RALPH HUNT, FEDERAL CABINET MINISTER. 31-3-1928 22-5-2011
ALONG with fellow ministers Doug Anthony, Ian Sinclair and Peter Nixon, Ralph Hunt formed one of the four pillars of the National Party's membership of the Fraser conservative government from 1975 to 1983. He held the portfolios of health, where he introduced and then cut back Labor's Medibank, and transport, where he built roads across the country.
Hunt, who has died in Sydney aged 83, was also one of the federal Nationals who tried to resist the disastrous Joh for Canberra campaign, when the Queensland National premier tried to lead a rebellion that split the conservatives and helped Hawke lead Labor win back government in the 1987 election.
Hunt entered Parliament in a June 1969 byelection for the north-western NSW seat of Gwydir and successfully re-contested it at the next nine elections.
Ralph James Dunnett Hunt was born in Narrabri, NSW, into a long-standing grazing family. His mother's family, the Dunnetts, owned the local newspaper, the North West Courier, and still does.
Hunt was sent to board at The Scots College, Sydney, for secondary schooling.
While there his interest in politics grew, and he joined the fledgling Liberal Party. This annoyed his father, Claude Hunt, who was a friend of Mick Bruxner, one of the founders of the Country Party (the forerunner of today's Nationals). A Country Party representative visited the Hunts' homestead after Hunt returned from Scots, seeking to encourage Claude to organise a local branch. Claude suggested Ralph for the job and so began a lifetime association with the party.
With his younger bother John also keen to be a farmer, the Hunts bought land west of Moree at Rowena. The property was cleared and stocked just ahead of the Korean War wool boom, giving Hunt a good financial start and allowing him time to devote to politics. To this property in 1953 he took his new bride, Sydney nurse Miriam (Mim) McMahon.
As chairman of the Country Party Wool Committee (1967-69), he was leader in the push for a floor price for Australian wool auctions to combat the collusive buying of international traders. This collusion had seen wool prices fall form 47? per kilo in 1968/69 to 32? cents in 1970, thereby denying proper returns to the woolgrowers and economy of Australia.
Hunt enjoyed a good yarn, and was a keen teller of them as well, including against himself. Among these was a story about him as the newest MP in Canberra. He was internally fuming at the scurrilous claims made in a drawn-out matter of public importance debate against his friend and mentor, Country Party leader and deputy prime minister Sir John McEwen, by Labor opponents, particularly firebrand Fred Daley.
After the debate, Hunt went to the deputy prime minster's suite of offices to offer support, where he found McEwen and Daley laughing about the debate over a pre-dinner scotch. Hunt quickly learned that good friendships were also made across the chamber and Daley became a lifelong friend
Hunt rose quickly, becoming minister for the interior in the Gorton government in 1971, but in December 1972 Whitlam-led Labor returned to power.
When Labor fell in November 1975, prime minster Malcolm Fraser called Hunt to his office as portfolios were being handed out and said: "I've got a good one for you, Hunt health and Medibank."
"But, Malcolm, I've never made a speech in Parliament about either," he protested.
"Good, then they can never quote anything back at you."
Hunt had certainly spoken out elsewhere against Medibank (now Medicare), but in the end was in the ministerial chair when the original Medibank began, but later gladly supported winding it back under "Medibank Mark 2".
As health minister, he indulged long-held concerns including a rebate to country families equal to a return rail ticket between home and medical specialists to treat sick children.
He also oversaw the registration of chiropractors and their inclusion under Medibank, and the removal from supermarket shelves of compound analgesics to cut abuse.
He also addressed a loophole in Medibank that saw benefits paid to any overseas doctor registered within a country with which Australia had an agreement. In the Cook islands, cancer quack Milan Brych had set up, offering desperate cancer patients false hope of a cancer cure. Hunt introduced the "Brych provision", allowing overseas doctors to be proscribed so they were ineligible to claim, and Brych was the first entry.
When Queensland Nationals premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen challenged this by offering to help Brych set up in Queensland, there was a major battle between the two men on the political and media front. Hunt won and Brych fled to California to set up operations until he was jailed for unlicensed medical practise.
Hunt had another major victory over Bjelke-Petersen when the Queensland government threw eye surgeon Fred Hollows out of Queensland. Bjelke-Petersen claimed Aboriginal teams rounding up tribal Aborigines to be treated in one place, were also enrolling them on electoral rolls and encouraging them to vote Labor.
Hunt and Hollows got on very well. So Hunt's first move was to invite Hollows to Bourke in New South Wales to care for the local Aborigines in his Gwydir electorate, which stretched from Moree, Inverell and Dubbo to Bourke and Cobar. Hollows loved Bourke so much from various stints working there, that it was where he chose to be buried.
In late 1979, Hunt was appointed minister for transport and oversaw massive highway development under a scheme funded by a three-cent-per-litre levy on vehicle fuels.
When the Hawke Labor government won, Hunt decided to ease out of politics, going to the backbench. However, the retirement soon after of Doug Anthony saw Hunt elected deputy parliamentary leader and remain on the front bench until he retired in 1989.
Hunt was a loyal deputy to Ian Sinclair from 1984-87, especially in the trying days of the 1987 Joh for Canberra campaign that caused a split with the Liberals.
As a result of the Joh campaign, the Nationals set up its first ever review of the party's federal constitution, structures and relations with state parties, which was published as the Nixon report. Hunt agreed to serve with chairman Peter Nixon as the representative of the NSW Party and the federal members. That report stands to this day, reforming federal-state party relations and healing the wounds of the Joh disaster.
In the late 1980s, Hunt was shadow primary industries minister and argued for a bipartisan delegation to visit the US to argue for reform of its farm support programmes. Minister John Kerin eventually agreed and Hunt was a key delegation member
After his 1989 retirement, he continued to serve the Nationals, including as a state and federal trustee.
He is survived by his wife, Mim, two daughters, a son and grandchildren.
The author is Ralph Hunt's former media adviser.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
Who was Ralph Hunt and why is he notable to everyday investors?
Ralph Hunt was a long-serving National Party federal MP (entered in a 1969 by-election for Gwydir) who served in the Fraser government (1975–83) and retired in 1989. He held senior portfolios including health and transport and pushed policy changes—such as reforms to Medibank (now Medicare), a fuel levy to fund highways, and wool industry interventions—that shaped public spending, infrastructure and primary-producer policy, all of which can affect economic sectors investors watch.
What role did Ralph Hunt play in the development and reform of Medibank (now Medicare)?
As federal health minister under Malcolm Fraser, Hunt was in the ministerial chair when the original Medibank began and later supported winding it back under a 'Medibank Mark 2'. He introduced measures including rebates for country families to travel for specialist care, registration and inclusion of chiropractors under Medibank, removal of certain compound analgesics from supermarket shelves to reduce abuse, and a provision to proscribe overseas doctors linked to fraudulent practices (the 'Brych provision').
What was the 'Brych provision' introduced by Hunt and what was its impact?
The 'Brych provision' closed a loophole that allowed Medibank benefits to be paid to any overseas doctor registered in a country with an agreement with Australia. It allowed authorities to proscribe overseas practitioners offering fraudulent treatments; Milan Brych, who promoted false cancer cures from the Cook Islands, was the first entry. The provision prevented benefit claims for such practitioners and contributed to Brych eventually leaving for California and later being jailed for unlicensed medical practice.
How did Ralph Hunt influence Australia’s transport and infrastructure funding?
Appointed minister for transport in late 1979, Hunt oversaw major highway development funded by a three-cent-per-litre levy on vehicle fuels. That levy was used to finance large-scale road projects across the country, demonstrating a policy approach of hypothecated user charges to fund infrastructure.
What actions did Hunt take to support Australian woolgrowers and why does it matter?
As chairman of the Country Party Wool Committee (1967–69), Hunt led the push for a floor price for Australian wool auctions to counter collusive international buying that had pushed wool prices down (from about 47¢ per kilo in 1968/69 to about 32¢ in 1970). The campaign aimed to protect woolgrowers’ returns and support a key agricultural sector of the economy.
What was the 'Joh for Canberra' campaign and how did Hunt respond to it?
The 'Joh for Canberra' campaign was an effort by Queensland Premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen to launch a federal challenge that split conservative parties in the late 1980s. Hunt was among federal Nationals who tried to resist the campaign; the split helped Labor under Bob Hawke win government in the 1987 election. Hunt later served on an internal review (the Nixon report) to repair party relations.
What is the Nixon report and what part did Ralph Hunt play in it?
Following the turmoil from the Joh campaign, the Nationals commissioned their first-ever review of the party’s federal constitution, structures and relations with state parties. Published as the Nixon report, it reformed federal–state party relations. Hunt served as the NSW and federal members’ representative on the review committee alongside chairman Peter Nixon, and the report’s reforms remain influential.
When did Ralph Hunt serve in federal parliament and which key ministerial roles did he hold?
Ralph Hunt entered federal parliament in a June 1969 by-election for Gwydir and successfully re-contested the seat at the next nine elections. He rose to become minister for the interior in 1971, served as health minister (including responsibility for Medibank) under Malcolm Fraser, was appointed minister for transport in late 1979, and later served as deputy parliamentary leader of the Nationals before retiring from federal politics in 1989.
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