Frank Sartor

Early life

Sartor was born in Yenda near Griffith, New South Wales.{{cite web |access-date = 4 July 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927212849/http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/investigator/Details/Person_Detail.asp?Entity=Global&Op=Exact&Page=1&Search=&Id=32&SearchPage=Global |archive-date = 27 September 2007 |url-status = dead |access-date = 4 July 2007 |archive-date = 7 October 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081007071656/http://www.abc.net.au/am/stories/s717231.htm |url-status = dead |access-date=5 July 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070814003923/http://www.italydownunder.com.au/issuesix/sartor.html |archive-date=14 August 2007 |url-status=dead

|access-date =8 September 2008 |archive-date =11 October 2008 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20081011095407/http://cpd.org.au/article/end-pub-smoking-australia:-tribute-frank-sartor |url-status =live

He attended the University of Sydney, residing at St John's College and graduating with a degree in chemical engineering, and a later qualification in accounting. From 1976–83, he was employed as a chemical engineer and in management roles by Colgate-Palmolive and oil company Total Australia Ltd.

Local government

Sartor served on the Council of the City of Sydney from 1984 to 2003, and was Lord Mayor of Sydney for almost 12 years, from September 1991 to April 2003. During his time on the council he served as vice-president of the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, Chairman of the Sydney Festival, Chairman of the Central Sydney Planning Committee, and board member of the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority.

During his tenure as Lord Mayor, unfounded claims were made in an effort to discredit Sartor, in relation to alleged sexual harassment, by Liberal politician, John Hannaford. These accusations were unfounded and never supported with any evidence, and were never raised in a court of law nor raised by Hannaford outside the protection of parliamentary privilege.{{cite web |access-date=1 August 2006 |archive-date=29 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929095733/http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LC19990908049 |url-status=live |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120324103859/http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/committee.nsf/c91ccf757cb06189ca256e500038888d/2eb3bb2dd4e1ea764a25683a0080ee59!OpenDocument |archive-date = 24 March 2012

Upon the departure of Sartor as Mayor, he was succeeded by Deputy Mayor, Lucy Turnbull, who served the remainder of the term between 2003 and 2004. Turnbull did not seek election by popular vote.

New South Wales politics

Sartor first sought to enter state politics in 1988, when he contested the inner-city Electoral district of McKell as an Independent, running against the endorsed Labor candidate, Sandra Nori. Sartor came second, winning 23.5% of the primary vote and 43.4% of the two-candidate preferred vote In 2003, Sartor joined the NSW Labor Party and entered parliament after successfully contesting the safe Labor seat of Rockdale at the 2003 state election and was subsequently sworn in as Minister for Energy and Water Utilities, Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Cancer) and Minister for Science and Medical Research.

Anti-cancer reforms

As Assistant Health Minister, Sartor was responsible for the formation of the Cancer Institute NSW in 2003 and the introduction of smoking bans in NSW pubs and clubs in 2004, reforms he would later describe as among his proudest achievements.{{cite news |access-date =8 September 2008 |archive-date =11 September 2008 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20080911213116/http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/there-were-a-lot-of-tears-i-told-the-premier-its-a-mistake/2008/09/07/1220725858702.html |url-status =live |access-date =8 September 2008 |archive-date =18 September 2008 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20080918003431/http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/nsw/content/2006/s1595024.htm |url-status =live

Redfern Waterloo

In 2005 Premier Bob Carr appointed Sartor as the first Minister for Redfern Waterloo overseeing the Redfern-Waterloo Authority and exercising planning powers over an area of inner Sydney.{{cite web |access-date=3 August 2006 |archive-date=29 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929134508/http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3HHBBill?open&vwCat=Redfern-Waterloo%20Authority%20Bill |url-status=dead

Minister for Planning

Upon the appointment of Morris Iemma as Premier in late 2005, Sartor relinquished the Energy and Water portfolios and was sworn in as Minister for Planning. His administration was marked by a series of planning reforms to reduce the concurrence and consultation processes required for major developments in NSW. In a column in The Sydney Morning Herald, journalist and former City of Sydney Councillor Elizabeth Farrelly was scathing of Sartor for his support for advertising billboards along NSW roadways, his approval of the Anvil Hill Coal Mine, and for his moves to reduce the planning powers of local government.{{cite news |access-date = 5 July 2007 |archive-date = 6 July 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070706003340/http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/should-sartor-have-his-cake-no-no-and-no/2007/07/03/1183351208113.html |url-status = live

Sartor was re-elected as Member for Rockdale at the 2007 state election with a slightly reduced majority,{{cite web |access-date =6 August 2008 |archive-date =22 July 2008 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20080722053436/http://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/state_government_elections/election_results/district_index/rockdale/results/2003 |url-status =dead |access-date =6 August 2008 |archive-date =29 July 2008 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20080729040052/http://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/state_government_elections/electoral_districts/all_districts_/rockdale/results_2007/perferential_count |url-status =dead

In 2008, the NSW Greens demanded a Royal Commission into alleged links between Sartor's planning approvals and Labor Party donations by major developers.{{cite news |access-date = 6 August 2008 |archive-date = 10 April 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080410055030/http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/the-developer-donations-the-greens-say-the-minister-must-explain/2008/04/05/1207249536187.html |url-status = live |access-date = 6 August 2008 |archive-date = 18 September 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080918103921/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/27/2174500.htm |url-status = dead

On 7 September 2008, Sartor was defeated in a ballot for ministerial positions and returned to the backbench{{cite news |access-date = 7 September 2008 |archive-date = 9 September 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080909051526/http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/i-feel-cheated-sartor/2008/09/07/1220725832874.html |url-status = live

Minister for Climate Change and the Environment

In December 2009, a no confidence motion was passed; and Nathan Rees stood down as Leader of NSW Labor.{{cite news |access-date=3 December 2009 |archive-date=4 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404143034/http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/katrina-keneally-is-catholic-feminist-with-american-twang/story-e6freuy9-1225806750479 |url-status=dead

Adoption of children legislation

In September 2010, Sartor introduced an amendment to the adoption legislation that would exempt both religious organisations and institutions from the legislation and that the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 would not apply to the legislation — and would allow same-sex couples to adopt children.

Personal life

The dancer Hephzibah Tintner was his partner until her death from cancer in 2001. She was the daughter of the Austrian-born orchestral conductor Georg Tintner.

He is now married to Monique Sartor, an interior decorator and lives in Glebe a suburb of Sydney.

Notes

References

References

1. Nicholls, Sean. (4 December 2010). "Keneally begs for second chance". Fairfax Media.
2. Nicholls, Sean. (3 December 2010). "Frank Sartor quits Parliament". Fairfax Media.
3. "The Hon. Frank Ernest Sartor (1951- )".
4. (2 November 2002). "Sartor gets ALP ride into safe city seat".
5. (2 September 2010). "Same-sex adoption passes Legislative Assembly".
6. "Hephzibah Tintner Foundation".
7. Miranda Devine. (2 June 2002). "Cancer fight gets personal for Sartor". Sydney Morning Herald.