It is with great sadness and affection that we report on the death of John Stone, a long-time contributor to and friend of The Spectator Australia magazine.

John Stone was a major figure in Australian conservative politics, who rose to become head of Treasury and then a Nationals Senator for Queensland. As John Howard has noted, John Stone was one of the most gifted and talented of Canberra’s top public servants, unsurpassable in his economic knowledge and advice.

‘He was possessed of a superb intellect, passionate about the causes in which he believed, and relentless in his pursuit of first-class public policy,’ the former Prime Minister said.

Mr Stone regarded Mr Howard as Australia’s greatest Prime Minister.

In December 2015, appalled by the Turnbull coup and the deposing of Tony Abbott, Mr Stone began a regular column in The Spectator Australia, originally entitled ‘Del-Con Notes’ (a play on ‘delusional conservatives’) which then morphed, last his request, into ‘Dis-Con Notes’ (disillusioned conservatives), in which he lambasted the bedwetting Liberals with his dry West Australian wit and savage intellect.

Frequent targets of his razor-sharp pen included former prime ministers Malcolm Turnbull and Kevin Rudd. John Stone continued writing his column until 2023, aged 94, his last article being in praise of Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price. John’s wonderful wife Nancy, his soulmate and intellectual partner, died that same year.

As a top Treasury official, John Stone was also this magazine’s editor’s father’s boss and mentor for many years during the 60s, 70s, and 80s. A frequent memory from Rowan Dean’s Canberra childhood is the family phone in Deakin ringing off the hook at some ungodly hour: ‘Hey Dad, it’s John Stone on the phone.’

John will be sorely missed. Our warmest wishes to his family and friends.

You can read and enjoy his many articles here.

Trigger warning: Ruddbullites beware.