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Frank Sartor

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The Honourable
Frank Sartor
AO
Sartor in 2000
Minister for Climate Change and the Environment
In office
8 December 2009 – 28 March 2011
PremierKristina Keneally
Preceded byJohn Robertson
Succeeded byRobyn Parker[a]
Minister for the Arts
In office
2 April 2007 – 5 September 2008
PremierMorris Iemma
Preceded byBob Debus
Succeeded byNathan Rees
Minister for Planning
In office
3 August 2005 – 5 September 2008
PremierMorris Iemma
Preceded byCraig Knowles[b]
Succeeded byKristina Keneally
Minister for Redfern Waterloo
In office
3 August 2005 – 5 September 2008
PremierMorris Iemma
Succeeded byKristina Keneally
In office
8 December 2009 – 28 March 2011
PremierKristina Keneally
Preceded byJodi McKay
Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Cancer)
In office
2 April 2003 – 2 April 2007
Premier
  • Bob Carr
  • Morris Iemma
Succeeded byVerity Firth
Minister Assisting the Premier on the Arts
In office
2 April 2003 – 3 August 2005
PremierBob Carr
Preceded byBob Debus
Succeeded byVirginia Judge
Minister for Energy and Utilities
In office
2 April 2003 – 3 August 2005
PremierBob Carr
Preceded byKim Yeadon[c]
Succeeded byJoe Tripodi[d]
Minister for Science and Medical Research
In office
2 April 2003 – 2 April 2007
PremierBob Carr
Preceded byKim Yeadon[e]
Succeeded byVerity Firth
Member of theNew South Wales Parliament
forRockdale
In office
22 March 2003–26 March 2011
Preceded byGeorge Thompson
Succeeded byJohn Flowers
80thLord Mayor of Sydney
In office
September 1991 – April 2003
DeputyLucy Turnbull
Preceded byJeremy Bingham
Succeeded byLucy Turnbull
Personal details
Born
Francesco Ernest Sartor

(1951-11-09)9 November 1951(age 72)
Yenda,New South Wales,Australia
Political partyLabor(since 2004)
Other political
affiliations		Living City Independents (1994–2004)
ChildrenWilliam, Isabella, Oliver

Francesco Ernest SartorAO(born 9 November 1951)[1]is an Australian former politician who served asNew South WalesMinister for Climate Change and the Environment and Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Cancer) between 2009 and 2011. He was a Member of theNew South Wales Legislative AssemblyrepresentingRockdalefor theLabor Partybetween 2003 and2011.Sartor has previously beenMinister for Planning,Redfern Waterloo and the Arts, and Minister for Water and Utilities in theIemmaandCarrgovernments. Before being elected to theNew South Wales Parliament,Sartor was the second longest-servingLord Mayor of Sydney,afterClover Moore,having held the post for nearly 12 years from September 1991 to March 2003. Sartor retired from politics at the2011 state election.[2][3]

Early life

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Sartor was born inYendanearGriffith,New South Wales.[4]His migrant parents named him Francesco Ernest Sartor, but he decided life would be easier if he called himself Frank.[5]He attended St Therese's (Catholic)Primary School,Yenda,followed byGriffithHigh School.[6]His mother died ofmelanomawhen Sartor was 16.[7]

He attended theUniversity of Sydney,residing atSt John's Collegeand graduating with a degree inchemical engineering,and a later qualification inaccounting.From 1976–83, he was employed as a chemical engineer and in management roles byColgate-PalmoliveandoilcompanyTotalAustralia Ltd.[4]

Local government

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Sartor served on the Council of theCity of Sydneyfrom 1984 to 2003, and wasLord Mayor of Sydneyfor almost 12 years, from September 1991 to April 2003.[8]During his time on the council he served as Vice-President of theSydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games,Chairman of theSydney Festival,Chairman of the Central Sydney Planning Committee, and Board Member of theSydney 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, byLiberalpolitician,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 ofparliamentary privilege.[9]Hannaford subsequently failed to provide any evidence to support his allegations, and was in turn investigated by the NSW Parliament for abuse of parliamentary privilege.[10]

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

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Sartor first sought to enter state politics in 1988, when he contested the inner-cityElectoral district of McKellas an Independent, running against the endorsed Labor candidate,Sandra Nori.Sartor came second, winning 23.5% of the primary vote and 43.4% of thetwo-candidate preferredvote[11] In 2003, Sartor joined theNSWLabor Party[3]and enteredparliamentafter successfully contesting the safe Labor seat of Rockdale at the2003 State election[5][8]and was subsequently sworn in as Minister for Energy and Water Utilities, Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Cancer) andMinister for Science and Medical Research.

Anti-cancer reforms

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As Assistant Health Minister, Sartor was responsible for the formation of theCancer Institute NSWin 2003 and the introduction of smoking bans in NSW pubs and clubs in 2004, reforms he would later describe as among his proudest achievements.[3][12]Many of these achievements were driven by personal tragedy and loss of his former partner, Hephzibah Tintner, and his mother, to cancer. In his final speech to parliament, Sartor broke down when talking about their loss, and how it influenced his political career.[3]In his time as a Minister in all of his various portfolios, Sartor became known for his blunt and often crude language, but also his drive to improve cancer survival rates.[7]However his smoking bans drew vehement criticism from publicans who argued they would harm profitability, and from anti-cancer groups which said they did not go far enough.[13]In announcing his resignation,NSW PremierKristina Keneallypaid tribute to Mr Sartor’s work as Australia’s first cancer minister. As Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Cancer) he oversaw restrictions on the retailing of cigarettes in NSW, including forcing them to be kept under the counter.[3]

Redfern Waterloo

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In 2005 PremierBob Carrappointed Sartor as the first Minister for Redfern Waterloo overseeing theRedfern-Waterloo Authorityand exercising planning powers over an area of inner Sydney.[14]In this role he invoked the ire of theRedfernindigenouspopulation with his rejection of a plan by theAboriginal Housing Companyto redevelop "The Block"and for suggesting onKoori Radiothat the Company's chairman, Mick Mundine should "Get off your backside... and bring your black arse in here to talk about it." Sartor later apologised for this remark. The creation of the Redfern Waterloo portfolio was greeted with some cynicism given the long history of similar attempts to rejuvenate the area. Despite this, the Authority was able to deliver urban renewal projects for a number of derelict sites including the former Redfern Public School and a substantial redevelopment of theAustralian Technology Parkto incorporate headquarters for the Sydney television stationChannel Seven.As part of Sartor's broader reforms in the area, the Australian Technology Park was established, and due to the reforms established by Mr Sartor, the NSW Government is able to continue active investigations into better use of disused land in the inner-west, such as the former Eveleigh railway workshops and disused industrial land.

Minister for Planning

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Upon the appointment ofMorris Iemmaas 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 acolumnin theSydney Morning Herald,journalistand formerCity of SydneyCouncillorElizabeth Farrellywas scathing of Sartor for his support foradvertising billboardsalong NSW roadways, his approval of theAnvil Hill Coal Mine,and for his moves to reduce the planning powers oflocal government.[15]

Sartor was re-elected as Member for Rockdale at the2007 State electionwith a slightly reduced majority,[16][17]and was sworn in as Minister for Planning, Minister for Redfern Waterloo and Minister for the Arts.

In 2008, theNSW Greensdemanded aRoyal Commissioninto alleged links between Sartor's planning approvals and Labor Party donations by major developers.[18]Sartor denied his planning decisions had been influenced by developer donations and threatened legal action against media outlets which repeated the claims.[19]In 2009, Sartor was damaged by aLand and Environment Courtjudgment that described a decision he made to allow development at Catherine Hill Bay by a political donor, Rose Group, in exchange for conservation land as being influenced by a "land bribe". On announcing his resignation, Sartor described his time as planning minister as the most difficult of his career.[3]

On 7 September 2008, Sartor was defeated in a ballot for ministerial positions and returned to the backbench[20]with reports of internal polling by Labor revealing that Sartor was one of the government's most unpopular ministers.[3]

Minister for Climate Change and the Environment

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In December 2009, ano confidence motionwas passed; andNathan Reesstood down as Leader of NSW Labor.[21]Sartor contested aLabor right factionballot and narrowly lost the ballot to Kristina Keneally, who was then made Premier.[3]Keneally returned Sartor to the NSW Cabinet; appointed to the role of Minister for Climate Change and the Environment. He was also returned to his old role of Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Cancer), an area of personal interest and commitment.

Personal life

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The dancer Hephzibah Tintner was his partner until her death from cancer in 2001. She was the daughter of the Austrian-born orchestral conductorGeorg Tintner.[22][23]

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

Notes

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  1. ^As Minister for the Environment
  2. ^As Minister for Infrastructure and Planning
  3. ^As Minister for Energy
  4. ^As Minister for Energy
  5. ^As Minister for Information Technology

References

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  1. ^Mitchell, Alex (10 November 2002)."Exclusive poll a gift for Sartor's Rockdale bid".The Sydney Morning Herald.Fairfax Media.Archivedfrom the original on 16 May 2010.Retrieved3 December2009.
  2. ^Nicholls, Sean (4 December 2010)."Keneally begs for second chance".The Sydney Morning Herald.Fairfax Media.Archivedfrom the original on 6 December 2010.Retrieved3 December2010.
  3. ^abcdefghNicholls, Sean (3 December 2010)."Frank Sartor quits Parliament".AAP.Fairfax Media.Archivedfrom the original on 5 December 2010.Retrieved4 December2010– via The Sydney Morning Herald.
  4. ^ab"City of Sydney Archives".City of Sydney.Archived fromthe originalon 27 September 2007.Retrieved4 July2007.
  5. ^abMazzocchi, Jo (2 November 2002)."Sydney's Lord Mayor joins ALP".ABC News AM radio program.Australian Broadcasting Corporation.Archived fromthe originalon 7 October 2008.Retrieved4 July2007.
  6. ^"Italy Down Under - Profile: Frank Sartor".Italy Down Under magazine. Archived fromthe originalon 14 August 2007.Retrieved5 July2007.
  7. ^ab"The end of pub smoking in Australia: a tribute to Frank Sartor".Centre for Policy Development. June 2004.Archivedfrom the original on 11 October 2008.Retrieved8 September2008.
  8. ^ab"The Hon. Frank Ernest Sartor (1951- )".Former members of theParliament of New South Wales.Retrieved10 May2019.
  9. ^"Lord Mayor of Sydney Sexual Harassment Allegations".New South Wales Legislative Council Hansard.New South Wales Parliament.8 September 1999.Archivedfrom the original on 29 September 2007.Retrieved1 August2006.
  10. ^"Report of Parliamentary Ethics Committee".New South Wales Legislative Council Hansard.New South Wales Parliament. Archived fromthe originalon 24 March 2012.
  11. ^"Sartor gets ALP ride into safe city seat".2 November 2002.Archivedfrom the original on 9 October 2016.Retrieved27 August2016.
  12. ^Smith, Alexandra (8 September 2008)."'There were a lot of tears. I told the Premier it's a mistake'".The Sydney Morning Herald.Fairfax Media.Archivedfrom the original on 11 September 2008.Retrieved8 September2008.
  13. ^Dempster, Quentin (17 March 2006)."Smoke Screen".Stateline.Australian Broadcasting Corporation.Archivedfrom the original on 18 September 2008.Retrieved8 September2008.
  14. ^"Redfern-Waterloo Authority Bill".New South Wales Legislative Assembly Hansard.New South Wales Parliament. Archived fromthe originalon 29 September 2007.Retrieved3 August2006.
  15. ^Farrelly, Elizabeth (4 July 2007)."Should Sartor have his cake? No, no and no".Sydney Morning Herald.Fairfax Media.Archivedfrom the original on 6 July 2007.Retrieved5 July2007.
  16. ^"State Electoral District - Rockdale Results 2003".New South Wales Electoral Commission.2003. Archived fromthe originalon 22 July 2008.Retrieved6 August2008.
  17. ^"2007 State Election Results: State Electoral District of Rockdale".New South Wales Electoral Commission. 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 29 July 2008.Retrieved6 August2008.
  18. ^Benns, Matthew (6 April 2008)."The developer donations the Greens say the minister must explain".The Sydney Morning Herald.Fairfax Media.Archivedfrom the original on 10 April 2008.Retrieved6 August2008.
  19. ^"Donations row: Sartor snaps at 'scumbags'".ABC News.Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 27 February 2008.Archivedfrom the original on 18 September 2008.Retrieved6 August2008.
  20. ^"I feel cheated: Sartor".AAP.Fairfax Media. 7 September 2008.Archivedfrom the original on 9 September 2008.Retrieved7 September2008– viaThe Sydney Morning Herald.
  21. ^Jerga, Josh (3 December 2009)."Katrina Keneally is Catholic feminist with American twang".The Daily Telegraph.News Limited.Archived fromthe originalon 4 April 2012.Retrieved3 December2009.
  22. ^"Hephzibah Tintner Foundation".Archivedfrom the original on 3 March 2019.Retrieved24 November2012.
  23. ^Miranda Devine (2 June 2002)."Cancer fight gets personal for Sartor".Sydney Morning Herald.Archivedfrom the original on 4 June 2016.Retrieved24 November2012.
[edit]
Civic offices
Preceded by Lord Mayor of Sydney
1991 – 2003 		Succeeded by
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Preceded by Member forRockdale
2003–2011 		Succeeded by
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