20 Facts About Frank Sartor

Francesco Ernest Sartor was born on 9 November 1951 and is an Australian former politician who served as New South Wales Minister for Climate Change and the Environment and Minister Assisting the Minister for Health between 2009 and 2011.

Frank Sartor was a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Rockdale for the Labor Party between 2003 and 2011.

Frank Sartor has previously been Minister for Planning, Redfern Waterloo and the Arts, and Minister for Water and Utilities in the Iemma and Carr governments.

Frank Sartor was born in Yenda near Griffith, New South Wales.

Frank Sartor attended St Therese's Primary School, Yenda, followed by Griffith High School.

Frank Sartor's mother died of melanoma when Sartor was 16.

Frank Sartor 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.

Frank 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.

Frank 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.

Frank Sartor's administration was marked by a series of planning reforms to reduce the concurrence and consultation processes required for major developments in NSW.

Frank Sartor was re-elected as Member for Rockdale at the 2007 State election with a slightly reduced majority, and was sworn in as Minister for Planning, Minister for Redfern Waterloo and Minister for the Arts.

In 2008, the NSW Greens demanded a Royal Commission into alleged links between Frank Sartor's planning approvals and Labor Party donations by major developers.

Frank Sartor denied his planning decisions had been influenced by developer donations and threatened legal action against media outlets which repeated the claims.

In 2009, Frank Sartor was damaged by a Land and Environment Court judgment 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 7 September 2008, Frank Sartor was defeated in a ballot for ministerial positions and returned to the backbench with reports of internal polling by Labor revealing that Frank Sartor was one of the government's most unpopular ministers.

Frank Sartor contested a Labor right faction ballot and narrowly lost the ballot to Kristina Keneally, who was then made Premier.

Frank Sartor was returned to his old role of Minister Assisting the Minister for Health, an area of personal interest and commitment.

In September 2010, Frank Sartor introduced an amendment to the Adoption bill that would exempt both religious organizations and institutions from the legislation and that the Anti-discrimination Act 1977 would not apply to the legislation - that would allow same-sex couples to adopt children.

Frank Sartor was the daughter of the Austrian-born orchestral conductor Georg Tintner.

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