Michael Danby
Re-elected for the 4th time, Michael Danby is not a Minister, and no longer Chairs the Government’s Migration Committee or Whips for the Government. He is Special Advisor to the Treasurer on Corporate Philanthropy and the Not For Profit Sector.
As a backbencher he is a little freer to express views. He is slated to takeover Parliament’s heavyweight Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence & Trade. On issues from China to the Middle East to the topic of where our diplomatic posts ought to be situated, his views will make an interesting juxtaposition with our legendary Foreign Minister.
Last term he disagreed with Arts Minister Peter Garrett, over the proposed closure of the highly successful Australian National Academy of Music. His paper ‘Logrolling the ALP’ contributed to the rethink by the Government of a plan for taxpayers to exclusively fund all political parties. The Greens political party and Fairfax liked the plan, but Danby figured the punters would rather spend $500 million on hospitals, schools or the defence forces.
He is very unpopular with the Malaysian Government as the initiator of a petition signed by 61 Australian MPs and Senators calling on them to drop the renewed charges against the opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.
Articles by Michael Danby
Win or lose at the UN, we’re still very under represented
On Friday, Australia time, the United Nations in New York will decide on which of three states: Finland, Luxembourg or…... Read more
We’ve got to tell this Chinese telco: My way or the Huawei
The shadow minister for communications, Malcolm Turnbull, says he will “review” the decision by Communications Minister Stephen Conroy to ban…... Read more
Boycotting Jewish businesses ignores history’s lessons
Criminal defense lawyer Rob Stary’s self-congratulation on his successful defence of his clients’ rights to protest in his opinion piece…... Read more
These people want our foreign policy made in China
So Julie Bishop has a Huawei-donated iPad. Dangerous. Dangerous for her and dangerous for Australia if she ever aspires to…... Read more
Reaching out to Syria was a delusional miscalculation
In October 2010, Syria’s heavy-weight ambassador Tammam Sulaiman left Australia a disappointed man. He had failed to convince Australia to…... Read more
Cautious hope for the world’s newest nation
A little over two months ago, on 9 July 2011, the world celebrated in unison at the birth of the…... Read more
Whether she likes it or nyet, Lee Rhiannon was a Stalinist
It is customary for new Members and Senators to use part of their first speech to give some account of…... Read more
Syria: the dictator fights back
The Presidents of Tunisia and Egypt have gone, the President of Yemen is going. The dictator of Libya has lost…... Read more
Julian Assange: Lord Byron of the internets?
Few people, apparently, support the jailing of Julian Assange - Australia’s very own electronic Lord Byron, the “romantic” hero of…... Read more
Christians under attack in the Middle East and Australia
Clad in his spectacular Bishop’s regalia, Greek Orthodox Bishop Ezekiel throws a cross in the water at the annual “Thefeonia”…... Read more
Sanctions the best way to crush Ahmedinijad - for now
We have all met “truthers”. You know, the kind of conspiracy theorist who believes that every evil event was concocted…... Read more
In Tibet they’d die for a hung parliament
While we in peaceful democratic Australia have been conducting our political battles at public meetings and settling our disputes at…... Read more
Why MPs protested over the Anwar trial
Last week saw an unusual event in Australian politics: backbench members of Parliament from both sides took a foreign affairs…... Read more
Clean up our election laws now
Coalition Senator Michael Ronaldson decries the current mixed funding system of elections in his post on the Punch last week.…... Read more
On terrorism, we need to tell Pakistan enough is enough
As a new year begins we should look at where we are with the struggle against Jihadi terrorism. Retrospectively, we…... Read more
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