Peter Hughes (Australian politician)

Last updated

Ellen Hughes
​
(m. 1858)​
Dr
Peter Hughes
OAM MLA
Member of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly for Canberra
In office
28 September 1974 –2 June 1979
Children8
Occupation Urologist (retired 2008)

Peter Dalton Hughes OAM (born 28 July 1932) is an Australian retired urologist and former politician who served as the leader of the ACT Liberal Party from 1974 until he left the party in 1977. [1] He is currently the president of the Regional Medical Specialists Association (RMSA). [2] [3]

Contents

Early life

Hughes was born in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, and lived on his family's farm in the small town of Junee Reefs, where he attended a one-teacher primary school. [1] [4] He attended St Joseph's College in the Sydney suburb of Hunter's Hill. [1]

Studying medicine, he completed his junior resident year at Mater Hospital in Newcastle, where he met his future wife, Ellen Hughes (no relation). [1] After gradulating from the University of Sydney, he spent six years in England training in general and urological surgery. [5] He married Ellen Hughes at Shepherd's Bush, London, in July 1958. [1]

Hughes and his wife returned to Australia four years later with their three (eventually eight) children, arriving in Canberra in March 1962. [1]

Career

In 1969, Hughes joined the Liberal Party. [6] He was also a founding member of the Calvary John James Hospital in March 1970. [7] [8]

Federal candidacy

At the 1972 federal election, Hughes was chosen by the Liberals as their candidate for the electorate of Australian Capital Territory, and stepped down as a director of John James Hospital. [9] He had a 5.7% swing towards him on a two-party-preferred (TPP) basis, but was still easily defeated by incumbent Labor MP Kep Enderby. [10]

Hughes contested the 1974 federal election in the newly-formed federal division of Canberra. [11] Despite a 13.4% swing on first preferences and a 9.5% TPP swing, he was still comforably defeated by Enderby. [12]

During this time, Hughes was the ACT Liberal Electoral Conference president. [13] [14]

Legislative Assembly

Later that year, Hughes contested the 1974 election for the newly-formed ACT Legislative Assembly (later House of Assembly) as a Liberal candidate. [15] [16] He was elected as one of nine members for the division of Canberra, and following the election, won a caucus vote to become the leader of the ACT Liberal Party. [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22]

On 3 January 1977, Hughes resigned as leader and from the Liberal Party to sit as an independent. [23] Hughes stated he felt he could better serve the ACT if he was not a member of a political party. [24] [25] He was replaced by Jim Leedman at a leadership election later that month. [26] [27] Hughes later served as the chairman of the Legislative Assembly's Standing Committee on Housing and Welfare in 1978 and 1979. [28] [29]

Hughes sought re-election as an independent at the 1979 eletion, but was defeated. [30] Throughout his time in the Legislative Assembly, he voted in 639 divisions, the second-most of any member (behind only Liberal MLA Greg Cornwell). [31]

Later life

Hughes served as the president of the Capital Territory Group of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) from 1984 until 1986, and has been a member of the AMA for more than 50 years. [32] He continued in practicing as a urologist until retiring at the end of 2008. [1] [33]

In 2014, he was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) "for service to medicine, to a range of professional associations, and to the community". [34] [35]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Medical and Party Politics Paperback". amazon.ca. 30 June 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  2. ↑ "MEDIA RELEASE from the Regional Medical Specialists Association". Regional Medical Specialists Association. 28 October 2022. Archived from the original on 17 April 2024. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  3. ↑ "Council - Peter Hughes". National Rural Health Alliance. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  4. ↑ "NOTICES Births, Engagements, Deaths, etc". newspapers.com. Sydney Morning Herald. 15 February 1985. p. 21. Retrieved 22 October 2024. AFTER 14 days from the publication of this notice an application for Probate of the Will dated 15th December 1983 of MARY KATHLEEN HUGHES late of Junee Reefs in the State of New South Wales whose occupation was Widow, deceased, will be made by Peter Dalton Hughes and Kenneth John Hughes
  5. ↑ "About Dr. Hughes". Regional Medical Specialists Association. Archived from the original on 16 April 2024. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  6. ↑ "ACT Liberal leader quits party". news.google.com. The Age. 4 January 1977. p. 1. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  7. ↑ White, Daniella (28 May 2018). "'How can I trust them now?': anger over sale of hospital buildings". The Age. Archived from the original on 9 June 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  8. ↑ "About Calvary John James Hospital". Calvary Health Care. Archived from the original on 29 July 2024. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  9. ↑ Appleby, Bruce (30 April 1974). "John James Hospital". The Canberra Times. p. 2. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  10. ↑ "AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY". Psephos: Adam Carr's Electoral Archive. 2 December 1972. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  11. ↑ "A.C.T. CANDIDATES". The Canberra Times. 12 April 1974. p. 3. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  12. ↑ "AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY". Psephos: Adam Carr's Electoral Archive. 18 May 1974. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  13. ↑ "Home-loans deceit alleged". The Canberra Times. 28 January 1974. p. 3. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  14. ↑ "Our History". Canberra Liberals. Archived from the original on 8 October 2024. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  15. ↑ "NO PARTY IN POWER". The Canberra Times. 30 September 1974. p. 2. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  16. ↑ "Two more elected to ACT Assembly". The Canberra Times. 5 October 1974. p. 7. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  17. ↑ "Apprehension on borders". The Canberra Times. 13 November 1974. p. 9. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  18. ↑ Wright, Peter (14 November 1974). "Move for Assembly privilege". The Canberra Times. p. 11. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  19. ↑ Hughes, Peter (18 November 1974). "Standing committees". The Canberra Times. p. 2. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  20. ↑ "Liberals 'correct'". The Canberra Times. 14 December 1974. p. 7. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  21. ↑ "GARBAGE-PLAN CRITIC". The Canberra Times. 23 December 1974. p. 9. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  22. ↑ "Criticism of border view". The Canberra Times. 1 January 1975. p. 3. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  23. ↑ "ACT Liberal leader quits party". news.google.com. The Age. 4 January 1977. p. 1. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  24. ↑ Myerscough, Ian (4 January 1977). "Dr Hughes quits Liberals". The Canberra Times. p. 1. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  25. ↑ Waterford, Jack (5 January 1977). "An independent Hughes". The Canberra Times. p. 9. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  26. ↑ Myerscough, Ian (5 January 1977). "Meeting soon on Liberal leadership". The Canberra Times. p. 9. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  27. ↑ "LEEDMAN LEADS LIBERALS". The Canberra Times. 21 January 1977. p. 1. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  28. ↑ "Welfare seminar". The Canberra Times. 23 December 1978. p. 4. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  29. ↑ "Hughes pleased with child welfare talks". The Canberra Times. 10 February 1979. p. 8. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  30. ↑ Andrews, Ross (31 January 1979). "Hughes criticises development body". The Canberra Times. p. 3. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  31. ↑ "Cornwell tops divisions list". The Canberra Times. 28 May 1979. p. 8. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  32. ↑ "AMA ACT History". Australian Medical Association. Archived from the original on 7 October 2024. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  33. ↑ "How healthy is the ACT Health System". University of Canberra. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  34. ↑ Westcott, Ben (9 June 2014). "John James Hospital founder Peter Hughes recognised in Queen's Birthday Honours". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  35. ↑ "Honours list: Virginia and Tim among birthday best". Canberra CityNews. 9 June 2014. Archived from the original on 6 December 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
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