Rod Sawford

Rodney Weston Sawford (born 26 June 1944), Australian politician, was an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1988 to November 2007, representing the Division of Port Adelaide, South Australia. He was born in Adelaide, South Australia, and was educated at Western Teachers College, Adelaide. He was a teacher before entering politics, serving as the principal of the local Taperoo Primary School. He pri... more

Rodney Weston Sawford (born 26 June 1944), Australian politician, was an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1988 to November 2007, representing the Division of Port Adelaide, South Australia. He was born in Adelaide, South Australia, and was educated at Western Teachers College, Adelaide. He was a teacher before entering politics, serving as the principal of the local Taperoo Primary School. He prides himself on the fact that he and his forbears have lived in the electorate for many generations. He was a member of the previously dominant Centre-Left faction, which is now defunct, and is now classified as a member of the "independents" faction. He vocally spoke out against Kim Beazley, when he attempted to regain the leadership from former leader Simon Crean in 2003, again when Beazley contested the leadership with Mark Latham in December 2003, and again in 2005, when Beazley reassumed the leadership following Latham's retirement. His... less