Editing William McMahon (section)

==Politics==
[[File:William McMahon 1950.jpg|thumb|upright|McMahon in 1950, as a newly elected backbencher]]

===Under Menzies===
McMahon was elected to the House of Representatives at the [[1949 Australian federal election|1949 federal election]], winning the newly created [[Division of Lowe]] for the Liberal Party. His candidacy was endorsed by [[Billy Hughes]], who had known his grandfather.<ref name=reid/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18107403|title=W. M. Hughes Tipped For Ballot|date=17 March 1949|newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180406040421/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18107403|archive-date=6 April 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> McMahon soon developed a reputation as "a deadly earnest, dogged, enormously hardworking and dedicated member".<ref name=p148>Whitington (1972), p. 148.</ref> In 1950, he successfully proposed an amendment to the [[Menzies government (1949–66)|Menzies government]]'s [[Australian Communist Party v Commonwealth#Background|Communist Party Dissolution Bill]], reversing the effect of a clause so that the [[burden of proof (law)|burden of proof]] was on the government rather than an accused person. However, the bill was subsequently struck down by the [[High Court of Australia|High Court]].<ref name=reid/> In July 1951, McMahon replaced [[Philip McBride]] as [[Minister for the Navy (Australia)|Minister for the Navy]] and [[Minister for Air (Australia)|Minister for Air]]. He subsequently approved and oversaw [[Donald Hardman]]'s proposal to reorganise the [[Royal Australian Air Force]] (RAAF) along functional command lines (rather than the previous [[RAAF area commands|area command]] system).<ref name=adb/>

After the [[1954 Australian federal election|1954 election]], McMahon was appointed [[Minister for Social Services (Australia)|Minister for Social Services]] in place of [[Athol Townley]]. In January 1956, he was instead made [[Minister for Agriculture (Australia)|Minister for Primary Industry]], an appointment that was seen as a surprise given his lack of experience in agriculture. He effectively became the junior minister to [[John McEwen]], the deputy leader of the [[National Party of Australia|Country Party]] and [[Minister for Trade (Australia)|Minister for Trade]]. It was hoped by the Country Party (and tacitly accepted by Menzies) that McMahon would simply be a proxy for McEwen on policy matters. However, he managed to preserve the influence and independence of [[Department of Primary Industry (1956–74)|his department]], and in fact made a number of cabinet submissions that were contrary to McEwen's wishes. This impressed his colleagues in the Liberal Party, but laid the foundations for the poor relations with the Country Party that would prove challenging later in his career.<ref>[http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/mcmahon/before-office.aspx Australia's PMs > William McMahon > Before office] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120626014822/http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/mcmahon/before-office.aspx |date=26 June 2012 }}, National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 5 April 2018.</ref>

McMahon was promoted to [[Minister for Labour and National Service]] after the [[1958 Australian federal election|1958 election]], in place of [[Harold Holt]]. This brought him firmly into the inner ranks of the Liberal Party, and in terms of cabinet rank placed him among the party's most senior figures in New South Wales. McMahon oversaw the creation and administration of what became the ''[[National Service Act 1964]]'', which re-introduced [[National Service Act 1964|compulsory conscription]] for 20-year-old males in anticipation of further Australian involvement in South-East Asia. On the labour side of his portfolio, he frequently came into conflict with the leadership of the [[Australian Council of Trade Unions]] (ACTU), though there was no major industrial action during his tenure. He attempted to reduce the influence of trade unions known to be controlled by the [[Communist Party of Australia|Communist Party]], particularly the [[Waterside Workers' Federation of Australia|Waterside Workers' Federation]]. In 1964, McMahon was made [[Vice-President of the Executive Council]], further confirming his status within the government.<ref name=adb/>

===Under Holt===
{{Further|Holt government}}
[[File:WilliamMcMahon1963.jpg|thumb|left|upright|McMahon in 1963]]

In 1966, McMahon was elected the Liberal Party of Australia's deputy leader under [[Harold Holt]]. During his tenure, he became the [[Treasurer of Australia]] and held executive roles with the [[International Monetary Fund]] and [[Asian Development Bank]].<ref name=adb/>

===Under Gorton===
{{Further|Gorton government}}
[[File:Gorton_and_McMahon.jpg|thumb|upright|McMahon with Prime Minister [[John Gorton]] shortly after McMahon's unsuccessful leadership challenge in 1969]]

When [[Disappearance of Harold Holt|Holt disappeared]] in December 1967, McMahon was assumed to be his probable successor. However, [[John McEwen]], interim Prime Minister and leader of the [[National Party of Australia|Country Party]], announced that he and his party would not serve in a government led by McMahon. McEwen did not state his reasons publicly, but privately he told McMahon he did not trust him. McEwen, an [[protectionism|arch-protectionist]], correctly suspected that McMahon favoured policies of [[free trade]] and [[deregulation]].

McMahon therefore withdrew, and [[Australian Senate|Senator]] [[John Gorton]] won the [[1968 Liberal Party of Australia leadership election|subsequent party room ballot]] for party leader and therefore Prime Minister. McMahon remained Treasurer and waited for his chance at a comeback. The Coalition was nearly defeated at the [[1969 Australian federal election|1969 federal election]]. After the election, McMahon [[Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill, 1969|unsuccessfully challenged for the leadership]], but was nonetheless re-elected as deputy leader. He was subsequently demoted from Treasurer to [[Minister for Foreign Affairs (Australia)|Minister for External Affairs]]. [[John McEwen]] had announced in the lead-up to the spill that he would lift his party's veto on McMahon as prime minister.

In March 1971, the Defence Minister, [[Malcolm Fraser]], resigned from Cabinet and denounced Gorton, who then announced a [[leadership spill]]. The ensuing party room vote was tied, and under the party rules of the time this meant the motion was lost and Gorton could have theoretically remained as leader and Prime Minister. Nevertheless, Gorton declared that a tie vote meant he no longer had the confidence of the party, and voluntarily resigned the leadership. McMahon [[1971 Liberal Party of Australia leadership election|was then elected leader]] (and thus prime minister), and Gorton was elected deputy leader.