Bob Bristow (1968-) was the Liberal Prime Minister of Australia from 28 April 2022 to 6 March 2023 (preceding Keith Tyler) and from 6 October 2025 to 5 July 2027 (succeeding Tyler and preceding Sophie Ling). Bristow, a centrist, oversaw a liberal agenda that gave funding to environmentalist programs, sports, and public services. However, the Australian Labor Party took much of the credit for Bristow's bipartisan legislation and ousted him at the 2023 elections. He returned to power in 2025 with the support of a diverse center-right coalition, but his fossil fuel subsidies turned the Teal independents against his party and led to Labor's return to power.
Biography[]
Bob Bristow was born in Salisbury, South Australia in 1968. Bristow worked as an accountant before entering politics with the Liberal Party of Australia, eventually rising to be the party's leader at the time of the 2022 federal election. Bristow led his party to win second place with 27.64% of the vote and 8/30 seats in the House of Representatives, with the Australian Labor Party winning 30.11% and 9/30 seats, the National Party winning 13.7% and 4/30 seats, the Teal independents winning 10.71% and 3/30 seats, the Liberal National Party of Queensland winning 10.06% and 3/30 seats, and the Australian Greens winning 7.78% and 3/30 seats. Though his party placed in second, Bristow won 16 votes (from his party, the Nationals, the LNP, and the Teal independents) to Labor leader Keith Tyler's 13, forming a center-right coalition government.
Premiership[]
Bristow came into office with a budget of $164 million, which increased by $5 million every week. The House of Representatives voted 29-0 for a public ambulance service, 20-2 for an air pollution monitor, 23-1 to fund the national football league, 22-2 for environmental education, 20-1 for mandatory vaccinations, 15-9 for a school bus tax, 13-10 to legalize sex work, and 14-13 against fishing regulations. While Bristow's government presided over a culturally liberal agenda, this largely benefited the Labor Party, which was able to take the credit for sponsoring bipartisan social legislation. By 5 December 2022, polling indicated that Labor would win 34.4% of the vote at the next election, while the Liberals would win 27.2%, the Nationals 11.6%, the Teal independents 9.9%, the Greens 8.6%, and the LNP 8.4%.
On 20 February 2023, new elections were held. The Labor Party won 35.87% of the vote and 11/30 seats, while the Liberals fell to 26.49% and 8/30 seats, the Nationals fell to 11.38% and 3/30 seats, the Teal independents fell to 9.71% and 3/30 seats, the LNP fell to 7.99% and 2/30 seats, and the Greens fell to 8.56% and 3/30 seats. In the ensuing premiership election, Keith Tyler defeated Bristow with 15 votes to 10 (capitalizing on the absence of the LNP delegation), forming a Labor-Greens coalition government.
As opposition leader, Bristow presided over a Liberal Party that was losing support at the federal level and gaining strength at the Queensland level. By 2025, however, the Australian Labor Party had expanded the House of Representatives, making each MP's vote count more at the premiership election. Bristow, campaigning against the "slow creep of socialism" under Tyler, was able to win the broader center-right coalition just enough to pose a threat to Tyler at the premiership election. Even though Labor alone won nearly 40% of the vote, Bristow assembled the Liberals, LNP, Nationals, Teal independents, and even the One Nation party to oust Tyler and bring the Liberals back into power with Bristow at their head.
Bristow assumed office on 6 October 2025, inheriting a budget of $196 million with a weekly increase of $2 million. Labor retained a plurality of seats and was able to shoot down conservative attempts to bring back the school bus tax and repeal environmental education, but the House voted 23-19 to abolish the national lottery. Labor was also weakened by the defections of Cooper Narducci to the Independents, Julie Pingleton to the Nationals, and Debra Carwhistle to One Nation. The House went on to vote 32-18 for gender quotas, 40-6 to keep the shortened work hours, 24-22 for a four-term limit for prime ministers (failing to meet the election threshold), 25-25 against the death sentence, 38-5 for an organ donation program, 28-22 against a National-proposed universal basic income scheme, 25-22 for mandatory military service, 33-12 to keep environmental education, and 26-20 against making Australia a tax haven.
On 3 August 2026, new elections saw Labor fall to 36.33% and 20/54 seats, the Liberals rose to 19.15% and 10/54 seats, the Greens fell to 9.95% and 5/54 seats, the teals fell to 9.27% and 5/54 seats, the LNP fell to 7.96% and 4/54 seats, the Nationals rose to 8.45% and 5/54 seats, and One Nation rose to 8.89% and 5/54 seats. The election was a disaster for Labor, as Tyler had hoped to retain his previous seat count and use a protest movement to rally left-wingers back to Labor. Instead, rising discontent with immigration and feminism resulted in a groundswell of support for One Nation, while the Nationals also experienced a leap in support. Tyler stood down as Labor leader in favor of the younger Sophie Ling, who would tie with Bristow 24-24 in the ensuing leadership race, letting Bristow resume his premiership.
Bristow's next term saw Australia become beset by a financial crisis. The House voted 21-18 against bank secrecy, 23-17 against increased NATO spending, 38-5 to keep food control, 29-18 for fossil fuel subsidies, 32-17 to legalize abortion (with the Nats, LNP, Liberals, and One Nation opposing), 23-19 to keep maternity leave, 24-15 to keep the income tax, 31-17 to keep Australia a monarchy (with Labor supporting its abolition), 25-21 against the death penalty, 27-21 to abolish highway tolls, and 34-13 for a national lottery.
On 21 June 2027, new elections were held. Labor fell to 35.57% and 19/54 seats, the Liberals fell to 18.93% and 10/54 seats, the Greens rose to 11.24% and 6/54 seats, the Teal independents rose to 10.06% and 6/54 seats, One Nation rose to 9.2% and 5/54 seats, the Nationals fell to 8.14% and 4/54 seats, and the LNP fell to 6.85% and 4/54 seats. Labor was nearly able to recover from its dip in popularity caused by Ling's replacement of Tyler as Labor leader, but it still lost a seat in the House. Environmentalism experienced rising support due to the Liberals' fossil fuel subsidies, with the Greens and Teals gaining support at Labor's expense. The Liberals' fossil fuel policies drove the Teals to back Labor leader Sophie Ling in the ensuing election, giving her 29 votes to Bristow's 20.