Daniel Levy (politician)

Daniel Levy, MLA (1872-1937) c. 1918

Sir Daniel Levy (30 November 1872 – 20 May 1937) was an Australian politician.

Early life

He was born in London to tailor Joseph Levy and Esther, née Cohen. He arrived in Sydney in 1880 and attended Crown Street Superior School, Sydney Grammar School and the University of Sydney, graduating with a first in Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in 1893 and a Bachelor of Law in 1895, in which year he was called to the Bar. In 1902 he was admitted as a solicitor. Levy was active in Jewish affairs and was co-editor of the Australasian Hebrew newspaper in 1896 with Percy J. Marks.

Political career

He entered the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1901 as the Liberal member for Sydney-Fitzroy, transferring to Darlinghurst in 1904. He would represent Sydney for the period of proportional representation from 1920 to 1927, Paddington from 1927 to 1930, and Woollahra thereafter.

In 1919 he was elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. The Labor party had a narrow victory at the 1920 election, winning 43 of the 90 seats. Levy, despite being a member of the Nationalist opposition, accepted re-election as speaker, making it easier for Labor to obtain a majority, provoking discontent within his own party, with John Fitzpatrick making a scathing speech, lasting almost 2 hours, including calling Levy a rat and a traitor and that if he was knighted he would "arise Sir Judas Iscariot". Levy resigned as speaker on 12 December 1921 after the Nationalist leader George Fuller announced that he had likely majority, his resignation precipitating the defeat of the Dooley government on the floor of the house. Levy was re-elected as speaker following the formation of the Fuller ministry, which lasted seven hours, and continued the position when Dooley resumed the premiership later the same day.

Levy was known as a scrupulously independent Speaker, advocating the British model of speakership in which the speaker's seat was uncontested, and made efforts to have this practice adopted by statute. He was speaker until 1925, served again from 1927 to 1930, and served briefly in Bertram Stevens' 1932 emergency cabinet as Minister for Justice and Attorney General. Resuming the speakership in 1932, he held the position until his death on 20 May 1937(1937-05-20) (aged 64) at Darling Point.

Levy was knighted in 1929 for his service as Speaker.