The Honourable John Button was an Australian Labor Party senator, serving for 19 years in the Australian Federal Government. Under Prime Minister Bob Hawke he was made minister for Industry, Technology and Commerce. Along with Paul Keating, he was seen as a key driver of the economic reforms made by the Australian Labor Party during their term of office from 1983.

As the minister for Industry, Technology and Commerce, he was responsible for industrial deregulation and reform, an example being the Button car plan.

Button resigned from parliament on the 31st of March, 1993, with a reputation as one of the most effective "specialist" ministers in modern Australian politics.

Since then, he has written three full-length books, including As It Happened, a general memoir/autobiography, and Flying The Kite: Travels of an Australian Politician, describing some of the overseas trips he took as a Minister. He also wrote "Beyond Belief", a widely-discussed (at least in Australian political circles) issue of Quarterly Essay, which analysed the organizational failings of the ALP and called for the reexamination of ties between it and the union movement.