▁National ▁Party ▁were ▁badly ▁defeated ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁election , ▁with ▁leader ▁Charles ▁Bl unt ▁one ▁of ▁five ▁MP s ▁to ▁lose ▁his ▁seat . ▁ ▁Bl unt ' s ▁successor ▁as ▁leader , ▁Tim ▁Fischer , ▁recovered ▁two ▁seats ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁election , ▁but ▁lost ▁an ▁additional ▁ 1 . 2 % ▁of ▁the ▁vote ▁from ▁its ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁result . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁as ▁the ▁Co al ition ▁won ▁a ▁significant ▁victory ▁over ▁the ▁Ke ating ▁Labor ▁government , ▁the ▁National ▁Party ▁recovered ▁another ▁two ▁seats , ▁and ▁Fischer ▁became ▁Deput y ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁under ▁John ▁Howard . ▁ ▁The ▁National s ▁experienced ▁difficulties ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁from ▁two ▁front s ▁– ▁first ly ▁from ▁the ▁Liberal ▁Party , ▁who ▁were ▁winning ▁seats ▁on ▁the ▁basis ▁that ▁the ▁National s ▁were ▁not ▁seen ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁sufficiently ▁separate ▁party , ▁and ▁from ▁the ▁One ▁Nation ▁Party ▁r iding ▁a ▁sw ell ▁of ▁rural ▁dis content ▁with ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁policies ▁such ▁as ▁mult icult ural ism ▁and ▁gun ▁control ▁emb rac ed ▁by ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁major ▁parties . ▁The ▁rise ▁of ▁Labor ▁in ▁formerly ▁safe ▁National - h eld ▁areas ▁in ▁rural ▁Queensland , ▁particularly ▁on ▁the ▁coast , ▁has ▁been ▁the ▁biggest ▁threat ▁to ▁the ▁Queensland ▁National s . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁Federal ▁election , ▁the ▁National ▁Party ▁recorded ▁only ▁ 5