{{Short description|Australian politician}} {{For|the Irish businessman|Philip Lynch}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}} {{Use Australian English|date=September 2016}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Right Honourable | name = Sir Phillip Lynch | honorific_suffix = KCMG | image = Phillip Lynch 1975 (1) (cropped).jpg | caption = Lynch in 1975 | order1 = Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party | term_start1 = 20 December 1972 | term_end1 = 8 April 1982 | leader1 = Billy Snedden<br />Malcolm Fraser | predecessor1 = Billy Snedden | successor1 = John Howard | order2 = Treasurer of Australia | term_start2 = 11 November 1975 | term_end2 = 19 November 1977 | prime_minister2 = Malcolm Fraser | predecessor2 = Bill Hayden | successor2 = John Howard | office3 = Minister for Industry and Commerce | term_start3 = 20 December 1977 | term_end3 = 11 October 1982 | prime_minister3 = Malcolm Fraser | predecessor3 = Bob Cotton | successor3 = Andrew Peacock | office4 = Minister for Finance | term_start4 = 7 December 1976 | term_end4 = 19 November 1977 | prime_minister4 = Malcolm Fraser | predecessor4 = ''Position Established'' | successor4 = Eric Robinson | office5 = Minister for Labour and National Service | term_start5 = 22 March 1971 | term_end5 = 5 December 1972 | prime_minister5 = William McMahon | predecessor5 = Billy Snedden | successor5 = Lance Barnard | office6 = Minister for Immigration | term_start6 = 12 November 1969 | term_end6 = 22 March 1971 | prime_minister6 = John Gorton<br />William McMahon | predecessor6 = Billy Snedden | successor6 = Jim Forbes | office7 = Minister for the Army | prime_minister7 = John Gorton | term_start7 = 28 February 1968 | term_end7 = 12 November 1969 | predecessor7 = Malcolm Fraser | successor7 = Andrew Peacock | constituency_MP8 = Flinders | parliament8 = Australian | majority8 = | predecessor8 = Robert Lindsay | successor8 = Peter Reith | term_start8 = 26 November 1966 | term_end8 = 22 October 1982 | birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1933|7|27}} | birth_place = Carlton, Victoria, Australia | death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1984|6|19|1933|7|27}} | death_place = Frankston, Victoria, Australia | spouse = {{Marriage|Leah O'Toole|1958}} | party = Liberal }} '''Sir Phillip Reginald Lynch''' KCMG (27 July 1933 – 19 June 1984) was an Australian politician who served in the House of Representatives from 1966 to 1982. He was deputy leader of the Liberal Party from 1972 to 1982, and served as a government minister under three prime ministers.
Lynch was born in Melbourne and worked as a school teacher and management consultant before entering politics. He was elected to parliament at the 1966 federal election. Lynch was appointed to cabinet at the age of 34, and served as Minister for the Army (1968–1969), Minister for Immigration (1969–1971), and Minister for Labour and National Service (1971–1972) under John Gorton and William McMahon. He was elected deputy leader of the Liberal Party in 1972, serving first under Billy Snedden and later under Malcolm Fraser. Lynch became Treasurer when the Liberals returned to power in 1975, but had to resign after evidence at a judicial inquiry in Victoria by Sir Gregory Gowans linked him to land speculation in Victoria.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1718/Chronology/Departures#_ftn12 | title=That's it—I'm leaving: Ministerial departures 1901–2017 }}</ref> He was then Minister for Industry and Commerce until his retirement due to ill health in 1982. He died of cancer a few years later, aged 50. He was buried at Frankston Cemetery in Melbourne, Victoria.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Lynch |first1=Phillip |title=Australian Dictionary of Biography |chapter=Sir Phillip Reginald Lynch (1933–1984) |chapter-url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/lynch-sir-phillip-reginald-14391 |website=Australian Dictionary of Biography |publisher=University of Melbourne |access-date=4 November 2025}}</ref>
==Early life== Lynch was born in Carlton, Melbourne, Victoria, the oldest child of Dorothy Louise ({{nee|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 had three sons.<ref name=adb>{{cite book|title=Sir Phillip Lynch|chapter=Lynch, Sir Phillip Reginald (1933–1984)|chapter-url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/lynch-sir-phillip-reginald-14391|publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University|access-date=24 May 2016|archive-date=18 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190518191709/http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/lynch-sir-phillip-reginald-14391|url-status=live}}</ref>
=== Community === Lynch joined the Junior Chamber of Commerce in 1959; he became the Melbourne vice-president (1962) and president (1963), and then national president (1964).<ref>{{Cite book|last=Buckley|first=Brian|date=2012|title=Lynch, Sir Phillip Reginald (1933–1984)|chapter=Sir Phillip Reginald Lynch (1933–1984) |url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/lynch-sir-phillip-reginald-14391|url-status=live|publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University |access-date=6 August 2021|archive-date=6 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210806051017/https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/lynch-sir-phillip-reginald-14391}}</ref>
He has a foundation member of the Frankston Rostrum Club 41 in 1967 and was a sought after speaker at their events.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Rostrum Victoria Handbook – 1974 July – January 1975|publisher=Rostrum Victoria|year=1974|location=Melbourne|pages=28–29}}</ref>
==Early years in politics== 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.<ref name=adb/>
==Government minister== thumb|left|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.<ref>{{cite web |last = Howard |first = John |author-link = John Howard |title = Death of Right Honourable Sir Phillip Lynch |work = Hansard |publisher = Parliament of Australia |date = 21 August 1984 |url = http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/view_document.aspx?ID=365258&TABLE=HANSARDR |access-date = 11 November 2007 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110524191836/http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/view_document.aspx?ID=365258&TABLE=HANSARDR |archive-date = 24 May 2011 |df = dmy-all }}</ref> 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 after facing a challenge for the deputy leadership from Defence Minister James Killen, which he defeated by 71 votes to 20.<ref>Gavin Souter, ''Acts of Parliament'', pp.563–65</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/250327463 |title=20 Dec 1977 – Fraser picks men: Lynch in – Trove<!-- Bot generated title --> |newspaper=Papua New Guinea Post-Courier |date=20 December 1977 |access-date=5 August 2021 |archive-date=5 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210805143331/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/250327463 |url-status=live }}</ref>
After the 1980 election, Fraser formed the Committee of Review of Government Functions, popularly known as the "Razor Gang", which Lynch chaired.<ref>{{cite web |last = Sinclair |first = Ian |author-link = Ian Sinclair |title = Death of Right Honourable Sir Phillip Lynch |work = Hansard |publisher = Parliament of Australia |date = 21 August 1984 |url = http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/view_document.aspx?ID=365250&TABLE=HANSARDR |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110524191949/http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/view_document.aspx?ID=365250&TABLE=HANSARDR |url-status = dead |archive-date = 24 May 2011 |access-date = 11 November 2007 }}</ref>
He was also challenged again for the deputy leadership this time by Minister for Foreign Affairs Andrew Peacock, who he defeated by 47 votes to 35.<ref>{{cite news|last=Davidson|first=Gay|title=Lynch, Peacock both pleased|work=The Canberra Times|date=31 October 1980|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/125630530|access-date=5 August 2021|archive-date=5 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210805143332/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/125630530|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Honours and family life== Lynch was named a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1981 New Year Honours.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1082541 |title=It's an Honour |access-date=5 October 2007 |archive-date=26 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026232223/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1082541 |url-status=live }}</ref> 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 and later worked as an occupational therapist and as company secretary and director of Denistoun Pty Ltd.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bqaaAAAAIAAJ&q=st+ann%27s+ladies+college+lady+lynch+occupational+therapy |title=Who's Who – Australasian edition: Business and Industry |page=197 |publisher=Who's Who Edition |isbn=9783925306082 |quote=LYNCH Lady Leah , born Feb 1st, 1935 ... Company Secretary and Director of Denistoun Pty Ltd., edu, St. Anne's Ladies' College; College of Occupational Therapy, Melbourne University [St. Mary's Hall] |access-date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=22 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022150210/https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Australasian_Business_and_Industry/bqaaAAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=st+ann%27s+ladies+college+lady+lynch+occupational+therapy&dq=st+ann%27s+ladies+college+lady+lynch+occupational+therapy&printsec=frontcover |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="adb"/> Sir Phillip and Lady Lynch had three sons. Lady Lynch, known for her charity work, died in 2007.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Woolley |first=Jarrod |title=Emmanuel continues to unearth inspiring alumni |date=12 November 2012 |url=http://www.standard.net.au/story/947661/emmanuel-continues-to-unearth-inspiring-alumni/ |access-date=23 May 2016 |publisher=Warrnambool Standard, 12 November 2012 |archive-date=1 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160601183006/http://www.standard.net.au/story/947661/emmanuel-continues-to-unearth-inspiring-alumni/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=History of the College |url=http://emmanuelalumni.com/Alumni/history-of-the-college/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130922233024/http://emmanuelalumni.com/Alumni/history-of-the-college/ |archive-date=22 September 2013 |access-date=31 May 2016 |website=Emmanuel College Alumni Website}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chynoweth |first=Bob |author-link=Bob Chynoweth |date=21 August 1984 |title=Death of Right Honourable Sir Phillip Lynch |url=http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/view_document.aspx?ID=365254&TABLE=HANSARDR |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524192212/http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/view_document.aspx?ID=365254&TABLE=HANSARDR |archive-date=24 May 2011 |access-date=11 November 2007 |website=Hansard |publisher=Parliament of Australia}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|au}} {{s-bef|before=Robert Lindsay}} {{s-ttl|title=Member for Flinders|years=1966–1982}} {{s-aft|after=Peter Reith}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=Malcolm Fraser}} {{s-ttl|title=Minister for the Army|years=1968–1969}} {{s-aft|after=Andrew Peacock}} {{s-bef|rows=2|before=Billy Snedden}} {{s-ttl|title=Minister for Immigration|years=1969–1971}} {{s-aft|after=Jim Forbes}} {{s-ttl|title=Minister for Labour and National Service|years=1971–1972}} {{s-aft|after=Clyde Cameron}} {{s-bef|before=Bill Hayden}} {{s-ttl|title=Treasurer of Australia|years=1975–1977}} {{s-aft|after=John Howard}} {{s-new|office}} {{s-ttl|title=Minister for Finance|years=1976–1977}} {{s-aft|after=Eric Robinson}} {{s-bef|before=Bob Cotton}} {{s-ttl|title=Minister for Industry and Commerce|years=1977–1982}} {{s-aft|after=Andrew Peacock}} {{s-ppo}} {{s-bef|before=Billy Snedden}} {{s-ttl|title=Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia|years=1972–1982}} {{s-aft|after=John Howard}} {{s-end}}
{{Treasurers of Australia}} {{Liberal Party of Australia}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lynch, Phillip}} Category:1933 births Category:1984 deaths Category:Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Flinders Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives Category:Members of the Cabinet of Australia Category:Treasurers of Australia Category:Australian Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Category:Deaths from stomach cancer in Victoria (state) Category:People educated at Xavier College Category:Australian members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Category:Australian monarchists Category:People from Kew, Victoria Category:Politicians from Melbourne Category:Australian MPs 1966–1969 Category:Australian MPs 1969–1972 Category:Australian MPs 1972–1974 Category:Australian MPs 1974–1975 Category:Australian MPs 1975–1977 Category:Australian MPs 1977–1980 Category:Australian MPs 1980–1983