Alexander Downer

The Honourable Alexander Downer AC
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 (1951-09-09) 9 September 1951 (age 72) Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Political party	Liberal
Spouse	Nicola Robinson ​ (m. 1978)​
Children	4
Parents	Alick Downer Mary Gosse
Education	Geelong Grammar School Radley College
Alma mater	Newcastle University, England
Occupation	Executive director (Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry) Bank economist (Bank of New South Wales)
Profession	Diplomat Politician

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.