Later that year, taking advantage over the unease of the increasingly erratic Labor government of Gough Whitlam and the increasing economic problems seen to caused by the Federal government, Askin called an early election for 1973.

Alan Saffron alleged that his father made payments of between A $ 5000 and $ 10, 000 per week to both men over many years, that Askin and Allan both visited Saffron's office on several occasions, that Allan also visited the Saffron family home, and that Abe Saffron paid for an all-expenses overseas trip for Allan and a young female ' friend '.

Though this project has been planned by the ( Askin ) NSW State ( Liberal ) government for six years, that government has informed us that they are unable to spend the money we have provided.

The Liberal leader, Robert Askin, often used the slogan " Twenty-four years of Labor misrule ".

Subsequently he became a partner in the firm of Evans & Askin, nickel-smelters, of Birmingham, and in that capacity during the years 1857-1860 he visited Chile, Bolivia and Peru.

In 1809, Henry had written to Askin, " There is only us four old friends ( James McGill, Isaac Todd, Joseph Frobisher, and himself ) alive, all the new North westards are a parcel of boys and upstarts, who were not born in our time, and supposes they know much more of the Indian trade than any before them.

Askin was born Leon Aschkenasy into a Jewish family in Vienna, the son of Malvine ( Susman ) and Samuel Aschkenazy.

After primary education at Glebe Public School, Askin was awarded a bursary to study at Sydney Technical High School, where he sat in the same class as the future aviator Charles Kingsford Smith.

Askin, along with his Minister for Local Government, Pat Morton, oversaw the rapid escalation of building development in inner-city Sydney and the central business district, which followed in the wake of his controversial 1967 abolition of Sydney City Council and a redistribution of municipal electoral boundaries that was aimed at reducing the power of the rival Australian Labor Party.

In Sydney, protesters lay down in front of the car carrying Johnson and the Premier of New South Wales, Robert Askin ( prompting Askin's notorious order to " Run over the bastards ").

Born in Sydney in 1907, Askin was educated at Sydney Technical High School.

Robin William Askin was born in Sydney, New South Wales on 4 April 1907 at the Crown Street Women's Hospital, the eldest of three sons of Ellen Laura Halliday ( née Rowe ) and William James Askin, an Adelaide-born sailor and worker for New South Wales Railways.

Askin accused the state government of allowing the transport infrastructure of the state to decline and promised to build the Newcastle freeway without a toll, to construct the Eastern Suburbs Railway and to plan for a second crossing of Sydney Harbour.

At his first Cabinet meeting, Askin restored direct air services between Sydney and Dubbo, and required Joern Utzon, the Danish architect then working on the Sydney Opera House, to provide a final price and completion date for the Opera House, which had gone past the original estimates for both.

Two weeks after the first Government meeting, the Askin Government abolished the tow-away system for Sydney and Newcastle.

In mid-1968 Askin famously became embroiled in a media controversy over the reporting of several words spoken to the United States Chamber of Commerce lunch in Sydney on 32 July 1968 ( also the day Opposition Leader Renshaw resigned, to be replaced by Pat Hills ), in which he spoke of the October 1966 state visit by United States President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Askin had joined Prime Minister Harold Holt, President Johnson and the American Ambassador, Ed Clark, in a drive through the Sydney CBD.

Since his death, there have been persistent unproven allegations that Askin, allegedly assisted by then Police Commissioner Norman Allan, oversaw the creation of a lucrative network of corruption and bribery that involved politicians, public servants and police and the nascent Sydney organised crime syndicates.

The allegations of corruption against Askin were revived in 2008 when Alan Saffron, the son of the late Sydney crime boss Abe Saffron, published a biography of his father in which he alleged that Saffron had paid bribes to major public officials including Askin, former police commissioner Norman Allan, and other leading figures whom he claimed he could not name because they were still alive.

The Liberal Party state government of Robert Askin, which came to power in 1966, was keen to break Labor's control of the City of Sydney.

In 1967 Askin abolished the City Council, installed a tribunal of administrators, and controversially redistributed the city's boundaries, leading to much of the former ward of Newtown being reallocated to the neighbouring municipalities of South Sydney and Marrickville, moving a significant portion of the Labor-voting population out of the Sydney City Council electoral area.

Armstrong was elected Lord Mayor of Sydney in 1966, but the position was abolished by the Askin government in 1967.

Sir Robert William Askin GCMG, ( 4 April 19079 September 1981 ) was an Australian politician and the 32nd Premier of New South Wales from 1965 to 1975, the first representing the Liberal Party of Australia.

He was born in 1907 as Robin William Askin, but always disliked his first name and changed it by deed poll in 1971.

After serving as a bank officer and as a Sergeant in the Second World War, Askin joined the Liberal Party and was elected to the seat of Collaroy at the 1950 election.

Askin quickly rose through party ranks, eventually becoming Deputy Leader following Walter Howarth's resignation in July 1954.

When long-serving party leader Vernon Treatt announced his resignation in August 1954, Askin put his name forward to replace him.

At the vote, he became deadlocked against Pat Morton and Askin asked his former commanding officer Murray Robson to take the leadership instead.

Askin remained as Deputy until, after leading the party to a second electoral defeat in 1959, Morton was deposed and Askin was elected to succeed him.

At the May 1965 election, Askin presented the Liberal Party as a viable alternative government.

At the end of his term, after winning another three elections, Askin was the longest-serving Premier of New South Wales ; his record has since been overtaken by Neville Wran and Bob Carr.

Askin remains the longest-serving Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party and the only Liberal Premier to retire from office.

Photograph of Private Askin on his enlistment in March 1942.

At the age of 15, after a short time in the electrical trade, in 1922 Askin joined the Government Savings Bank of New South Wales as a Clerk.

Between 1925 and 1929 Askin served part time as a Lieutenant in the 55th Battalion, Citizens Military Forces.

On 5 February 1937 Askin married Mollie Isabelle Underhill, a typist at the bank, at Gilbert Park Methodist Church, Manly.

In 1940 Askin was appointed manager of the Bank service department, which focused on public relations.

Askin enlisted as a Private in the Second Australian Imperial Force on 30 March 1942.

Landing at Balikpapan, Borneo, in July 1945, Askin was promoted to Sergeant under Lieutenant Colonel Murray Robson.

Upon demobilisation, Askin returned to work at the Rural Bank, managing its travel department.

However, his interest in politics arose again when he assisted his former commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Robson, in retaining his seat of Vaucluse at the 1947 state election for the newly-formed Liberal Party of Australia, which Askin then joined.