John Daly (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
John Joseph Daly was an Australian politician.
Daly was born at Hemington, now part of the Adelaide suburb of Thebarton
and educated at St John the Baptist School, Thebarton, but left at 13. He continued his education at Remington Training College and became an office-boy in the legal firm of Sir Josiah Symon
and later conveyancing clerk for William Joseph Denny and Francis Villeneuve Smith. He was called to the bar in 1919 and handled much trade union work. He married Eva Bird in October 1918.
in 1914 and was a member of the executive of the South Australian branch off the Australian Labor Party
from 1918 to 1928. He ran unsuccessfully for the South Australian Legislative Council
in 1921 and for the Australian Senate
in 1925
. He was elected to the Senate in 1928
and soon after unanimously elected as leader of the Opposition in the Senate.
With the election of the Scullin
government in 1929
, Daly became Senate leader and Vice-President of the Executive Council
and minister in charge of development and migration, and of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
in the Scullin Ministry
. From August 1930 to January 1931, he acted as Attorney-General
and allegedly had H. V. Evatt
and Edward McTiernan
appointed to the High Court of Australia
against Scullin's wishes. He opposed the Scullin government's deflationary Niemeyer Plan and was removed from cabinet by caucus in March 1931, but following a change in his attitude to support the similar Premiers' Plan was restored to cabinet in June 1931 as minister without portfolio. He was expelled from the party by the South Australian branch for supporting Scullin's economic policies and failed to gain preselection for the Senate for the 1934 election
. Following the expiration of his Senate term, he returned to his private practice.
Daly died in North Adelaide survived by his wife and his five children.
Daly was born at Hemington, now part of the Adelaide suburb of Thebarton
Thebarton, South Australia
Thebarton is a suburb of the city of Adelaide, South Australia. The suburb is bounded by the River Torrens to the north, Port Road and Bonython Park to the east, Kintore Street to the south, and South Road to the west....
and educated at St John the Baptist School, Thebarton, but left at 13. He continued his education at Remington Training College and became an office-boy in the legal firm of Sir Josiah Symon
Josiah Symon
Hon Sir Josiah Henry Symon KCMG , Scottish-Australian lawyer and politician, was a member of the Australian Senate in the First Australian Parliament, and an Attorney-General of Australia.-Biography:...
and later conveyancing clerk for William Joseph Denny and Francis Villeneuve Smith. He was called to the bar in 1919 and handled much trade union work. He married Eva Bird in October 1918.
Political career
Daly joined the Australian Workers' UnionAustralian Workers' Union
The Australian Workers' Union is one of Australia's largest and oldest trade unions. It traces its origins to unions founded in the pastoral and mining industries in the 1880s, and currently has approximately 135,000 members...
in 1914 and was a member of the executive of the South Australian branch off the Australian Labor Party
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...
from 1918 to 1928. He ran unsuccessfully for the South Australian Legislative Council
South Australian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the House of Assembly...
in 1921 and for the Australian 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,...
in 1925
Australian federal election, 1925
Federal elections were held in Australia on 14 November 1925. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 22 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election...
. He was elected to the Senate in 1928
Australian federal election, 1928
Federal elections were held in Australia on 17 November 1928. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election...
and soon after unanimously elected as leader of the Opposition in the Senate.
With the election of the Scullin
James Scullin
James Henry Scullin , Australian Labor politician and the ninth Prime Minister of Australia. Two days after he was sworn in as Prime Minister, the Wall Street Crash of 1929 occurred, marking the beginning of the Great Depression and subsequent Great Depression in Australia.-Early life:Scullin was...
government in 1929
Australian federal election, 1929
Federal elections were held in Australia on 12 October 1929. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives were up for election, with no Senate seats up for election, as a result of Billy Hughes and other rebel backbenchers crossing the floor over industrial relations legislation, depriving the...
, Daly became Senate leader and Vice-President of the Executive Council
Vice-President of the Executive Council
The Vice-President of the Federal Executive Council is a position in Australian federal governments, whose holder acts as presiding officer of the Federal Executive Council in the absence of the Governor-General....
and minister in charge of development and migration, and of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is the national government body for scientific research in Australia...
in the Scullin Ministry
Scullin Ministry
The Scullin Ministry was the twentieth Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 22 October 1929 to 6 January 1932.Australian Labor Party*Rt Hon James Scullin, MP: Prime Minister, Minister for External Affairs, Minister for Industry...
. From August 1930 to January 1931, he acted as Attorney-General
Attorney-General of Australia
The Attorney-General of Australia is the first law officer of the Crown, chief law officer of the Commonwealth of Australia and a minister of the Crown. The Attorney-General is usually a member of the Federal Cabinet, but there is no constitutional requirement that this be the case since the...
and allegedly had H. V. Evatt
H. V. Evatt
Herbert Vere Evatt, QC KStJ , was an Australian jurist, politician and writer. He was President of the United Nations General Assembly in 1948–49 and helped draft the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights...
and Edward McTiernan
Edward McTiernan
Sir Edward Aloysius McTiernan, KBE , was an Australian jurist, lawyer and politician. He served as an Australian Labor Party member of both the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and federal House of Representatives before being appointed to the High Court of Australia in 1930...
appointed to the High Court of Australia
High Court of Australia
The High Court of Australia is the supreme court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, has the power of judicial review over laws passed by the Parliament of Australia and the parliaments of the States, and...
against Scullin's wishes. He opposed the Scullin government's deflationary Niemeyer Plan and was removed from cabinet by caucus in March 1931, but following a change in his attitude to support the similar Premiers' Plan was restored to cabinet in June 1931 as minister without portfolio. He was expelled from the party by the South Australian branch for supporting Scullin's economic policies and failed to gain preselection for the Senate for the 1934 election
Australian federal election, 1934
Federal elections were held in Australia on 15 September 1934. All 74 seats in the House of Representatives, and 18 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent United Australia Party led by Prime Minister of Australia Joseph Lyons with coalition partner the Country Party led...
. Following the expiration of his Senate term, he returned to his private practice.
Daly died in North Adelaide survived by his wife and his five children.