Mel Bungey
Mel Bungey | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Bungey in 1974 | |
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Canning | |
| In office 18 May 1974 – 5 March 1983 | |
| Preceded by | John Hallett |
| Succeeded by | Wendy Fatin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 August 1934 Gnowangerup, Western Australia, Australia |
| Died | 17 September 2025 (aged 91) |
| Party | Liberal |
| Alma mater | University of Western Australia |
| Occupation | Farmer |
Melville Harold Bungey (30 August 1934 – 17 September 2025) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the House of Representatives from 1974 to 1983, representing the seat of Canning for the Liberal Party.
Early life
[edit]Bungey was born in Gnowangerup, Western Australia on 30 August 1934.[1] He was educated at Wesley College, Perth,[citation needed] and went on to complete a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Western Australia, majoring in economics.[2]
Bungey served in the Citizen Military Forces from 1951 to 1958.[1] After graduating from university he worked for the Prime Minister's Department in Perth and Canberra. He later returned to Western Australia to work on the family property at Borden.[2]
Prior to his election to parliament, Bungey was active in the Farmers' Union of Western Australia and served as vice-president of its wool section. He was also a member of the Australian Wool Industry Conference and a delegate to the Australian Wool and Meat Producers' Federation. According to The Beverley Times he was "a vigorous advocate of wool marketing reform and played a prominent part in updating the Farmers' Union wool marketing policy".[2]
Politics
[edit]Bungey was elected to the House of Representatives at the 1974 federal election, winning the seat of Canning for the Liberal Party from the incumbent Country Party MP John Hallett.[1]
In parliament, Bungey served on a number of committees, notably as chair of the Joint Statutory Committee on Public Works from 1978 to 1983.[1] During the Fraser government he was known for his submission of large numbers of questions on notice, covering a wide range of topics but with a focus on Australian Public Service operations. In April 1981 he lodged 691 questions in a single submission.[3] Bungey crossed the floor fifteen times during his period in parliament. According to a study of parliamentary floor crossings from 1950 to 2019, Bill Wentworth was the only other member of the House of Representatives to cross the floor on more occasions.[4]
Bungey's seat became increasingly marginal during his time in parliament, following a series of redistributions that saw Canning lose rural areas and became increasingly urban, taking in Perth's southern suburbs of Armadale and Rockingham.[5] He was defeated by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) candidate Wendy Fatin at the 1983 federal election.[1] During the election campaign he publicly criticised Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser for what he viewed as Fraser's negative campaigning style.[6]
Personal life and death
[edit]Bungey and his wife Leith bred prize-winning chihuahuas.[7] He served as president of the Canine Association of Western Australia and was a licensed dog show judge with the Australian National Kennel Council, judging shows in Australia and overseas.[8]
Bungey retired to Roleystone. He died on 17 September 2025, at the age of 91.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "BUNGEY, Melville Harold". Parliamentary Handbook. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
- ^ a b c "Liberal candidate for Canning". The Beverley Times. 2 May 1974.
- ^ "Noticeable decline in questions on notice". The Canberra Times. 4 September 1983.
- ^ McKeown, Deirdre; Lundie, Rob (12 March 2020). "Crossing the floor in the federal parliament 1950–April 2019". Research Papers 2019-20. Parliamentary Library.
- ^ "CANNING: Strong female vote for Labor likely". The Canberra Times. 3 March 1983.
- ^ "Marginal-seat Liberal criticises PM's campaign". The Canberra Times. 27 February 1983.
- ^ "Politician wins affection". The Canberra Times. 4 April 1980.
- ^ "Judge Name : Mr Mel Bungey (WA)". Dog Show Judges. Dogz Online. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
- ^ "Bungey, Melville". The West Australian. 23 September 2025. Retrieved 5 October 2025.