He began his career as a member of the Liberal Party, winning election to the House of Representatives in 1960 and serving as a government minister for a cumulative total of six years.

[1]: 17 After serving in the Royal Australian Air Force in World War II, Chipp worked as registrar of the Commonwealth Institute of Accountants from 1950 to 1955.

In that portfolio, he gained national attention by largely abolishing the censorship of printed material, unbanning many novels, including Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer, as well as allowing the sale of Playboy magazine.

When Fraser was appointed prime minister following the dismissal of Gough Whitlam on 11 November 1975, he gave Chipp three portfolios in his caretaker ministry: Social Security, Health, and Repatriation and Compensation.

That came to a head on 8 March 1977 when he spoke at a heavily attended Citizens for Democracy meeting at the Sydney Town Hall with other controversial speakers including Frank Hardy, Patrick White, Donald Horne and Faith Bandler.

"[1]: 177–178  The rebellious image was heightened by the fact that Chipp omitted to attend a Parliament House reception for Queen Elizabeth II.

Donald Horne pleaded for order, saying "This man deserves a hearing; he is putting his political career on the line by speaking here.

[4] He resolutely turned down a series of such leadership offers until, on 9 May 1977, he was accorded an overwhelming standing ovation by a 3,000-strong audience at the Melbourne Town Hall.

The meeting was attended by former prime minister John Gorton and chaired by South Australian Governor Sir Mark Oliphant.

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.

Their theoretical ability to reject or amend government legislation was seldom applied, as it was dependent on rare support from other non-government senators.

In his later years, he suffered from Parkinson's disease, but he still made a number of public appearances, most notably on the ABC chat show Enough Rope with Andrew Denton.

With her support, Chipp stood and won a seat on the Kew City Council which he held from 1955 to 1961, and was encouraged- at that time – to become an active member of the Liberal Party.