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Revision as of 11:26, 24 January 2005
Michael David Danby (born 16 February 1955), Australian politician, has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives since October 1998, representing the Division of Melbourne Ports, Victoria. He was born in Melbourne, Victoria and was educated at Melbourne University. He was an editor and ministerial advisor before entering politics.
Danby was Assistant Private Secretary to Barry Cohen, a minister in the Hawke government 1983-84, Editor of the Australia-Israel Review 1986-93 and an Advisor to Alan Griffiths, a minister in the Keating government, 1993-94. He was an industrial officer with the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association 1994-96.
Danby has been an Opposition Whip since November 2001. He is the only Jewish member of the Australian Parliament and has frequently spoken in support of Israel and in opposition to anti-Semitism and other forms of racism.
One critic, a convert to Islam, has attacked Danby as "one of the most vociferous opponents to Islam in Canberra"; his supporters assert that this accusation is due to his strong support for Israel. He has been described by political commentator Gerard Henderson as "almost a neo-conservative on foreign policy issues."
At the 2004 federal election, the Liberal Party ran a Jewish candidate, David Southwick, against Danby, hoping to win Jewish votes that had previously gone to Danby. The Liberals secured a two-party swing of two percent, lower than the Victorian and national average swing, and not enough to overcome Danby's 5.7 percent margin.