Fred Daly
Encyclopedia
Frederick Michael Daly, AO (13 June 19122 August 1995) was a long-serving Australian Labor Party
politician, a member of the Australian House of Representatives
for 32 years from 1943 to 1975, and Minister for Administrative Services in the government of Gough Whitlam
(1972–75).
Daly was born in Currabubulla
, a small town in northern New South Wales, and was educated at Catholic schools, becoming a clerk in the Department of the Navy and an official of the Federated Clerks Union, a stronghold of the Catholic right wing of the Labour movement. At the 1943 election
he unexpectedly won Martin
, a previously safe United Australia Party
seat on the north shore of Sydney. He rapidly established himself as a skilled and witty debater, and became a protege of Ben Chifley
, Labor Prime Minister from 1945.
Labor was defeated at the 1949 election
, at which Daly shifted to the safe Labor seat of Grayndler
. Daly spent the next 23 years as an opposition frontbencher – one of a generation of Labor politicians whose career opportunities were greatly reduced by the splits and internal conflicts of the 1950s and 1960s. As a right-wing Catholic, Daly had many sympathies with the right-wing group which left the Labor Party in 1955 and later formed the Democratic Labor Party
, but he remained loyal to the party and defeated several attempts by the left to challenge his party endorsement.
Daly became well known as one of the great humourists of the House
. Among his well-known lines were: "The Country Party
has two election policies – one for people and one for sheep", and "He (Billy Snedden
) couldn't lead a flock of homing pigeons".
From 1967 onwards Daly was a strong supporter of Gough Whitlam
in his battles with the left wing of the party, and in 1969 Whitlam made him Shadow Minister for Immigration. But his support for retaining some elements of the White Australia Policy
in Labor's platform caused Whitlam to remove him from the portfolio. When Labor won the 1972 election
– by which time Daly was the longest-serving member of the House – he became Minister for Services and Property (in 1974 renamed Administrative Services).
This put Daly in charge of, among other things, the Australian Electoral Commission
, and he tried to pass legislation which would have abolished the malapportionment of electorates in favour of rural areas (see Australian electoral system
), but his bills were defeated in the Senate
. After the 1974 election
he was able to get many of his reforms to the electoral system passed.
After the Whitlam government was dismissed by the Governor-General
, Sir John Kerr in November 1975 (see 1975 Australian constitutional crisis), Daly announced he would retire from parliament and not contest the December election
. He delayed his announcement until the last minute, to ensure that Whitlam's son Tony Whitlam
was able to secure endorsement for Grayndler without opposition.
In retirement Daly published two volumes of humorous memoirs, From Curtin to Kerr and The Politician who Laughed. He remained active in the New South Wales Labor Party until his death in 1995, when he was accorded a state funeral at St Brigid's Church, Marrickville, attended by a huge crowd of Labor loyalists. He was the last surviving member of John Curtin's government.
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
politician, a member of the Australian House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
for 32 years from 1943 to 1975, and Minister for Administrative Services in the government of Gough Whitlam
Gough Whitlam
Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...
(1972–75).
Daly was born in Currabubulla
Currabubula, New South Wales
Currabubula is a village on the North West Slopes of the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the Werris Creek Road 30 kilometres south-west of Tamworth and 15 km north-east of Werris Creek. Currabubula is in the Liverpool Plains Shire Local Government...
, a small town in northern New South Wales, and was educated at Catholic schools, becoming a clerk in the Department of the Navy and an official of the Federated Clerks Union, a stronghold of the Catholic right wing of the Labour movement. At the 1943 election
Australian federal election, 1943
Federal elections were held in Australia on 21 August 1943. All 74 seats in the House of Representatives, and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Prime Minister of Australia John Curtin easily defeated the opposition Country Party led...
he unexpectedly won Martin
Division of Martin
The Division of Martin was an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It was located in the inner western suburbs of Sydney, and initially included the suburbs of Concord and Mortlake, although by the time it was abolished in 1955, it had moved to cover Abbotsford, Balmain...
, a previously safe United Australia Party
United Australia Party
The United Australia Party was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. It was the political successor to the Nationalist Party of Australia and predecessor to the Liberal Party of Australia...
seat on the north shore of Sydney. He rapidly established himself as a skilled and witty debater, and became a protege of Ben Chifley
Ben Chifley
Joseph Benedict Chifley , Australian politician, was the 16th Prime Minister of Australia. He took over the Australian Labor Party leadership and Prime Ministership after the death of John Curtin in 1945, and went on to retain government at the 1946 election, before being defeated at the 1949...
, Labor Prime Minister from 1945.
Labor was defeated at the 1949 election
Australian federal election, 1949
Federal elections were held in Australia on 10 December 1949. All 121 seats in the House of Representatives, and 42 of the 60 seats in the Senate were up for election, where the single transferable vote was introduced...
, at which Daly shifted to the safe Labor seat of Grayndler
Division of Grayndler
The Division of Grayndler is an Australian Electoral Division in inner Metropolitan Sydney, New South Wales. It is one of Australia's smallest electorates, located in the inner-southern Sydney metropolitan area, including parts of the inner-west...
. Daly spent the next 23 years as an opposition frontbencher – one of a generation of Labor politicians whose career opportunities were greatly reduced by the splits and internal conflicts of the 1950s and 1960s. As a right-wing Catholic, Daly had many sympathies with the right-wing group which left the Labor Party in 1955 and later formed the Democratic Labor Party
Democratic Labor Party
The Democratic Labor Party is a political party in Australia that espouses social conservatism and opposes neo-liberalism. The first "DLP" Senator in decades, party vice-president John Madigan was elected to the Australian Senate with 2.3 percent of the primary vote in Victoria at the 2010 federal...
, but he remained loyal to the party and defeated several attempts by the left to challenge his party endorsement.
Daly became well known as one of the great humourists of the House
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
. Among his well-known lines were: "The Country Party
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
has two election policies – one for people and one for sheep", and "He (Billy Snedden
Billy Snedden
Sir Billy Mackie Snedden, KCMG, QC was an Australian politician representing the Liberal Party. He was Leader of the Opposition at the 1974 federal election, failing to defeat the Labor incumbent Gough Whitlam.-Early life:...
) couldn't lead a flock of homing pigeons".
From 1967 onwards Daly was a strong supporter of Gough Whitlam
Gough Whitlam
Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...
in his battles with the left wing of the party, and in 1969 Whitlam made him Shadow Minister for Immigration. But his support for retaining some elements of the White Australia Policy
White Australia policy
The White Australia policy comprises various historical policies that intentionally restricted "non-white" immigration to Australia. From origins at Federation in 1901, the polices were progressively dismantled between 1949-1973....
in Labor's platform caused Whitlam to remove him from the portfolio. When Labor won the 1972 election
Australian federal election, 1972
Federal elections were held in Australia on 2 December 1972. All 125 seats in the House of Representatives were up for election. The Liberal Party of Australia had been in power since 1949, under Prime Minister of Australia William McMahon since March 1971 with coalition partner the Country Party...
– by which time Daly was the longest-serving member of the House – he became Minister for Services and Property (in 1974 renamed Administrative Services).
This put Daly in charge of, among other things, the Australian Electoral Commission
Australian Electoral Commission
The Australian Electoral Commission, or the AEC, is the federal government agency in charge of organising and supervising federal elections and referendums. State and local government elections are overseen by the Electoral Commission in each state and territory.The Australian Electoral Commission...
, and he tried to pass legislation which would have abolished the malapportionment of electorates in favour of rural areas (see Australian electoral system
Australian electoral system
The Australian electoral system has evolved over nearly 150 years of continuous democratic government, and has a number of distinctive features including compulsory voting, preferential voting and the use of proportional voting to elect the upper house, the Australian Senate.- Compulsory voting...
), but his bills were defeated in the Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
. After the 1974 election
Australian federal election, 1974
Federal elections were held in Australia on 18 May 1974. All 127 seats in the House of Representatives, and all 60 seats in the Senate were up for election, due to a double dissolution...
he was able to get many of his reforms to the electoral system passed.
After the Whitlam government was dismissed by the Governor-General
Governor-General of Australia
The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...
, Sir John Kerr in November 1975 (see 1975 Australian constitutional crisis), Daly announced he would retire from parliament and not contest the December election
Australian federal election, 1975
Federal elections were held in Australia on 13 December 1975. All 127 seats in the House of Representatives, and all 64 seats in the Senate were up for election following a double dissolution of both Houses....
. He delayed his announcement until the last minute, to ensure that Whitlam's son Tony Whitlam
Tony Whitlam
Antony Philip Whitlam QC, is an Australian lawyer who has served as a politician and judge. He is the son of former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and Margaret Whitlam.-Early life and education:...
was able to secure endorsement for Grayndler without opposition.
In retirement Daly published two volumes of humorous memoirs, From Curtin to Kerr and The Politician who Laughed. He remained active in the New South Wales Labor Party until his death in 1995, when he was accorded a state funeral at St Brigid's Church, Marrickville, attended by a huge crowd of Labor loyalists. He was the last surviving member of John Curtin's government.