John Howard with a Liberal – National Party coalition served as Prime Minister from 1996 until 2007 , the second-longest prime ministerial term after Menzies . One of the first programmes instigated by the Howard government was a nationwide gun control scheme following a mass shooting at Port Arthur . The government also introduced industrial relations reforms in 1996 , and later in 2006 controversially introduced the WorkChoices legislation , which made it easier for small businesses to terminate employment . After the 1996 election , Howard and treasurer Peter Costello proposed a Goods and Services Tax ( GST ) which they successfully took to the electorate in 1998 . In response to the High Court 's decision in '' Wik Peoples v Queensland '' , the Howard Government introduced legislation which , among other things , introduced a registration test for claimants , gave the government management rights over recognised native title , and imposed stricter time limits on claims
mass shooting at Port Arthur
Port Arthur massacre (Australia)
History of Australia