Les Bury
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The Honourable Les Bury CMG |
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|---|---|
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Wentworth |
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In office 8 December 1956 – 11 April 1974 |
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| Preceded by | Eric Harrison |
| Succeeded by | Robert Ellicott |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
25 February 1913 London, England |
| Died | 7 September 1986 (aged 73) Sydney |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political party | Liberal Party of Australia |
| Spouse(s) | Anne |
| Occupation | Public servant |
Leslie Harry Ernest Bury CMG (25 February 1913 – 7 September 1986) was an Australian politician.
Bury was born in London and was educated at Queens' College, Cambridge. During World War II, he served in the Second Australian Imperial Force from 1943 to 1945, 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 and the Australian representative on the International Monetary Fund from 1951 to 1956.
Bury was elected as the Liberal Party of Australia Member for Wentworth in 1956 at a by-election following the resignation of Eric Harrison to become High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. According to Peter King, he "... would attend football matches with [Labor leader] Arthur Calwell in Melbourne and ... [shadow Treasurer] Frank Crean stayed at the Bury home in Sydney". Bury was appointed Minister for Air and Minister assisting the Treasurer in Robert Menzies' 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, 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's concerns over its impact on Australian exports to the United Kingdom. In December 1963, he became Minister for Housing, when he introduced the First Home Owners Grant, which continues to be a feature of the Australian political landscape.
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