James Bidgood

Who is James Bidgood?

James Mark Bidgood, 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.