Donald Leslie Chipp (born August 21, 1925 in suburban Melbourne) is an Australian politician and author.

After serving in the Royal Australian Air Force in World War II, Chipp entered federal politics in 1960 as the Liberal member for Higinbotham before a redistribution in 1968 moved Chipp to the Division of Hotham. Initially appointed Minister for the Navy and Minister in charge of Tourist Activities by Harold Holt in 1967, Chipp was given the portfolio of Customs and Excise following the 1969 elections, where he gained national attention by reducing the number of publications banned from entering Australia, including Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer. These actions made him popular with much of Australian society but placed him at odds with many of his fellow party members, who considered his actions too radical. Following the Liberal Party's defeat at the 1972 federal election, Chipp served as Shadow Minister for Social Security but was not returned to the ministry after the Liberal Party under Malcolm Fraser swept back into power in 1975.

Citing the need for a new moderate political party, Chipp resigned from the Liberal Party in 1977 to help found the Australian Democrats. Having also resigned from parliament, Chipp stood for, and was elected to, the Australian Senate later the same year. As Democrats leader, Chipp was involved in various high profile environmental and social justice causes, including playing an important role in stopping the Franklin Dam Project.

Chipp retired as the leader of the Democrats in 1986, to be succeeded by Janine Haines. He ran unsuccessfully for election as the Lord Mayor of Melbourne in 2001.

External links

• Interview with Andrew Denton on the ABC's Enough Rope