Sir Philip Fysh was a member of the first federal Cabinet. Athol Townley was the Minister for Defence in the Menzies Government. Townley resigned in 1964 when he was named Ambassador to the United States, but he died before taking up the appointment. Andrew Wilkie resigned from his position in an Australian intelligence agency. He believed that information was being misrepresented by the Howard Government for political purposes during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Denison has had 16 different members, the most of any federal electorate.