Leslie Harry Ernest Bury CMG (25 February 1913 – 7 September 1986) was an Australian

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, ...

and

economist An economist is a professional and practitioner in the social sciences, social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy. Within this ...

. He was a member of the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

and served in the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

between 1956 and 1974, representing the

Division of Wentworth The Division of Wentworth is an Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales. History The division was proclaimed in 1900 and was one of the original 65 divisions contested at the first federal election. The division is nam ...

. He held ministerial office in

Coalition A coalition is a group formed when two or more people or groups temporarily work together to achieve a common goal. The term is most frequently used to denote a formation of power in political or economical spaces. Formation According to ''A Gui ...

governments for nearly a decade, serving as Minister for Air (1961–1962),

Housing Housing, or more generally, living spaces, refers to the construction and assigned usage of houses or buildings individually or collectively, for the purpose of shelter. Housing ensures that members of society have a place to live, whether ...

(1963–1966), Labour and National Service (1966–1969),

Treasurer A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The significant core functions of a corporate treasurer include cash and liquidity management, risk management, and corporate finance. Government The treasury ...

(1969–1971) and

Foreign Affairs ''Foreign Affairs'' is an American magazine of international relations and U.S. foreign policy published by the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, membership organization and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy a ...

(1971).

Early life

Bury was born in

Willesden Willesden () is an area of northwest London, situated 5 miles (8 km) northwest of Charing Cross. It is historically a parish in the county of Middlesex that was incorporated as the Municipal Borough of Willesden in 1933, and has forme ...

London, England London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major se ...

, the son of Doris Elma (née Walgrave) and Ernest Bury. His father was an Anglican

clergyman Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

. Bury attended Herne Bay College in

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

before matriculating at

Queens' College, Cambridge Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Queens' is one of the oldest colleges of the university, founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou. The college spans the River Cam, colloquially referred to as the "light s ...

. His education was financed by scholarships and financial assistance from an uncle. He graduated

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

in 1934 and was a member of the

Cambridge University Conservative Association The Cambridge University Conservative Association, or CUCA, is a long-established student political society founded 1921, as a Conservative Association for students at Cambridge University, although it has earlier roots in the late nineteenth ce ...

. His lecturers at Cambridge included

John Maynard Keynes John Maynard Keynes, 1st Baron Keynes, ( ; 5 June 1883 – 21 April 1946), was an English economist whose ideas fundamentally changed the theory and practice of macroeconomics and the economic policies of governments. Originally trained in ...

and

Joan Robinson Joan Violet Robinson (''née'' Maurice; 31 October 1903 – 5 August 1983) was a British economist well known for her wide-ranging contributions to economic theory. She was a central figure in what became known as post-Keynesian economics. ...

, both of whom made a lasting impression. Bury moved to Sydney in December 1935 to work in the economic department of the

Bank of New South Wales The Bank of New South Wales (BNSW), also known commonly as The Wales, was the first bank in Australia, being established in Sydney in 1817 and situated on Broadway. During the 19th century, the bank opened branches throughout Australia and N ...

. He assisted general manager Alfred Charles Davidson during the 1935 Banking Royal Commission. He married Anne Weigall on 23 August 1940, with whom he had four sons. Bury enlisted in the army in 1942, serving with heavy artillery fixed defences and with the 12th Australian Radar Detachment. He worked in the Department of the Treasury in the 1940s and later worked as Executive Director of the

International Bank for Reconstruction and Development The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) is an international financial institution, established in 1944 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, that is the lending arm of World Bank Group. The IBRD offers ...

and the Australian representative on the

International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is "working to foster glo ...

from 1951 to 1956.

Political career

Bury was elected to the

at the 1956 Wentworth by-election, following the resignation of Eric Harrison to become

High Commissioner to the United Kingdom The following is the list of ambassadors and high commissioners to the United Kingdom, or more formally, to the Court of St James's. High commissioners represent member states of the Commonwealth of Nations and ambassadors represent other stat ...

. According to Peter King, he "... would attend football matches with Labor leader

Arthur Calwell Arthur Augustus Calwell (28 August 1896 – 8 July 1973) was an Australian politician who served as the leader of the Labor Party from 1960 to 1967. He led the party to three federal elections. Calwell grew up in Melbourne and attended St J ...

in Melbourne and ... hadow Treasurer Frank Crean stayed at the Bury home in Sydney".

Menzies Government

Bury was appointed Minister for Air and Minister assisting the Treasurer in

Robert Menzies The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

' ninth ministry in December 1961. On 27 July 1962 he was sacked for speaking in favour of the accession of the United Kingdom to the

European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organization created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lis ...

, saying that "European integration, of which the Common Market is an essential expression, is a keystone of the grand design for Western survival". This strongly conflicted with Deputy Prime Minister

John McEwen Sir John McEwen, (29 March 1900 – 20 November 1980) was an Australian politician who served as the 18th prime minister of Australia, holding office from 1967 to 1968 in a caretaker capacity after the disappearance of Harold Holt. He was the ...

's concerns over its impact on Australian exports to the United Kingdom. In December 1963, he returned to cabinet as Minister for Housing. He introduced the First Home Owners Grant, which continues to be a feature of the Australian political landscape.

Holt Government

In January 1966, Bury became

Minister for Labour and National Service The Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations is a position currently held by Tony Burke in the Albanese ministry since 1 June 2022, following the Australian federal election in 2022. In the Government of Australia, the minister admini ...

Harold Holt Harold Edward Holt (5 August 190817 December 1967) was an Australian politician who served as the 17th prime minister of Australia from 1966 until his presumed death in 1967. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party. Holt was born in ...

's first ministry, during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

, when he was responsible for implementing

conscription Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to Ancient history, antiquity and it continues in some countries to th ...

. After Holt's disappearance in December 1966, Bury was one of four candidates to contest the Liberal leadership ballot, along with

John Gorton Sir John Grey Gorton (9 September 1911 – 19 May 2002) was an Australian politician who served as the nineteenth Prime Minister of Australia, in office from 1968 to 1971. He led the Liberal Party during that time, having previously been a l ...

, Paul Hasluck, and

Billy Snedden Sir Billy Mackie Snedden, (31 December 1926 – 27 June 1987) was an Australian politician who served as the leader of the Liberal Party from 1972 to 1975. He was also a cabinet minister from 1964 to 1972, and Speaker of the House of Repres ...

. He had some support within the party, including from

Peter Howson Peter Howson OBE (born 27 March 1958) is a Scottish painter. He was a British official war artist in 1993 during the Bosnian War. Early life Peter Howson was born in London of Scottish parents and moved with his family to Prestwick, Ayrs ...

, and was reportedly Menzies' second most preferred candidate after Hasluck. According to

Graham Freudenberg Norman Graham Freudenberg (; 12 May 1934 – 26 July 2019) was an Australian author and political speechwriter who worked with the Australian Labor Party for over forty years, beginning when he was appointed Arthur Calwell's press secretary in ...

much of his support was due to his status as the only candidate from New South Wales. However, he was virtually unknown among the general public and was not seen as a strong television performer. Bury polled an estimated 16 votes (out of 81) on the first ballot, ahead of only Snedden. Both were eliminated and Gorton went on to defeat Hasluck in the final ballot.

Gorton Government

Bury remained Minister for Labour and National Service in the first Gorton ministry. With

Phillip Lynch 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 governmen ...

as Minister for the Army, a slogan chanted at anti-war protests was "lynch Bury and bury Lynch". After the 1969 federal election, Bury was promoted to

treasurer A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The significant core functions of a corporate treasurer include cash and liquidity management, risk management, and corporate finance. Government The treasury ...

, his most desired portfolio. His promotion was probably due to his support for Gorton in the 1969 leadership spill, which saw then-treasurer

William McMahon Sir William McMahon (23 February 190831 March 1988) was an Australian politician who served as the 20th Prime Minister of Australia, in office from 1971 to 1972 as leader of the Liberal Party. He was a government minister for over 21 years, ...

challenge for the prime ministership. McMahon was shifted to foreign affairs and Bury took his place as treasurer. Gorton also reputedly viewed Bury as someone who was likely to be compliant and not challenge his own economic agenda. Bury presented only a single budget as

, for 1970–71. It was described as "very much a Treasury-inspired document", and also had significant input from Gorton. He was one of the pioneers of the

forward estimates Forward estimates are budget projections for revenue, expenses and financial position for the three years beyond the current (budgeted) fiscal year. The “forward estimates” system evolved in Australia from the late 1970s through the 1980s

system, in March 1971 asking ministers to provide estimates of expenditure for future activities. He was an advocate of alternative measures of economic progress, stating "we must not fall too readily to exclusive worship at the altar of GNP ..our prime concern should always be the social welfare of the community as a whole". He was also an early supporter of a broad-based national consumption tax, akin to the current

GST GST may refer to: Taxes * General sales tax * Goods and Services Tax, the name for the value-added tax in several jurisdictions: ** Goods and services tax (Australia) ** Goods and Services Tax (Canada) ** Goods and Services Tax (Hong Kong) **Go ...

. There were concerns about Bury's health during his period as treasurer, with one source describing him as "a worn-out and a tired man, suffering from ill-health and lacking concentration". He suffered from

coronary arteriosclerosis Atherosclerosis is a pattern of the disease arteriosclerosis in which the wall of the artery develops abnormalities, called lesions. These lesions may lead to narrowing due to the buildup of atheromatous plaque. At onset there are usually no ...

and

hypertension Hypertension (HTN or HT), also known as high blood pressure (HBP), is a long-term medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated. High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms. Long-term high b ...

. Bury's departmental secretary Dick Randall stated that, from Treasury's perspective, he "lost too many cabinet fights". He came into conflict with the more experienced figures of Gorton, McEwen, and McMahon who were not always in agreement with the departmental agenda. He opposed the creation of the Australian Industry Development Corporation, preferring the use of foreign capital, but was overridden by McEwen and Gorton.

McMahon Government

When

became

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

in March 1971, he initially retained Bury as Treasurer, but 12 days later moved him to the

portfolio, and sacked him in August 1971. He retired from

parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

at the 1974 federal election after losing Liberal preselection to Bob Ellicott. Bury was the only Liberal Treasurer who was not and did not subsequently become his party's deputy leader until Joe Hockey.

Later life

Bury retired from

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...

due to ill health. In the

Queen's Birthday Honours The Birthday Honours, in some Commonwealth realms, mark the King's Official Birthday, reigning British monarch's official birthday by granting various individuals appointment into Order (honour), national or Dynastic order of knighthood, dynastic ...

of June 1979, he was appointed a Companion of the

Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honour ...

(CMG), in recognition of his service to the Parliament of Australia. Bury died in Sydney in 1986 and was survived by his wife Anne and his four sons, Peter, Michael, John and Nicholas.

External links

Leslie Bury – from Treasury to Treasurer
– short biographical profile focusing on his economic philosophy

– excerpts from the speech that got Bury sacked (25 July 1962)

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bury, Leslie Harry Ernest Members of the Cabinet of Australia Australian ministers for Foreign Affairs Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Wentworth Members of the Australian House of Representatives 1913 births 1986 deaths Australian Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Australian public servants 20th-century Australian politicians Alumni of Queens' College, Cambridge English emigrants to Australia Australian economists Australian Army personnel of World War II People from Willesden Australian Army officers