Stewart Leggett

Stewart Ronald Leggett (born 18 December 1944) is an Australian religious minister and former politician and educator. He was a Liberal member of the South Australian House of Assembly from 1993 to 1997, representing the seat of Hanson in the 37th Parliament of South Australia. He was deputy headmaster and pastor of Temple Christian College before entering parliament.

After not being reelected in the 1997 election, Leggett then served as a senior political advisor to the Premier and Deputy Premier of South Australia. From 1999 he was the head of the Aldinga campus of Southern Vales Christian College, until his retirement from teaching by 2005. and Lylia Mavis Carson in Bordertown, South Australia, on 18 December 1944.

Leggett attended Bordertown High School, but missed a year of school following a car accident. He then left school early at the end of his year 10. He later moved to Adelaide and completed his year 11 and 12 at night school while working in a retail menswear store, after which he became a teacher.

Leggett's first child, Sarah Porter, was born in the 1960s followed by the birth of his second child, Paul Leggett, on 22 January 1968. Both of his children went on to become accomplished classical musicians. Sarah Porter performs cello in the Geelong Symphony Orchestra and is a recorded cellist for the 1999 Sons of Korah album Light of Life. Career highlights for Paul Leggett included performing in the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2006 Commonwealth Games and playing in many Australian orchestras, including touring China with the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic and playing principal viola for the Melbourne Opera. Paul later moved to Alice Springs to teach music to remote students. Paul died in December 2016, drowning at a popular Alice Springs swimming hole while leading a local school excursion.

Career before politics

Leggett worked as a master at Pulteney Grammar School and from 1973 until 1984 he was the Director of Drama at Pulteney Grammar. He then became a staff member at Temple Christian College soon after the school first opened in 1983. Leggett was the Deputy Headmaster of Temple Christian College from 1986 until 1993 and become the school's Acting Headmaster in 1992. and was a candidate in the seat of Hawker at the 1975 federal election, receiving 6.6 percent primary vote.

He was a Liberal member of the South Australian House of Assembly from 1993 to 1997, representing the seat of Hanson.

Leggett supported upholding the ban of the controversial film Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom. Leggett's support of the ban in parliament was quoted by Censorship in Australia:

Leggett was not reelected in the 1997 election,

Life after politics Leggett worked with SAPOL for many years delivering drivers’ safety programs in schools.

From 1999 Leggett was the headmaster of the Aldinga campus of Southern Vales Christian College until his retirement from teaching in 2005. In 2006 Leggett performed the funeral ceremony of the director of Teen Challenge in South Australia, Pastor Morrie Thompson.

In 2003, 2006, 2009, and 2012 Leggett was appointed as a member of South Australia's Legal Practitioners Conduct Board, positions he was nominated for by the Attorney General and Premier of South Australia. In 2013 Leggett was also appointed as a Justice of the Peace, the position nominated by Premier Jay Weatherill.

Leggett ran for mayor of Victor Harbor in the 2010 council elections and was the second most popular candidate by first preference votes, but lost to Graham Philip by 108 votes.

Leggett remained active in many community sporting organisations following his retirement. As of 2015, he presented a radio show on 90.1 HappyFM in Victor Harbor, which included conducting interviews with local figures in the Victor Harbor community.