Phillip Lynch

Lynch was born in Carlton, Melbourne, Victoria, the oldest child of Dorothy Louise (née Reilly) and Reginald Thomas Lynch. His father was a fitter. Lynch grew up in the suburb of Kew and attended Catholic schools, initially a Marist Brothers school in Hawthorn and then Xavier College. He went on to study at the University of Melbourne, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1955 and a diploma in education in 1964. He was active in student politics, and campaigned against the White Australia policy. After graduating, Lynch worked as a schoolteacher for about a year, mostly at Collingwood Technical School. He then joined Manpower (Australia) Pty Ltd, a management consulting firm of which he eventually became managing director. He married Leah Brigid O'Toole in 1958, with whom he would have three sons.[1]

As a university student, Lynch considered joining the Australian Labor Party, but was alienated by the party's left wing. His decision to join the Liberal Party was unusual for someone from a working-class Catholic background, and throughout his career he was one of the party's few Catholic MPs. Lynch first stood for parliament at the 1955 federal election, aged 22, running in the safe Labor seat of Scullin. He was state president of the Young Liberals from 1956 to 1958, and served on the party's state executive from 1956 to 1963. Lynch was eventually elected to the House of Representatives at the 1966 election. He won Liberal preselection for the Division of Flinders against a large field of other candidates.[1]

Lynch in 1968.

Between 1968 and 1972, Lynch 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.

Opposed to the “white Australia policy” and Australia's restrictive immigration regime, as Minister for Immigration in 1970 he toured Europe in a successful drive to recruit workers for Australia’s underpopulated workforce, meeting with the leaders of several nations and Pope Paul VI. A conciliating presence between opposing factions both within and outside his party, he was also partly responsible for exposing the Khemlani loans affair that, although Lynch was not actively involved, was to contribute to the dismissal of the Whitlam government and election of Malcolm Fraser as Prime Minister in 1975.

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]

Lynch was named a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1981 New Year Honours.[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.[1] Sir Phillip and Lady Leah Lynch had three sons. Lady Lynch, known for her charity work, died in 2007.[6][7][8]

Among the tributes recorded in Hansard on Sir Phillip Lynch's death the following observations appear -

Sir Phillip Lynch joined the Melbourne Jaycees - then the Junior Chamber of Commerce - in 1959. From that year he held leadership positions every year until he became President of the Melbourne Chapter in 1963. He was National Vice President of the Victorian Zone in 1964 and subsequently, in 1966, he served as National President of Australian Jaycees… During his lifetime Sir Phillip Lynch epitomised the charter and function of the Jaycees movement - self-development and leadership. He particularly recognised the need for young people to contribute to the field of public leadership and during his period of membership his efforts were aimed at tapping the potential of young Australians. He was, to my knowledge, the first person in Australia to campaign actively for the appointment of a public grievance investigator - an ombudsman - because of his very strong belief in the protection of the rights of the individual. – Peter Fisher

…in 1979-80 Phillip Lynch championed the export facilitation proposal for the motor industry, which led to the development of the world-scale General Motors-Holden's Ltd engine plant at Fishermans Bend. That in turn meant that engines built in Australia powered motor cars in England and on the Continent. – Dr Harry Edwards

All honourable members on this side of the House admired Phillip Lynch...There are few men who have the qualities that Phillip Lynch brought to this Parliament. He was an extraordinarily human person. He had none of the frailties and weaknesses that so many of us have. I fought Phil and opposed him on a number of occasions but I always admired him. The qualities that he had are rarely possessed by one person. He had a tolerance, a patience and a dedication but an unremitting friendliness to anyone even though that person may have argued or contested positions against him. – Andrew Peacock

He was also known for the strength of character and single-mindedness of purpose through which he sought to achieve his political ambitions. Although many members of this Parliament would have disagreed with him on a number of occasions, they would all, I believe, have respected the views that he expressed and especially the conviction with which he expressed them. – Bob Hawke

I think one of Phillip Lynch's greatest qualities was that he was always willing to listen to the Opposition. He did not believe that all wisdom came from one side of politics. He listened to debates in which he was involved; if he thought that a member had something to contribute he would invite the member to his office to discuss the matter, and he often acted upon it. In my early years in Parliament I took a considerable interest in immigration and questioned a lot of things. As a result of a number of discussions we had in his office about the matter, he set up the Borrie National Population Inquiry. – Barry Cohen

I hope that what I say will not be misunderstood. 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. Stalin said on one occasion: 'He who keeps the minutes writes the history'.

— Barry Jones[9]