John Howard is the second-longest serving prime minister in Australia’s history, holding office for more than 11 years between 1996 and 2007. Howard pulled the Coalition out of a record 13 years in opposition to win the 1996 election. He would lead Australia for the next nine years, overseeing a period of strong economic growth, low unemployment, strong levels of job creation and substantial increases to the wage levels.

Howard used his influence in the wake of the 1996 Port Arthur Massacre to introduce new, wide-ranging gun control laws to Australia that have dramatically cut down on the events of mass shootings across the country. He supervised the gradual privatisation of Telstra and oversaw the introduction of the GST, which raises about $40b each year for the states and territories. During his time in office, Howard committed Australian troops to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of the US-led ‘War on Terror’. He also took a leading role in the United Nations’ peace keeping efforts in East Timor, which enabled the state to establish itself as an independent, democratic nation in 2002.

Now retired from public life, Howard spends his time working with a number of organisations. These include the Washington Speakers Bureau, a prominent speaking agency that features the likes of Tony Blair and Colin Powell, and the International Democratic Union, a body of international conservative political parties. Howard is also involved in the board of the Bradman Foundation, a non-profit organisation established in the name of Sir Donald Bradman that promotes cricket as a valuable force for good in the community.