▁boundaries ▁after ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁election . ▁ ▁Three ▁other ▁Howard ▁minister s ▁were ▁defeated ▁– ▁Mal ▁Br ough , ▁Gary ▁N air n ▁and ▁Jim ▁Lloyd . ▁ ▁Post - e lection ▁ ▁The ▁Labor ▁c au cus ▁met ▁on ▁Th urs day ▁ 2 9 ▁November ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁to ▁confirm ▁the ▁First ▁Rud d ▁Ministry , ▁which ▁was ▁sw orn ▁in ▁on ▁ 3 ▁December . ▁In ▁a ▁departure ▁from ▁Labor ▁tradition , ▁the ▁min istry ▁was ▁selected ▁by ▁Kevin ▁Rud d ▁as ▁the ▁prime ▁minister , ▁rather ▁than ▁by ▁C au cus . ▁ ▁Given ▁John ▁Howard ' s ▁personal ▁defeat , ▁the ▁Liberal ▁Party ▁began ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁choosing ▁a ▁new ▁leader . ▁The ▁morning ▁after ▁the ▁election , ▁Peter ▁Cost ello , ▁the ▁Deput y ▁Le ader ▁of ▁the ▁Liberal ▁Party , ▁and ▁long ▁regarded ▁as ▁Howard ' s ▁natural ▁successor , ▁stated ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁not ▁run ▁for ▁Liberal ▁leadership . ▁The ▁day ▁before ▁the ▁ball ot , ▁former ▁Health ▁Minister ▁Tony ▁Abb ott ▁with d rew ▁from ▁the ▁leadership ▁after ▁initially ▁indicating ▁he ▁would ▁stand . ▁The ▁leadership ▁ball ot ▁was ▁held ▁on ▁Th urs day ▁ 2 9 ▁November . ▁The ▁previous ▁Def ence ▁Minister ▁Br end an ▁Nelson ▁and ▁former ▁Environment al ▁Minister ▁Mal col m ▁Turn b ull ▁both ▁stood ▁for ▁the ▁leadership . ▁Form er ▁Education ▁Minister ▁Jul ie ▁Bishop ▁cont ested ▁the ▁deput y ▁leadership ▁position , ▁as ▁did ▁Andrew ▁Rob b ▁and ▁Christopher ▁Py