 Gorton akakunda vamwe vatatu vaida kuva vatungamiri veLiberal mushure mekunyangarika kwaHarold Holtmusi wa17 December 1967. Akava museneta wokutanga uye oga kuti atore hofisi yeMutungamiriri weHurumende, asi nokukurumidza akatamisirwa kuImba yeVamiririri maererano nesungano yebumbiro remitemo. Hurumende yaGorton yakaenderera mberi nekubatanidzwa kweAustralia muHondo yeVietnam, asi yakatanga kubvisa mauto pakati pekusagutsikana kwevanhu kuri kukura. Rakaramba riri pahofisi musarudzo yemubatanidzwa ya1969, kunyange zvazvo raiva nenhamba yakaderedzwa zvikuru. Mitemo yaGorton yemumba, iyo yaisimbisa kutonga kwepakati nepakati uye hupfumi hwenyika, yaiwanzove nemakakatanwa mubato rake, uye chimiro chake chemunhu mumwe nemumwe chakatsausa vazhinji vemitezo yake yeKabineti. Akasiya basa semutungamiri weRusununguko muna 1971 mushure mekunge chivimbo chekutungamira kwake chakabatanidzwa, uye chakatsiviwa naWilliam McMahon. 