Edmund Maxwell Cameron Fox,

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(27 April 1912 – 27 November 1988) was an Australian politician. 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. For example, while the political systems ...

and served in the

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

from 1955 to 1974. He was the party's

chief whip The Chief Whip is a political leader whose task is to enforce the whipping system, which aims to ensure that legislators who are members of a political party attend and vote on legislation as the party leadership prescribes. United Kingdom I ...

from 1969 to 1974.

Early life

Fox was born on 27 April 1912 in

Oakleigh, Victoria Oakleigh is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 14 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Monash local government area. Oakleigh recorded a population of 8,442 at the 2021 census. Once a ...

. He was educated at state schools before becoming a clerk and salesman. At the time of his election to parliament he was working as a manufacturers' agent. Fox enlisted in the

Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...

(RAAF) in March 1942. He trained as a wireless maintenance mechanic. He was promoted to corporal in December 1942 and to sergeant in April 1944, receiving his discharge in December 1945.

Politics

Fox stood unsuccessfully for the

Liberal and Country Party The Victorian Liberal Party, officially known as the Liberal Party of Australia (Victorian Division), and branded as Liberal Victoria, is the state division of the Liberal Party of Australia in Victoria (Australia), Victoria. It was formed in ...

at the 1955 state election, losing to the incumbent

Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party (ALP), also known as the Labor Party or simply Labor, is the major Centre-left politics, centre-left List of political parties in Australia, political party in Australia and one of two Major party, major parties in Po ...

Val Doube Valentine Joseph Doube (3 January 1915 – 18 January 1988) was an Australian politician. Born in Brighton to hat maker Francis William Robert Doube and Honora Fitzgerald, Doube was educated at St James' School in Gardenvale before studyin ...

in the seat of Oakleigh. Fox was elected to the House of Representatives at the 1955 federal election, retaining the seat of Henty for the Liberal Party following the retirement of

Jo Gullett Henry Baynton Somer "Jo" Gullett, AM, MC (16 December 1914 – 24 August 1999) was an Australian soldier, politician, grazier, diplomat and journalist. He served with distinction in the Australian Army during World War II, was a controversial ...

. He was re-elected on six further occasions. He eventually lost his seat to Labor candidate

Joan Child Joan Child, (3 August 192123 February 2013) was an Australian politician. She was the first woman to be Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives. Up until the election of Anna Burke on 9 October 2012 , she was the only female Speaker ...

at the 1974 election, one of only two Liberal MPs to lose their seats to Labor at the election. In 1969, Fox was appointed as the Liberal Party's House whip, a position he maintained until his parliamentary defeat under Liberal leaders

John Gorton Sir John Grey Gorton (9 September 1911 – 19 May 2002) was an Australian politician, farmer and airman who served as the 19th Prime Minister of Australia, prime minister of Australia from 1968 to 1971. He held office as the leader of the leade ...

William McMahon Sir William McMahon (23 February 190831 March 1988), also known as Billy McMahon, was an Australian politician who served as the 20th prime minister of Australia from 1971 to 1972. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia ...

, 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 chaired the House Select Committee on Naming of Electoral Divisions from 1968 to 1969, the House Select Committee on Wildlife Conservation from 1970 to 1972, and the House Select Committee on Road Safety from 1972 to 1973. He was also chairman of the Commonwealth Immigration Planning Council from 1967 to 1973 and a parliamentary representative on the Parliamentary Retiring Allowances Trust and

Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), established as the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies (AIAS) in 1964, is an independent Australian Government statutory authority. It is a collecting, ...

Positions and views

In 1966, following an incident where Australian flags were burned outside The Lodge, Fox called for the ''

Flags Act 1953 The ''Flags Act 1953'' is an act of the Parliament of Australia which defines the official Australian National Flag and the Australian Red Ensign. Other flags may also be proclaimed as official flags of Australia under this act; for example, ...

'' to be amended to ban defiling the national flag. Fox was critical of the

kangaroo industry The kangaroo industry in Australia is based on the regulated harvesting of species of kangaroos. Products Kangaroo meat Australia commercially produced kangaroo meat since 1959. Annually about 3 percent of Australia’s 50 million kangaroos a ...

, particularly what he described as the "wholesale slaughter" of kangaroo shooting. He lobbied the federal government for a ban on the export of kangaroo products, reportly submitting a total of 54 petitions on the subject across two years. In 1971, he was described by '' The Bulletin'' as "the leader of the kangaroo lobby". Fox was a supporter of increased immigration to Australia. He asked parliamentary questions on behalf of the Jewish community on a number of occasions, requesting intervention by the federal government on behalf of Jews facing antisemitism in Syria and the Soviet Union.

Personal life

Fox married Edna Bowra in 1936. He died on 27 November 1988, aged 76.

References

Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Henty Members of the Australian House of Representatives Commanders of the Order of the British Empire 1912 births 1988 deaths Australian MPs 1955–1958 Australian MPs 1958–1961 Australian MPs 1961–1963 Australian MPs 1963–1966 Australian MPs 1966–1969 Australian MPs 1969–1972 Australian MPs 1972–1974 {{Australia-Liberal-politician-stub