Mike Rann is
National President of the Australian Labor Party. His term as
President runs from 27 February 2008 to 27th of December 2008.
Mike Rann became South Australia’s 44th Premier after the State election in March 2002 and was re-elected with an increased majority in March 2006.
As well as his duties as Premier, Mr Rann has the portfolios of Economic Development, Social Inclusion, the Arts, and Sustainability and Climate Change. In 2006-2007, he was Chair of the Council for the Australian Federation.
Mike was first elected to the South Australian Parliament in 1985 as the Member for Briggs, later Ramsay. In December 1989, he was elected to the Labor Cabinet under Premier John Bannon, as Minister for Employment and Further Education, Minister for Youth Affairs, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Minister Assisting in Ethnic Affairs.
In September 1992 he became Minister for Business and Regional Development, Minister for Tourism and Minister for State Services under Premier Lynn Arnold. After a brief period as Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Mr Rann became Leader of the Opposition in late 1994.
In his first term as Premier, he held the portfolio of Minister for Volunteers; but in the second he became Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change – an Australian first.
Mr Rann was born in Sidcup, Kent, in 1953. His father an electrician who fought at El Alamein. His mother worked in an armaments factory during World War II, making parts for Spitfires.
In 1962, his family left London for New Zealand. He was the first in his family to go on to higher education, and he completed a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts (Honours) in Political Studies at Auckland University. He was editor of the student newspaper and prominent in the New Zealand campaign against French nuclear testing in the Pacific.
After graduating, he became a political journalist for the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation, before moving to South Australia in 1977 to become a press secretary, speech writer and adviser to three South Australian Labor Premiers, including the late Don Dunstan.
Mr Rann is married to Sasha Carruozzo. He has two children, and is involved in soccer and the arts. He has an honorary doctorate from the University of South Australia and has been honoured by the Governments of Poland and Greece.