Ron Roberts (politician)

The Honourable Ron Roberts
16th President of the South Australian Legislative Council
In office 5 March 2002 – 20 February 2006
Preceded by	Peter Dunn
Succeeded by	Bob Sneath
Member of the Legislative Council
In office 14 February 1989 – 20 February 2006
Preceded by	John Cornwall
Personal details
Born	1944 (1944) (age 82) Port Pirie, South Australia
Party	Labor Party
Spouse	Janice Eileen Roberts (m. 1967)
Children	Esther
Occupation	Smelter worker, union official, politician

Ronald Roy Roberts (born 1944) is an Australian former politician. He was a member of the South Australian Legislative Council representing the Labor Party from 1989 to 2006. He served as President of the Council from 2002 to 2006.

Early life

Roberts was born in Port Pirie, in South Australia's mid-north in 1944 to a working-class family. He was educated at the local school and began working at the Port Pirie Smelter.

Roberts' interest in politics and the trade union movement began during his third year apprenticeship at the Port Pirie Smelter, when he began attending union meetings "to see what really went on there". This later led to Roberts' involvement as a union official for the Electrical Trades Union for local Port Pirie smelter workers.

Parliamentary career

In February 1989, Roberts was chosen by the Labor Party to fill a Casual Vacancy in the South Australian Legislative Council, which was created by the resignation of Peter Dunn, with Roberts being sworn in on 14 February 1989. Roberts made his maiden speech in the Parliament on 8 August 1989.

Roberts retired from Parliament at the 2006 South Australian state election, with his final day of presiding over the Legislative Council being on 1 December 2005.