Editing Robert Askin (section)

===Third and Fourth terms===
At the [[1971 New South Wales state election|13 February 1971 state election]], the Coalition suffered a swing of four seats, but still managed a narrow win against Labor and new leader [[Pat Hills]], taking 49 seats – a bare majority of one – in the expanded 96-seat Legislative Assembly.

Throughout his time as premier, Askin was assisted by [[Charles Cutler]] as deputy premier and leader of the Country Party. Cutler served as acting premier at times when Askin was suffering from illness, having suffered two heart attacks in 1969 and 1973. In 1972 the [[Eastern Orthodox Church of Antioch]] presented Askin with the Order of St Peter and St Paul for his services to ethnic minorities.

In 1971 Askin changed his name from "Robin" to "Robert" by a deed poll. On 1 January 1972, he was appointed a [[Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George]] (KCMG).<ref name=KCMG>{{Cite web |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1082616 |archive-date=2 April 2024 |date=1 January 1972 |title=Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (Imperial) (KCMG) entry for Sir Robert William Askin |work=[[Australian honours and awards system|Australian Honours Search Facility]] |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240402105136/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1082616 |url-status=live |access-date=22 May 2020}}</ref> Later that year, taking advantage of unease at the increasingly erratic Labor government of Gough Whitlam and the increasing economic problems seen to be caused by it, Askin called an early election for 1973. A setback arose for the government in the northern Sydney seat of [[Electoral district of Gordon (New South Wales)|Gordon]], when the Liberal member and education minister, [[Harry Jago]], forgot to lodge a formal nomination of his candidacy. This resulted in the Liberals losing the seat to the [[Democratic Labor Party (Australia, 1955)|Democratic Labor Party]] before the election took place. Nevertheless, Askin's government went to a record fourth win against the ALP (still led by [[Pat Hills]]), increasing the Liberal/Country majority by four seats and making Askin the only major party leader to win four consecutive terms for premier until Neville Wran of the ALP. At this election, Askin ran in [[Electoral district of Pittwater|Pittwater]], essentially a reconfigured version of his old seat of Collaroy, which had been abolished in a redistribution. Pittwater was as safely Liberal as Collaroy, and Askin retained it easily. In 1973 he was appointed an Officer of the Lebanese [[National Order of the Cedar]].

Askin's last term in office was marked by tension between the NSW and Victorian Governments, and by a widespread view that Askin was getting out of touch with the voters. Late in 1974, Askin announced his resignation, and his last intervention was to support his minister for lands, [[Thomas Lewis (Australian politician)|Thomas Lewis]], in his bid to be Askin's successor instead of the deputy leader and minister for education, [[Eric Willis|Sir Eric Willis]]. It was reported that Lewis had offered to upgrade Askin's knighthood from Knight Commander (KCMG) to Knight Grand Cross (GCMG) of the Order of St Michael and St George, while Willis was uncommitted on the topic. In any event, Askin retired from politics in January 1975 and was succeeded by Lewis as premier.<ref>Sydney Morning Herald, 12 May 1999, pg 8</ref> On 14 June 1975 he was elevated to Knight Grand Cross, for his service as premier.<ref name=GCMG>{{Cite web |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1073799 |date=14 June 1975 |title=Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (Imperial) (GCMG) entry for Sir Robert William Askin |archive-date=2 April 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240402105449/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1073799 |access-date=22 May 2020}}</ref>

The departure of Askin began a turbulent year for the government. Lewis was ousted in a party room coup by Willis in 1976, but Willis only lasted four months before losing the 1976 election to Labor, ending the longest unbroken run for a non-Labor government since [[World War I]].