The Liberals finally regained office under John Howard in 1996 . Fischer became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade . The Liberals had won a majority in their own right in the 1996 election , leaving the Nationals in a much weaker position compared to previous Coalition governments . Nonetheless , Fischer was fairly active . He supported the government introducing tough gun control measures following the Port Arthur massacre in April 1996 , measures which were opposed by much of his party 's rural base
Port Arthur massacre
Port Arthur massacre (Australia)
Tim Fischer