Gary Punch
Encyclopedia
Gary Francis Punch is a former Australia
n politician and government minister.
Punch was born in Arncliffe, New South Wales
and educated at Hurstville
Boys High School and subsequently obtained a commerce degree. He was an industrial relations and personnel manager before entering parliament. He was an alderman of Hurstville Municipal Council
from 1977 to 1983 and was elected mayor in 1978, when he was 21, and held that position until he stood for parliament.
David Combe
for Labor preselection
to the seat of Barton
in the Australian House of Representatives
and was elected at the 1983 election
. He was appointed Minister for the Arts and Territories
in January 1988 in the third Hawke ministry
. In September 1988, he was reshuffled to become Minister for Telecommunications and Aviation Support and held this position until 28 March 1989, when he resigned in opposition to cabinet
's decision to build the third runway for Sydney Airport
, which adjoined his electorate. He was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence
in the second Keating ministry
in March 1993. In March 1994, he was promoted back to the outer ministry as Minister for Defence Science and Personnel and held this position until his retirement prior to the 1996 election.
Punch gained a law degree while in parliament and in 1996 he was appointed executive director of the Australian Cotton Foundation, the industry body for cotton growing. He was also the Honorary Chairman of Sydney Olympic FC
from 1996 to 1997. In 2000, he began to practise as a lawyer. He was appointed as a director of NRMA Motoring and Services Ltd
in 2005.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician and government minister.
Punch was born in Arncliffe, New South Wales
Arncliffe, New South Wales
Arncliffe is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Arncliffe is located 11 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Rockdale. Arncliffe is part of the St George area.Arncliffe is located south of the...
and educated at Hurstville
Hurstville, New South Wales
Hurstville is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Hurstville is located 16 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the St George area. Hurstville is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of...
Boys High School and subsequently obtained a commerce degree. He was an industrial relations and personnel manager before entering parliament. He was an alderman of Hurstville Municipal Council
City of Hurstville
The City of Hurstville is a Local Government Area in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The city centre is located 17km SSW of the Sydney central business district and west of Botany Bay....
from 1977 to 1983 and was elected mayor in 1978, when he was 21, and held that position until he stood for parliament.
Political career
Punch beat former secretary of the Australian Labor PartyAustralian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
David Combe
David Combe
David Combe was National Secretary of the Australian Labor Party, a political consultant and lobbyist, an Australian Trade Commissioner, a Senior Vice President International of Southcorp Wines, and a consultant to the Australian Wine Industry.-Early life:Harvey David Mathew Combe was born in 1943...
for Labor preselection
Preselection
Preselection is the process by which a candidate is selected, usually by a political party, to contest an election for political office. It is also referred to as candidate selection. It is a fundamental function of political parties...
to the seat of Barton
Division of Barton
The Division of Barton is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division was created in 1922 and is named for Sir Edmund Barton, the first Prime Minister of Australia...
in the Australian House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
and was elected at the 1983 election
Australian federal election, 1983
Federal elections were held in Australia on 5 March 1983. All 125 seats in the House of Representatives, and all 64 seats in the Senate, were up for election, following a double dissolution...
. He was appointed Minister for the Arts and Territories
Minister for Home Affairs (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Home Affairs has been Brendan O'Connor since 6 June 2009. The Home Affairs portfolio brings together agencies such as the Australian Customs Service , the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, which were previously the...
in January 1988 in the third Hawke ministry
Third Hawke Ministry
The Third Hawke Ministry was the fifty-seventh Australian Commonwealth ministry, and held office from 24 July 1987 to 4 April 1990.Australian Labor Party-Cabinet:*Hon Bob Hawke, AC MP: Prime Minister...
. In September 1988, he was reshuffled to become Minister for Telecommunications and Aviation Support and held this position until 28 March 1989, when he resigned in opposition to cabinet
Cabinet of Australia
The Cabinet of Australia is the council of senior ministers of the Crown, responsible to parliament. The Cabinet is appointed by the Governor-General, on the advice of the Prime Minister the Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, and serves at the former's pleasure. The strictly private...
's decision to build the third runway for Sydney Airport
Sydney Airport
Sydney Airport may refer to:* Sydney Airport, also known as Kingsford Smith International Airport, in Sydney, Australia* Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport, in Nova Scotia, Canada...
, which adjoined his electorate. He was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence
Minister for Defence (Australia)
The Minister for Defence of Australia administers his portfolio through the Australian Defence Organisation, which comprises the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force. Stephen Smith is the current Minister.-Ministers for Defence:...
in the second Keating ministry
Second Keating Ministry
The Second Keating Ministry was the sixtieth Australian Commonwealth ministry. It was led by Paul Keating of the Australian Labor Party, and held office from 24 March 1993 to 11 March 1996...
in March 1993. In March 1994, he was promoted back to the outer ministry as Minister for Defence Science and Personnel and held this position until his retirement prior to the 1996 election.
Punch gained a law degree while in parliament and in 1996 he was appointed executive director of the Australian Cotton Foundation, the industry body for cotton growing. He was also the Honorary Chairman of Sydney Olympic FC
Sydney Olympic FC
Sydney Olympic Football Club is an Australian football club that plays in the NSW Premier League. It competed in the National Soccer League from 1977 until the league's demise in 2004, having won the championship in 1989–90, 2001–02, the League Cup in 1980, the minor premiership in 2002–03 and the...
from 1996 to 1997. In 2000, he began to practise as a lawyer. He was appointed as a director of NRMA Motoring and Services Ltd
NRMA
NRMA refers to either of two historically related Australian companies:*The National Roads and Motorists' Association, known as NRMA Motoring and Services, is a member-owned mutual organisation offering , motoring advice and other services in New South Wales and the Australian Capital...
in 2005.