John Michael Spender KC (2 December 1935 – 13 October 2022) was an Australian politician, diplomat and barrister.

[3] In 1978, he represented the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) in a lawsuit against the Australian Workers' Union (AWU).

[7] Spender served as treasurer and metropolitan vice-president of the Liberal Party of Australia (New South Wales Division).

In 1979, he and state president David Patten conducted an inquiry into Lyenko Urbanchich, a Liberal Party official who had been accused of collaboration with the Nazis in war-time Slovenia.

They found no clear evidence to verify the allegations but recommended he be barred from holding party office with the permission of the state executive.

After the Coalition's defeat in 1983, he was appointed to Andrew Peacock's shadow ministry with responsibility for aviation and defence support.

He lost over 18 percent of his primary vote from 1987, allowing Mack to win when Democrat and Labor preferences flowed overwhelmingly to him.