Alan Ferguson (SA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is with deep regret that I inform the Senate of the death, on 21 May 2011, of the Hon. Ralph James Dunnet Hunt AO, a former minister and member of the House of Representatives for the division of Gwydir, New South Wales from 1969 to 1989. I call the Leader of the Government in the Senate.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate records its deep regret at the death, on 21 May 2011, of the Honourable Ralph James Dunnet Hunt AO, former federal minister and former member for Gwydir, places on record its appreciation of his long and meritorious public service and tenders its profound sympathy to his family in their bereavement.

I did not know Ralph Hunt but I knew of him and I know he was held in high regard as a member of parliament and as a member of the community. He was born on 31 March 1928 in Narrabri, New South Wales and educated at Scots College in Sydney. In his early life he was a farmer and a grazier and a member of the pre World War II generation which produced a significant group of Country Party politicians who were influential at the federal level of politics during the period of the 1960s to the late 1980s.

It is not surprising that he became an active member of the Country Party. His father, Claude Hunt, was one of the key figures in establishing the Country Party in northern New South Wales. Between 1956 and 1968, Ralph Hunt was a councillor on the Boomi Shire Council. From 1968 to 1969, he served firstly as a state president and then as Federal President of the Country Party, playing a significant role in setting up the Young Australian Country Party across Australia.

Ralph Hunt was elected to parliament in 1969 at a by-election for the seat of Gwydir. He held the seat until he resigned in 1989, an impressive period of some 20 years and nine federal elections. For almost half of those years he served as a minister in successive coalition governments: as Minister for the Interior from 1971 to 1972, under Billy McMahon, and as Minister for Health from 1975 to 1979 and Minister for Transport from December 1979 to March 1983 in the Fraser governments. Importantly he was elected deputy leader of the parliamentary party, with Doug Anthony as leader. In opposition, he was appointed spokesperson for the environment and conservation during the Whitlam years and for trade and rural affairs and health during the Hawke government period. Such detail, I think, illustrates his focus on country issues. He was a champion for rural and regional communities and he was respected across party lines for his loyalty, dedication and integrity.

What made him different from a number of prominent Country Party politicians was his belief in the strength of the coalition of the Liberal Party and the Country Party at the federal level, rather than going alone. His belief was tested on a number of occasions during his parliamentary time, and I think it was his experience in the organisational wing of his party which enhanced his capacity to influence the parliamentary wing. It is best left to others to detail his influence and interventions, and maybe Senator Joyce will have some insight to share with the Senate later.

It is clear that he was a capable and respected minister who was rock solid as a ministerial colleague and whose 'counsel was always wise and well-considered', as des­cribed by Doug Anthony. After he retired in 1989, he continued to serve his party as its federal treasurer. His service to the nation and to country Australia was rightly acknowledged with his appointment as an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1990. We mark his passing on 21 May this year with respect, and we offer our sympathies to his wife, Miriam; their three children; and members of their extended family.

Barnaby Joyce (Queensland, National Party, Leader of The Nationals in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Lately I had the pleasure of celebrating the life of the Hon. Ralph James Dunnet Hunt AO at St Stephen's Uniting Church in Macquarie Street. I think that, unfortunately, a reflection for all of us is: after we go, who turns up? The fact that I was in a congregation with the Hon. Robert Lee Hawke, John Malcolm Fraser and John Winston Howard showed that Ralph Hunt was respected across the political spectrum, and respected as a person—as ably said by Senator Evans—who was diligent in his ministry, who was reliable, who was rock solid and who did his nation proud by just doing the homework and making sure that the job was right.

Ralph Hunt was the federal member for Gwydir for 20 years, the Minister for Health for four years and the deputy leader of the federal National Party for three years. His service to his party and his country has left a timeless legacy and an example for us to follow. Ralph Hunt was a fierce defender of his local electorate's interests and a steadfast member and leader of the Nationals' parliamentary team, and he pioneered important reforms to the National Party—though I must say he was not too happy with the name of the National Party.

Notwithstanding Ralph's great contri­bution to the Nationals, his first involvement in politics came through membership of the Liberal Party while at Scots College in Sydney. His father, Claude Hunt, was absolutely terrified that he had joined the Liberal Party and eventually turned Ralph to the light. Claude Hunt, who had served in the 6th Light Horse Brigade during World War I, was a key figure in establishing the Country Party in northern New South Wales. On his father's recommendation—which he could hardly go against—Ralph established and organised a local Country Party branch around Narrabri.

Ralph served as chairman of the Gwydir Electorate Council from 1953 to 1969. He was New South Wales party chairman from 1964 to 1969 and federal chairman from 1968 to 1969. During this time, Ralph was also a councillor on the Boomi Shire Council between 1956 and 1968. All this shows what every political party needs, whether it is the Labor Party, the National Party or the Liberal Party: those who have a strong desire not only to serve in this place but to be fundamentally part of the structure and purpose of the party in its administration wing.

Ralph introduced many important reforms in the National Party. He championed his wife's, Mim's, idea to get young people more involved by helping to establish the Young Country Party in 1965. One of the first acts of the Young Country Party was to organise a debate on the Vietnam War. Jim Cairns accepted an invitation to present the antiwar case to an audience of about 500 people at the civic centre in Wagga Wagga. For the record, the early edition of the Daily Advertiser declared that Dr Jim Cairns had lost the debate. However, a later edition called the outcome even, which just goes to show the vagaries of the fourth estate and the time of day.

While the federal party treasurer, Ralph developed the party's secretariat at John McEwen House in Canberra, a marvellous asset and an adornment to the party to this day. During the 1960s Ralph was, along with many other Country Party members, on the executive of the New England New State Movement. The defeat of the new-state referendum in 1967 caused many disgruntled Country Party members to push for new-state candidates to run against Country Party members at the 1968 state election, a problem that was to recur in other forms at a later stage. Ralph cautioned against expelling these members because they were 'dinkum party people' who just happened to have a different view on how the new-state issue should be handled. The executive took Ralph's advice and took no action. The ability of the National Party to contain within it different views and approaches remains one of its core strengths to this day. Ralph was not supportive, though, of the New South Wales Country Party changing its name to the National Party in 1982. As Ralph summed it up, 'You never change the name of your dog,' showing the other side of a party that contains within it different views. Ralph reported that his parliamentary colleagues would tell him to sit down and shut up when he wanted to speak against the change.

For those who knew him in parliament, Ralph was known to be loyal and a supportive person, someone you could go to for advice. Many have quoted his efforts to nurture the younger members of parliament, but Ralph also defended the interests of the more senior among us. During the 1970s, Ralph employed Sadie Watts, a long-term Country Party staffer. In those days, under Australian Public Service rules you were meant to retire at 60, but Ralph kept Sadie on. Eventually Ralph petitioned Prime Minister Gough Whitlam to give Sadie an exemption. He did, and Ralph called this decision the best decision that Gough Whitlam ever made. Sadie continued to work for the National Party until she was 75.

In this place, Ralph was a strong advocate for the interests of his local area, including the need for appropriate water conservation. In his first speech, Ralph mentioned the importance of Copeton Dam, which was then being constructed. Copeton Dam went on to be one of the mechanisms for the creation of the irrigation and wealth around Moree and has now been responsible for the production of multiple billions, I would suggest hundreds of billions, of dollars worth of wealth by reason of that foresight. He also suggested dams for Pikes Creek and on the Namoi system. Ralph was also a strong advocate for the need to protect agricultural communities from the vagaries of international markets through strong marketing boards and effective, nationally coordinated, drought assistance.

Ralph was health minister in the Fraser-Anthony government. He created a travel rebate enabling families to visit major cities for specialist medical treatment. He also succeeded in making changes to the Medibank system and formed a bond with the late Fred Hollows, who worked with Indigenous communities throughout his electorate of Gwydir. His great commitment to public life was recognised in 1990 when he was made an officer of the Order of Australia, and in 2010 he was honoured for his 60 years of contributions to the National Party.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Ralph's wife, Miriam—better known as Mim—his three children and his grandchildren, and all mark his passing with sadness. I note also the thoughts of people such as the Hon. Tom McVeigh, who has talked about the mateship that was part and parcel of the National Party at that stage. He said: 'One passes no judgment, society changes, and the Country Party would not be the same had it not existed in the shadow of its former self. In the former self of this National Party is Ralph James Dunnet Hunt.' I commend this speech to his family and to all those who have worked with him. We really are celebrating the life of someone who has delivered so much to our nation. The funeral was one of celebration and, as much as it can be said, one of happiness for someone who had completed so much in their life and had done so much for their country. Nonetheless, we keep Ralph in our thoughts and prayers.

Ron Boswell (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

About three weeks ago at Macquarie Street Presbyterian Church we gave Ralph a great send-off. There were three ex-Prime Ministers there: Mr Hawke, Mr Fraser and Mr Howard. Doug Anthony gave the eulogy and he did an absolutely fantastic job. He knew Ralph and his family well. They had grown up together, they had worked together, they had been in the party system for many years. When I joined the National Party in federal parliament in 1983 Doug Anthony was the leader and he stayed there for approximately 12 months, then Ian Sinclair became the leader and Ralph Hunt was his deputy. Those were pretty tough years, particularly when we got to around 1988 and 1989 and we had the 'Joh for Canberra' move. That was hard on the National Party room. Loyalties were called on: either support the Premier or support the leadership. It was one of the most unpleasant stages a political party could ever have to go through. Ralph was a tower of strength and a calming influence. He was a deputy leader we were very fortunate to have.

He had a whimsical sense of humour and he used to tell great stories. One story he told was about when he went out to an old country pub and could not sleep because the guy in the next room was snoring. He got so desperate he banged the wall. There was an almighty crash and a picture fell on the ground and smashed to smithereens. The next morning, as you did in those days, he went out and talked to his neighbour over the balcony. Ralph said, 'How'd you sleep?' He said: 'I was sleeping well until some silly idiot knocked the wall, and then the person in the next room kept snoring and I couldn't sleep a wink after that.'

One time, in absolute desperation when the party room was leaking—and the party room had never leaked in its life, never in 80 years—Ralph decided there must be a bug in the room. So we decided we would call ASIO to have the room swept. And, of course, that was the headline the next day. That leaked out!

They were great days with Ralph. He was someone who absolutely epitomised what the National Party was all about. He was born a bushie, he loved the bush and he fought fearlessly and tirelessly for people in the bush. With Doug Anthony he established the Wool Commission when you could put wool in potholes in the road it was so worthless. With Doug, he put a floor price on wool and brought prosperity back to the wool industry. It got a bit overdone towards the end when, instead of making it a leveller, people went for it as a price setter and of course it fell over. But the floor price served the wool industry well for many, many years and it was Doug Anthony and Ralph Hunt that supported it and got it up. That was one of the many things he promoted on behalf of the Country Party and then the National Party.

I was very sad to see him go. He gave almost all his life to the National Party in one form or another: as party secretary, as party president, as the member for Gwydir for 20 years and then, when he left there, as treasurer of the party from the time he was 60 until he was 70 and retired from that position. His whole life was the National Party. As I said, he had this whimsical sense of humour. One night, I was listening to him speaking in the lower house on the fertiliser bill. Joan Child was in the chair—Ralph had a sort of love-hate relationship with Joan Child—and he inadvertently called her 'Madam Fertiliser'. I asked him, 'Did you mean that, Ralph, or did you just make a mistake?' He said, 'No, I was only joking with her.' That was the sense of humour that he brought to this place.

In those days, in Old Parliament House, we were a lot closer. The National Party went back every night and listened to the news together; there were always cups of coffee or tea on the table and we sat around and chatted. Because of the geography of this place, it is a quarter of a mile hike to get to the party room and a quarter of a mile back, so we do not have the closeness that we used to enjoy in Old Parliament House.

Ralph made a difference. He made a huge contribution to the National Party. He was a man of the bush and he fought for the bush all his life. He had a huge following. There were so many people at his funeral and from all walks of life, including the bush, business and politics. He will genuinely be missed by all his friends. He was one of the great friendly people of the parliament and he made friends with everyone. We wish his wife, Mim, all the best. She always stood by him and was an integral part of the Country Party and then National Party. Where Ralph went, Mim was always there. She will desperately miss Ralph and his dry, whimsical sense of humour, and we offer our condolences to her and all her family.

Question agreed to, honourable members standing in their places.