James Bidgood (politician)

James Mark Bidgood is an Australian former Labor politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives for the seat of Dawson, in north Queensland, from 2007 to 2010. He was elected at the November 2007 federal election, defeating the sitting Nationals member, DeAnne Kelly, in a major upset. He gained one of the biggest swings in the election, winning Dawson for Labor on a swing of overpercent Kelly had gone into the election with a seemingly safe majority ofpercent. He was only the second Labor member ever to win it, and the first since 1974. He 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 onNovember 2007, it was first the time he had ever been to the national capital.

Source: Wikipedia