| Mel Bungey | |
| Constituency Mp: | Canning |
| Parliament: | Australian |
| Predecessor: | John Hallett |
| Successor: | Wendy Fatin |
| Term Start: | 18 May 1974 |
| Term End: | 5 March 1983 |
| Birth Date: | 1934 8, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Gnowangerup, Western Australia |
| Party: | Liberal |
| Alma Mater: | University of Western Australia |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
Melville Harold "Mel" Bungey (born 30 August 1934) is a former Australian politician. He was a member of the House of Representatives from 1974 to 1983, representing the seat of Canning for the Liberal Party.
Bungey was born on 30 August 1934 in Gnowangerup, Western Australia.[1] He was educated at Wesley College, Perth, and went on to complete a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Western Australia, majoring in economics.[2]
Bungey served in the Citizen Military Forces from 1951 to 1958.[1] After graduating from university he worked for the Prime Minister's Department in Perth and Canberra. He later returned to Western Australia to work on the family property at Borden.[2]
Prior to his election to parliament, Bungey was active in the Farmers' Union of Western Australia and served as vice-president of its wool section. He was also a member of the Australian Wool Industry Conference and a delegate to the Australian Wool and Meat Producers' Federation. According to The Beverley Times he was "a vigorous advocate of wool marketing reform and played a prominent part in updating the Farmers' Union wool marketing policy".[2]
Bungey was elected to the House of Representatives at the 1974 federal election, winning the seat of Canning for the Liberal Party from the incumbent Country Party MP John Hallett.[1]
In parliament, Bungey served on a number of committees, notably as chair of the Joint Statutory Committee on Public Works from 1978 to 1983.[1] During the Fraser government he was known for his submission of large numbers of questions on notice, covering a wide range of topics but with a focus on Australian Public Service operations. In April 1981 he lodged 691 questions in a single submission.[3] Bungey crossed the floor fifteen times during his period in parliament. According to a study of parliamentary floor crossings from 1950 to 2019, Bill Wentworth was the only other member of the House of Representatives to cross the floor on more occasions.[4]
Bungey's seat became increasingly marginal during his time in parliament, following a series of redistributions that saw Canning lose rural areas and became increasingly urban, taking in Perth's southern suburbs of Armadale and Rockingham.[5] He was defeated by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) candidate Wendy Fatin at the 1983 federal election.[1] During the election campaign he publicly criticised Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser for what he viewed as Fraser's negative campaigning style.[6]
Bungey and his wife Leith bred prize-winning chihuahuas.[7] He served as president of the Canine Association of Western Australia and was a licensed dog show judge with the Australian National Kennel Council, judging shows in Australia and overseas.[8]