Editing Robert Askin (section)

===Deputy Leader===
With confidence in his leadership demolished, Treatt's Liberal Party descended into factional in-fighting culminating in the resignation of Deputy Leader [[Walter Howarth]] on 22 July 1954, who publicly announced it on 4 July citing that he felt that Treatt doubted his loyalty. He was replaced by now-Party Whip Askin.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23423453 |title=Leader quits L.C.P. post |newspaper=[[The Argus (Melbourne)|The Argus]] |date=5 July 1954 |access-date=22 May 2020 |page=10 |via=Trove}}</ref> The resignation split the party and sparked a leadership challenge from [[Pat Morton]]. At the party meeting on 6 July, Treatt narrowly defeated Morton with 12 votes to 10.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article50593573 |title= Treatt by 12–10 vote |newspaper=[[The Courier-Mail]] |date=7 July 1954 |page=3 |via=Trove |access-date=12 January 2011}}</ref> With party support eroded, Treatt did not remain long as leader afterwards. On Friday 6 August 1954, Treatt announced that he would resign as leader.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18429142 |title= Treatt to Resign as Leader |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=7 August 1954 |page=1 |via=Trove |access-date=12 January 2011}}</ref> At the following party meeting, after a deadlocked vote between Askin and Morton, Askin asked his friend Murray Robson to nominate and subsequently he was elected to succeed Treatt.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18442153 |title= Liberals Elect Robson As Leader |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=18 August 1954 |page=1 |via=Trove |access-date=15 January 2011}}</ref>

Like other senior members of the party, after having no conservative government since [[Alexander Mair]] in 1941, Robson had no experience in government, had little interest in policy and alienated many party members by trying to forge a closer alliance with [[Michael Bruxner]]'s [[National Party of Australia – NSW|Country Party]].{{sfnp|Hancock|2007|page=97}} Over a year after Robson assumed the leadership, at a party meeting on 20 September 1955, senior party member [[Ken McCaw]] moved that the leadership be declared vacant, citing that Robson's leadership lacked the qualities necessary for winning the next election. The motion was carried 15 votes to 5. Morton was then elected unopposed as leader, with Askin remaining as deputy leader.{{sfnp|Hancock|2007|page=97}}

Morton then led the party to defeat at the [[1956 New South Wales state election|election]] on 3 March 1956. The Coalition gained six seats, reducing the government's majority from twenty to six.{{sfnp|Hancock|2007|page=98}} Askin retained Collaroy with 70.14%.<ref>{{Cite NSW election |year=1956 |district=Collaroy |access-date=4 May 2019}}</ref> Morton again led the opposition to the ballot at the [[1959 New South Wales state election|21 March 1959 election]], which resulted in an overall gain of three seats but the loss of two seats to Labor. After counting was finalised the Cahill Government was left with an overall majority of four seats.<ref>{{Cite NSW election |title=1959 NSW Elections |year=1959 |district=Home |access-date=4 May 2019}}</ref> Askin retained his seat with 71.09%.<ref>{{Cite NSW election |year=1959 |district=Collaroy |access-date=4 May 2019}}</ref>