Reg Withers

Reginald Grieve Withers (born 26 October 1924) is a former long serving member of the Australian Senate.

Born in Bunbury, Western Australia, Withers was the son of a former Australian Labor Party member in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly. After schooling at Perth Technical College, Withers served in the military from 1942-46 before returning to Australia to study law at the University of Western Australia under the ex-servicemen’s scheme. While at university Withers opposed what he saw as the authoritarian stance of the Ben Chifley Labor government and joined the Liberal Party of Australia. Returning to Bunbury to practise law, first as a solicitor and, from 1953, a barrister, Withers was elected to Bunbury Municipal Council and began to involve himself in Liberal Party affairs, serving at various times as Liberal Party State President and Vice-President and Federal Vice-President.

Withers entered the Senate on 17 February 1966 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Senator Shane Paltridge, but lost his seat later that year before returning to the Senate in 1967.

Described as having a “jovial manner and perpetual grin”, Withers quickly gained a reputation as the Liberal numbers man and served as Senate Government Whip from 1969-71. After the defeat of the McMahon Government in 1972, Withers became Opposition Leader in the Senate, where he retained a thin majority and acted to block much of the Whitlam Government's legislation. Withers was widely known as "The Toecutter" for his alleged approach to enforcing party loyalty and his role in the Australian constitutional crisis of 1975.

After the dismissal of the Whitlam government on 11 November 1975, Withers was appointed to Malcolm Fraser's first (caretaker) ministry, becoming Vice-President of the Executive Council as well as briefly holding the portfolios of Special Minister of State, Capital Territory, Media, and Tourism and Recreation during the period leading up to the December election. After the election Withers became Minister for Administrative Services, and continued as Vice-President of the Executive Council until 7 August 1978. He left Fraser's ministry in the reshuffle after the 1980 election.

Withers was appointed a Privy Councillor in 1977, and is entitled to be known as "The Rt Hon Reginald Withers" for life. He retired from federal politics in 1987 and was subsequently elected as Lord Mayor of Perth and as a monarchist delegate to the 1998 Constitutional Convention.