Tom Stott

Tom Cleave Stott CBE (6 June 1899 – 21 October 1976) spent 37 years as an independent member of the South Australian House of Assembly, from 1933 to 1970.

However, his standing within the influential wheat farming community in Albert, his Masonic connections, and his vocal opposition to the Country Party/Liberal Federation merger led to his election.

Given that the state's ALP remained ineffective and torn by internecine feuding after Lionel Hill's unpopular premiership, Stott was considered by the LCL to be "a greater nuisance than the whole of the Opposition put together".

He also helped found the Primary Producers Council of Australia (the antecedent of the National Farmers' Federation) in 1934 and continued to play a leading role within that organisation.

This influence within these important primary industry bodies allowed Stott to build a power base for himself that assisted with his continued re-election over the next three decades.

In addition to his parliamentary work on rural issues, such as successfully introducing legislation to secure a (high) stable price for wheat and to enable bulk handling of grain, Stott also proved himself to be adept at championing prickly social issues, including introducing a successful Private Member's Bill to reduce the period a divorce could be granted in the case of desertion from five to three years.

In return, Playford sought to persuade the local LCL branch to refrain from running a candidate of its own against Stott in his constituency for successive elections.

When the local LCL branch finally refused Playford's request, he apologised profusely to Stott and did little to support the candidate of his own party.

His wife Linda, whom he married in 1926, was also a shrewd political campaigner who was heavily involved in issues around the electorate and proved a great asset for Stott.

Following his retirement at the 1970 election Stott lent his expertise to the Country Party as an organiser and campaign director and died in 1976, still angry with Steele Hall over Chowilla Dam.