He was educated at the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children, and worked as an insurance broker before his election to parliament.

Hunter was forceful from the beginning that his disability would not impact upon his performance as a member of parliament.

He stated in his inaugural speech that he would "endeavour to make [fellow members] forget that there is a physical handicap under which [he laboured]", urged that he be treated as a "normal, ordinary citizen", and urged opposition members not to soften their responses to him out of sympathy.

Hunter was also a strong advocate for improved parliamentary services to allow members to better represent constituents.

He ran unopposed in 1950, and easily defeated fellow UAP MLA Richard Murden in 1959 when their seats were merged in an electoral redistribution.