▁of ▁B enn el ong , ▁in ▁the ▁Sydney ▁area , ▁to ▁Labor ▁candidate ▁and ▁former ▁journalist ▁Max ine ▁McK ew , ▁becoming ▁the ▁second ▁sitting ▁prime ▁minister , ▁and ▁the ▁third ▁party ▁leader , ▁since ▁Federation ▁to ▁be ▁defeated ▁in ▁his ▁own ▁elect or ate . ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Stanley ▁Bruce ▁and ▁National ▁Party ▁leader ▁Charles ▁Bl unt ▁lost ▁their ▁seats ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 9 ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁respectively . ▁Howard ▁had ▁held ▁the ▁seat ▁since ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁and ▁it ▁had ▁been ▁in ▁Liberal ▁hands ▁ever ▁since ▁its ▁creation ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 9 . ▁ ▁However , ▁success ive ▁red ist ribution s , ▁along ▁with ▁dem ographic ▁change , ▁had ▁made ▁the ▁once ▁safe ▁Liberal ▁seat ▁much ▁friend lier ▁to ▁Labor ; ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁area ▁was ▁represented ▁by ▁Labor ▁at ▁the ▁state ▁level . ▁Howard ' s ▁two - party ▁majority ▁was ▁four ▁percent , ▁putting ▁it ▁right ▁on ▁the ▁edge ▁of ▁seats ▁that ▁Labor ▁would ▁likely ▁take ▁in ▁the ▁event ▁it ▁won . ▁ ▁Late ▁on ▁election ▁night , ▁when ▁conced ing ▁Labor ▁had ▁won ▁government , ▁Howard ▁also ▁acknowled ged ▁the ▁lik elihood ▁he ▁had ▁lost ▁B enn el ong ▁to ▁McK ew , ▁though ▁he ▁and ▁McK ew ▁agreed ▁the ▁margin ▁was ▁" very ▁tight ". ▁He ▁had ▁been ▁ahead ▁by ▁thin ▁marg ins ▁for ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁night , ▁never ▁leading ▁by ▁more ▁than ▁ 0 . 2 ▁percentage ▁points . ▁Howard ▁had ▁been ▁ 2