Phillip Lynch

Sir Phillip Reginald Lynch KCMG (27 July 1933 – 19 June 1984) was a Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia.

Early life

Lynch was educated at Xavier College and the University of Melbourne where he graduated with an arts degree and a diploma in education. He worked as a secondary teacher.^[1]

Political life

Lynch held the House of Representatives seat of Flinders from 1966 to 1982. Between 1968 and 1972, he served variously as Minister for the Army, Minister for Immigration, and Minister for Labour and National Service, under Prime Ministers John Gorton and William McMahon. In opposition from 1972 to 1975, he was Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party. He was also the Deputy Leader of the Opposition as then Liberal leader Billy Snedden had refused to give the title to the Country Party leader Doug Anthony. After his party won back government in 1975, Lynch continued as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party until his retirement in 1982.

Malcolm Fraser appointed Lynch Treasurer in 1975. When the Treasury portfolio was split into Treasury and Finance in December 1976, Lynch held both portfolios. He is noted for using the expression "rubbery" to describe some of the estimates in his 1977 Budget Speech, leading to the use of the expression "rubbery figures" in Australian political debate.^[2] He was forced to resign from the ministry on 19 November 1977 when it became known that he was using a family trust to minimise his tax obligations, which was perceived as a conflict of interest. He was replaced as Treasurer by John Howard and as Minister for Finance by Eric Robinson. An official inquiry found that he had done nothing illegal or improper, and he returned to the ministry in December, as Minister for Industry and Commerce.^[3]

After the 1980 election, Fraser formed the Committee of Review of Government Functions, popularly known as the "Razor Gang", which Lynch chaired.^[4]

Honours and family life

Lynch was named a Knight of the Order of St. Michael and St. George in the New Year's Day Honours of 1981.^[5] He was also made a Privy Councillor in 1977, allowing him to use the pre-nominal letters The Right Honourable. He resigned his parliamentary seat on the grounds of ill-health in 1982, and died of stomach cancer in 1984. Sir Phillip's wife, Leah O'Toole, had been a boarder at St Ann's Ladies College, Warrnambool, after which she worked as an occupational therapist.^[6] Sir Phillip and Lady Leah Lynch had three sons. Lady Lynch, known for her charity work, died in 2007.^[7][8][9]

I do not think that those of us who are paying tribute to Sir Phillip Lynch would mark him out as a man of extraordinary intellectual brilliance. He was not. But he was a man who developed the capacities he had within him by sheer unremitting work. He never gave up. He had that quality that the Germans call Sitzfleisch. He could outsit anybody else. He was very valuable in committee work. When people were fainting in coils, Sir Phillip Lynch was writing the minutes.

— Barry Jones^[10]

References

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/christopher-pearson-catholics-flock-to-cabinet/story-e6frg6zo-1111112933527