Minister of The Crown and Leader
In early 1973 he was elected by his party as Deputy Leader and on 17 January, the Premier, Sir Robert Askin, appointed him to succeed Sir Davis Hughes as Minister for Public Works, an office he was to hold through successive cabinets until the Coalition Government lost office on 14 May 1976. On 3 January 1975, the new Premier, Tom Lewis, appointed him as the first Minister for Ports which he also held until 14 May 1976. When Sir Charles Cutler retired on 16 December 1975, Punch was elected to succeed him as Leader of the National Country Party and as Deputy Premier the next day. He served as Deputy Premier of New South Wales, Minister for Public Works and Ports in the government of Sir Eric Willis until they lost government at the 1976 election.
Punch remained as leader of the National Country Party (National Party from 1982) under successive Opposition Leaders but did not hold any shadow ministry. Following the landslide loss at the September 1981 election, the National Country Party and the Liberals both held 14 seats. Punch then contested the vacant Leadership of the Opposition, a move which was opposed by former Deputy Leader Tim Bruxner, but lost to the new leader of the Liberals, John Dowd, whom Punch considered too far left on matters of human rights. He had a reputation as a strong debater and was recognised as one of the few people who could match the style of Premier Neville Wran. The new Liberal Leader, Nick Greiner, appointed him on 6 April 1984 as Shadow Minister for Public Works and Ports. Possessing socially conservative views, Punch was vehemently opposed to the Gay liberation movement that pushed for reform of laws which criminalised homosexuality. Punch in particular opposed the landmark 'Crimes (Amendment) Act 1984', which decriminalised homosexual acts in NSW, describing it as an "outrageous and smutty epitaph" which would assist in the "collapse of civilization through the breakdown of spiritual values". George Petersen, a longtime supporter of homosexual law reform and the ALP Member for Illawarra, retorted to Punch's opposition by saying that "your case is one of blind, homophobic prejudice which takes no account of reality or humanity." On 16 October 1984, Punch was suspended from Parliament for 48 hours for unparliamentary behaviour after an unruly session in which Punch accused the speaker, Laurie Kelly, of bias towards the government.
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