AC (born 9 September 1951) is an Australian former politician and diplomat who was leader of the Liberal Party from 1994 to 1995, Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1996 to 2007, and High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 2014 to 2018.
Downer was born in Adelaide, the son of Sir Alick Downer and the grandson of Sir John Downer. After periods working for the Bank of New South Wales and with the diplomatic service, he was appointed executive director of the Australian Chamber of Commerce in 1983. He also served as an advisor to Liberal leaders Malcolm Fraser and Andrew Peacock. Downer was elected to parliament at the 1984 federal election, winning the Division of Mayo in South Australia. He was added to the opposition frontbench in 1987.
After the Coalition lost the 1993 election, John Hewson's position as leader of the Liberal Party came into question. Downer successfully challenged him for the leadership in May 1994, thus becoming Leader of the Opposition. He initially had high approval ratings, but after a series of gaffes resigned the leadership in January 1995 and was replaced by John Howard. He was the first Liberal leader to fail to lead the party to an election, and remains the shortest-serving leader in party history.
When the Howard government came to power in 1996, Downer was made Minister for Foreign Affairs. He served until the government's defeat in 2007, making him the longest-serving foreign minister in Australian history. Downer left politics in 2008, and was subsequently named Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Cyprus. He held that post until 2014, when he was appointed High Commissioner to the United Kingdom by the Abbott government.