| James Bidgood MP | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Dawson |
|
| In office 24 November 2007 – 19 July 2010 |
|
| Preceded by | De-Anne Kelly |
| Succeeded by | George Christensen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 May 1959 London, United Kingdom |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political party | Australian Labor Party |
James Mark Bidgood (born 26 May 1959), Australian politician, was a member of the House of Representatives for the seat of Dawson, in north Queensland, representing the Australian Labor Party. He was elected at the November 2007 federal election, defeating the sitting Nationals member, De-Anne Kelly. He gained one of the biggest swings in the election, winning Dawson for Labor for the first time since 1974, but retired in 2010 due to ill health.
Bidgood was born in the United Kingdom and grew up in the East End of London. He has an Open University honours degree in social science majoring in politics and economics. He was a member of the British Labour Party before coming to Australia as a backpacker in 1991 and settling in Mackay. Before his election he was a Councillor on the Mackay City Council and was Financial Director of Caneland Medical Centre in Mackay. When he attended his first Caucus meeting in Canberra on 29 November 2007, it was first the time he had ever been to the national capital.
On 13 November 2008, Bidgood was forced to clarify his comments in the House of Representatives after stating, earlier that day in an interview, that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was indiscreet in his handling of a telephone conversation between himself and U.S. President George W. Bush.[1]
On 3 December 2008, Bidgood was forced to publicly apologise after taking and selling photographs of protester Marat Aminov, who had been threatening to set himself on fire outside Parliament House, Canberra. Aminov's multiple protest efforts had been aimed at securing aged-parent visas for his mother and father. Bidgood sold photographs to News Ltd newspapers, with instructions to send the proceeds to a charity. Kevin Rudd described Bidgood's actions as "deeply offensive".[2]
Bidgood is a devout Christian, and claims the 1987 stockmarket crash was caused by Christian marches for Jesus in London.[3] On 4 December 2008, The Australian newspaper reported that Bidgood made a speech in parliament declaring that the Global financial crisis of 2008 was an act of God, linking it to the end of the world: "I believe there is God's justice in action in what is going on here. We haven't seen the end of it. The ultimate conclusion is like I say, we look at Bible prophecy, we are going towards a one world bank and a one world monetary system. And if you believe the word of God and you read Revelations...you will see clearly what is being spelt out. We are in the end times."[3]
Bidgood announced his decision to retire on 5 February 2010, citing health reasons.[4]
| Parliament of Australia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by De-Anne Kelly |
Member for Dawson 2007–2010 |
Succeeded by George Christensen |