Michael Danby

Michael David Danby (born 16 February 1955) is an Australian politician who was an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1998 until 2019, representing the Division of Melbourne Ports, Victoria. Danby was briefly Parliamentary Secretary for the Arts, from March to September 2013.

The Honourable

Michael Danby
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Melbourne Ports
In office
3 October 1998 – 11 April 2019
Preceded byClyde Holding
Succeeded byDivision abolished
Personal details
Born (1955-02-16) 16 February 1955
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Political partyAustralian Labor Party
Spouse(s)Amanda Mendes da Costa
Children2
OccupationConsultant

Early life and experience

Danby was born in Melbourne and lives in Elwood, in his electorate. Danby attended Mount Scopus Memorial College and then enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts at Melbourne University but left without completing the degree. He was President of the Melbourne University Student Union as well as President of the Australasian Union of Jewish Students. From 1980 to 1983 he was an Australian Army Reserve officer cadet with Officer Cadet Training Unit, 3 Training Group, based at Albert Park Reserve and Puckapunyal.

From 1979 to 1983 Danby was manager of Halmaag Art Galleries in Malvern. He was Assistant Private Secretary to Barry Cohen, a minister in the Hawke government 1983–84, and Editor of the Australia-Israel Review (published by the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council) from 1986 to 1993. In 1985 he was senior vice-president of the International Youth Conference in Kingston, Jamaica. He was a ministerial adviser to Alan Griffiths, the Industry Minister in the Keating government, 1993–94. He was an industrial officer with the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association 1994–96.

Federal politics

In 1990 Danby ran as the Labor candidate for the safe Liberal seat of Goldstein against Dr David Kemp. In 1997 he won a hotly disputed Labor Party preselection battle for the right to contest Melbourne Ports, where the sitting member, Clyde Holding, was retiring, defeating Tim Pallas, who would later become the Victorian State Treasurer. He was elected in 1998 with 55 percent of the vote, and was reelected with slightly reduced majorities in 2001 and 2004. In 2007 he gained a 3% two-candidate-preferred (TCP) swing to Labor and in 2010 secured a further 1% TCP swing. Danby was outspoken in his criticism of the Labor Party's handling of the 2010 election, attacking the heavily-Western Sydney focus of the campaign.[1]

Electoral Matters Committee activities

Danby was a member of the Parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters from 1998 until 2010, and was Deputy Chair in 2006. He used this position to run a high-profile campaign against the Howard Government's changes to Australian electoral law, which he argued restricted the ability of voters, particularly new voters, to enrol and vote. In an article in 2005, he wrote: "For 150 years Australia has been a world leader in progressive electoral reform... As a result Australia has one of the most open and accessible electoral systems in the world, and also a system with the highest reputation for integrity and transparency. Now, for the first time in living memory, an Australian government is going to wind the process back, for no good reason other than its own partisan advantage. They are going to make it more difficult for Australians to enrol and to vote."[2] Soon after the 2010 Federal Election Danby drew attention to the fact that for various reasons 1.4 million eligible Australians had not voted, and criticised the Government for not having acted during its previous term to ensure greater voter turn-out.[1]

Other parliamentary activities

From 2008 to 2010 Danby was Chair of the Parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Migration.[3] He was Chair of the Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade throughout the 42nd Parliament, and was again chosen for this position in the 43rd parliament.[4] He is also Chair of the Parliamentary Friendship Group for the United States,[5] and the Parliamentary Group for Tibet.[6]

In 2008 and 2009 the Migration Committee completed three major reports.[7] These reports made numerous recommendations in relation to Australia's immigration detention system, several of which of have been adopted by the Australian Government, including the recommendation that 'detention debt' should be abolished.[8] Danby gained some media attention in late 2009 following his criticism of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's use of the term 'illegal immigrants' rather than 'asylum seekers'. Regarding use of the term 'illegal immigrants' he stated "I don't find these sort of populist expressions helpful in this debate."[9]

In July 2009 in his role as Chair of the Parliamentary Group for Tibet, Danby led the first-ever delegation of Australian MPs and Senators to Dharamshala,[10] India, the base of the Central Tibetan Administration. The group met with Dalai Lama, and other senior lamas, as well as numerous government Ministers. Danby also gave a speech at the celebrations for the Dalai Lama's 74th birthday entitled 'Let freedom reign in Tibet'.[11] The Chinese Government reacted angrily to the delegation's visit, saying the visit constituted interference in China's internal affairs.[12]

From July 2011 to March 2013 Danby was Chairman of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade,[13] a role which saw him represent the Prime Minister at the inauguration of the new nation of South Sudan in 2011.[14]

Jewish representation

Danby was the only Jewish member of the Australian Parliament from 1998 to 2007, when Mark Dreyfus, also from the Labor Party, was elected. This was followed in 2010 with the election of Josh Frydenberg who is a Liberal. He has frequently spoken in support of Israel. Danby supports a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine question. In May 2011 he said: "I am a strong supporter of Israel. Obviously also a strong supporter of a peace process there and a two-state solution, and I have that dialogue with a friends from Israel when I get the opportunity to.[15]

In 2005 Danby was critical of a book by a Sydney Jewish atheist journalist, Antony Loewenstein, about the Australian Jewish community and its attitudes to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. In a letter to the Australian Jewish News, Danby called on the book's publisher, Melbourne University Press, to "drop this whole disgusting project." He also called on the Jewish community to boycott the book. "I urge the Australian Jewish community, and particularly the Australian Jewish News, to treat it with dignified silence," he said.

Danby has been a long time campaigner for Government funding of schools at risk of facing terrorist or other violent attacks. In a speech to the House of Representatives he welcomed the Australian Government's $20 million funding program for schools at risk, and noted that a Sunday program that he had appeared on had sparked interest in the issue among many of his fellow MPs and Senators.[16]

Other activities

Danby was an outspoken supporter of the Australian National Academy of Music, opposing Arts Minister Peter Garrett's decision to cut funding for the institution, which is in his electorate, in October 2008.[17] Following a wide outcry the Government changed its decision to close the Academy and announced an additional $500,000 for the elite classical training centre.[18]

Danby helped organise the visit of the Uyghur leader Rebiya Kadeer, to Australia for the Melbourne International Film Festival in August 2009.[19] The visit drew condemnation from the Chinese Government, but Danby criticised the Chinese Government for describing Kadeer as a terrorist,[19] and argued that she was "a paradigm of non-violence"[20]

In September and October 2010 Danby wrote a number of articles critical of Australian National University academic Hugh White's Quarterly Essay entitled "Power Shift: Australia’s Future between Washington and Beijing”. In an article published in The Wall Street Journal Asia, Danby was highly critical of White's contention that Australia should support US military evacuation of the South China Sea, and other possible zones of conflict with China.[21] In another article in The Australian (co-authored with foreign affairs experts Carl Ungerer and Peter Khalil), Danby warned against a 'Munich Moment' which would result if Australia followed White's advice and decided that the price of China's growing power was to cease "lecturing China about dissidents, Tibet or religious freedom".[22] White responded to these articles in both The Australian and the Australian Financial Review. However it seems Danby had the last word in the debate, publishing another article in the Australian Financial Review, which attacked White's thesis as advocating "unprincipled appeasement". Danby also accused White of holding 'cold-blooded, Kissingerian views', 'treating China and the United States as if they were no more than a pair of traditional great-power rivals competing for territory or markets, like the Habsburg and Ottoman empires'.[23] In a parliamentary speech in October 2010 Danby pointed to calls for reform from within the highest echelons of the Chinese Communist Party as reason not to follow White's approach.[24]

During his time in Parliament, Danby was a member of the World Movement for Democracy's Steering Committee.[25]

Retirement

On 5 July 2018, Danby announced he would not contest the seat of Macnamara, which would replace Melbourne Ports at the 2019 federal election, thus ending a 20-year career in federal politics.[26] Danby was replaced by Josh Burns, a Labor staffer, who went on to win the seat.

Controversies

Preferencing tactics

During the mid 2010s, Melbourne Ports saw an increase in the Greens vote.[27] Danby has long been critical of the Greens due to their stance on Israel, which he characterised as "extreme."[28]

In the 2016 federal election campaign, Danby criticised Greens candidate Steph Hodgins-May for pulling out of a local debate after discovering it was co-hosted by Zionism Victoria; Hodgins-May was critical of the organisation's political views, specifically its dismissive attitude of the United Nations, her former employer.[29] In response Danby called her an "obnoxious bigot" and called on Greens leader Richard Di Natale to sack her.[30] The debate ultimately went ahead between Danby and Liberal candidate Owen Guest, with Hodgins-May represented by an empty chair.[31]

During the campaign Danby was discovered distributing how-to-vote cards which preferenced the Greens below the Liberals, in contravention of official Labor Party cards, which preferenced the Liberals below the Greens.[32][31][33] The Greens unequivocally preferenced Labor.[34]

Danby previously drew criticism in the 2013 federal election for distributing how-to-vote cards which placed the Australian Sex Party (deregistered by the AEC in 2017) last when distributed to Jewish Orthodox voters, in contravention of official Labor Party cards which placed Family First (deregistered by the AEC in 2017) last.[35][36]

Advertisements regarding an ABC journalist

In October 2017 Danby ran attack ads in the Australian Jewish News against Sophie McNeill, the ABC's Walkley Award-winning Jerusalem correspondent. Danby accused McNeill of pro-Palestinian bias and double standards, alleging that she filed "extensive coverage" on the September 2017 eviction of the Shamasneh family from East Jerusalem, while falsely claiming she provided "no report" on the July 2017 Halamish stabbing attack.[37] The ABC strongly rejected the allegation, calling the ads "part of a pattern of inaccurate and highly inappropriate personal attacks on Ms McNeill by Mr Danby," and complaining directly to Labor leader Bill Shorten.[38][37] Danby stood by his claims, asserting that McNeill gave the Shamasneh family's eviction undue prominence over the Halamish attack.[37] Danby faced further criticism when it emerged the ads had been paid for with taxpayer money,[39] amounting to $4,574.[40]

Labor leader Bill Shorten was reported to be "deeply unimpressed" by Danby's actions,[41] and former Labor New South Wales Premier and foreign minister Bob Carr called the ad "wild, nasty and tinged by mania."[42] The incident further stoked a push by factions within the Labor Party to pressure Danby into retirement ahead of the next election, with sources saying Danby was "too divisive to resist the Liberals and the Greens."[43]

Israeli conference appearance

Shortly after the controversy surrounding his attack ad, it was revealed Danby had attended a conference on "global jihad" and the "terrorist threat posed to Israel and other democratic countries" hosted by the conservative International Institute for Counter-Terrorism along with other meetings in Tel Aviv, Israel while the House of Representatives was sitting, after having presented a medical certificate and obtaining sick leave. Labor factional ally and former New South Wales Premier and foreign minister Bob Carr again criticised Danby, writing on Twitter "pre-selectors and voters in Melbourne Ports [are] itching to give Michael Danby what he sought: a long break to look after his health." Catherine King, a fellow Labor MP suggested it was a matter for Danby "to address and explain himself".[44]

Farewell party expenses

Following Danby's retirement, mayor of the City of Port Phillip Dick Gross alleged Danby's staffers never paid invoices of several thousand dollars for the rental of St Kilda Town Hall. Danby claimed the use of the venue was a gift due to his "wide local community support."[45]

Electoral history

Danby has run in two seats through his career, both for federal parliament across 8 elections.

Electorate Primary vote Change in primary vote

from previous election

 2 party preferred Opponent 2PP Name of opponent
1990 Goldstein 29.8% -10.2% 44.0% 56.0% David Kemp
1998 Melbourne Ports 44.10% -2.47% 55.83% 44.17% Fiona Snedden
2001 Melbourne Ports 39.36% -4.74% 55.69% 44.31% Andrew McLorinan
2004 Melbourne Ports 39.25% -0.11% 53.74% 46.36% David Southwick
2007 Melbourne Ports 42.47% +3.22% 57.15% 42.85% Adam Held
2010 Melbourne Ports 38.19% -4.28% 57.56% 42.44% Kevin Ekendahl
2013 Melbourne Ports 31.67% -6.52% 53.56% 46.44% Kevin Ekendahl
2016 Melbourne Ports 27.00% -4.67% 51.38% 48.62% Owen Guest

Personal

In February 2008 he and his longtime partner, barrister Amanda Mendes da Costa, were married at Parliament House, Canberra, the first Jewish wedding held in the building.[46]

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References
  1. Australia's great democratic deficit – The Drum Opinion (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
  2. Electoral Law – Michael Danby
  3. Joint Standing Committee on Migration – Members
  4. Joint Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee – Membership Archived 3 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  5. http://www.oecd.org/document/0/0,3343,en_2649_18532957_42083008_1_1_1_1,00.html
  6. China tells MP to avoid Tibet rally
  7. Joint Standing Committee on Migration: Immigration detention in Australia: Report 3
  8. Detention debt regime to be scrapped
  9. Labor MP criticises Rudd on asylum seekers, ABC news, 20 October 2009
  10. Australian MP group to visit Dalai Lama
  11. Let freedom reign in Tibet – Michael Danby
  12. AM – Chinese angry about Australian politicians meeting the Dalai Lama 03/07/2009
  13. Joint Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee – Membership Archived 3 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  14. South Sudan: “Oh Yay!” – Michael Danby
  15. (House of Representatives Hansard, 23 May 2011)
  16. http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/genpdf/chamber/hansardr/2008-05-14/0008/hansard_frag.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf
  17. http://www.abc.net.au/news/archive/2008/11/26/default_14.htm
  18. Media releases and speeches 1996 – 2007: Minister for the Environment
  19. PM – Rebiya Kadeer granted visa with help from Fed Govt MP 30/07/2009
  20. Dalai Lama sends message of support to Kadeer – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
  21. Danby & Ungerer: Australia's Munich Moment – WSJ.com
  22. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/no-winners-by-appeasing-china/story-e6frg6zo-1225924276179
  23. Australian Financial Review 30 September 2010 p67
  24. http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/genpdf/chamber/hansardr/2010-10-19/0104/hansard_frag.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf
  25. Michael Danby | World Movement for Democracy
  26. "Controversial Labor MP Michael Danby announces retirement". Guardian Australia. 5 July 2018.
  27. Samantha Hutchinson (20 July 2012). "ALP calling time on Michael Danby as election threat looms". The Australian. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  28. "Danby declares war on the Greens". Australian Jewish News. Associated Press. 20 July 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  29. Rob Harris (10 June 2016). "Greens candidate boycotts forum hosted by Zionism Victoria". Herald Sun. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  30. Josh Butler (28 June 2016). "Labor MP Michael Danby Calls Female Greens Opponent 'Obnoxious Bigot'". Huffington Post Australia. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  31. Peter Kohn (23 June 2016). "Danby, Guest trade blows at election debate". Australian Jewish News. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  32. Richard Willingham (16 June 2016). "Election 2016: Labor's Michael Danby defies party on Greens preferences". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  33. "Greens ahead of Danby in Port Melbourne". Sky News. 27 June 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  34. Joshua Levi (30 June 2016). "Messy campaign for Melbourne Ports". Australian Jewish News. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  35. Oliver Milman (28 August 2013). "Labor MP creates second how-to-vote card 'to avoid upsetting Jewish voters'". Guardian Australia. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  36. Serkan Ozturk (30 August 2013). "Danby in hot water over How To Vote cards". Star Observer. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  37. Amanda Meade (4 October 2017). "ABC's Sophie McNeill accused of anti-Israel bias in ad by Labor MP". Guardian Australia. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  38. Sally Jackson (4 October 2017). "ABC News Statement on Sophie McNeill". ABC News. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  39. Adam Gartrell (4 October 2017). "Labor MP Michael Danby used taxpayer funds for ad attacking ABC journalist Sophie McNeill". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  40. William Summers (6 January 2018). "Danby spent $4574 on journalist attack ads – despite warning from parliamentary authorities". williamsummers.blog. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  41. Broede Carmody (5 October 2017). "'Unimpressed': Shorten's anger as ALP's Michael Danby takes out second ABC attack ad". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
  42. Brad Norington (5 October 2017). "Bob Carr lashes Michael Danby over taxpayer-funded ad in Jewish newspaper". The Australian. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
  43. Adam Gartrell (5 October 2017). "'It's time': Labor MP Michael Danby under pressure after ABC attack backfires". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
  44. McGhee, Ashlynne (16 October 2016). "Labor's Michael Danby took sick leave in sitting week to attend Israel conference on 'global jihad'". ABC News (Australia). Retrieved 16 October 2017.
  45. Loussikian, Kylar (28 June 2019). "Payday confusion". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  46. Parliament House to host its first Jewish wedding
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by
Clyde Holding		 Member for Melbourne Ports
1998–2019		 Division abolished
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