Sally Talbot

Sally Elizabeth Talbot (born 22 March 1953)^[1] is an Australian politician. She was a Labor Party member of the Western Australian Legislative Council from 2005 to 2025, representing the region of South West. She is aligned to the left faction; and been an active member of Emily's List. Whilst she held the position of Shadow Minister for ten portfolios from 2007-2013, since the McGowan and subsequently Cook governments came to power, she has not been appointed a Minister.^[1] Talbot called the belief that sex is immutable to be "right wing extremism". She was quoted in 2024 as saying that "[S]ex is also regarded now as a social construct."^[2]

The Honourable Dr. Sally Talbot MLC
Member of the Western Australian Legislative Council for South West Region
In office 22 May 2005 – 21 May 2025
Personal details
Born	Sally Elizabeth Talbot (1953-03-22) 22 March 1953 (age 72) London, England, UK
Political party	Labor
Spouse	Jon Ford
Domestic partner	Hon. Wendy Frances Fatin
Children	David Talbot
Residence	Denmark, Western Australia
Education	Royal College of Music Murdoch University
Profession	ALP State secretary (WA), university lecturer and musician

In July 2024, she announced her retirement from politics.^[3]

Biography

Talbot came from a family active in the British Labour Party where politics was actively discussed and engaged in.^[4] At 16 she finished her secondary schooling and attended the Royal College of Music in London, specialising in the cello. She spent the next 15 years working as a musician,^[5] however she said her life always turned back to her interest in politics.^[6]

While attending Murdoch University in Perth in 1983, she joined the staff as a federal member of parliament, her first formal job in politics. In 2001 she became the Assistant Secretary of the Labor Party, a position she held until 2005. It was in this role that she discovered the importance of engaging ordinary citizens in politics to create a better community, thus it was important to have active and healthy political parties.^[6] She left her staff role with the party to become a member of parliament, and later as the first President of the Western Australian branch of the Labor Party to be elected by popular ballot in 2008.^[5]

Her doctorate in philosophy from Murdoch University was published, "Partial Reason: Critical and Constructive Transformations of Ethics and Epistemology".

Personal life

Talbot was in a relationship with Wendy Fatin, a retired federal politician;^[6] a son David was born into their relationship in 1986.^[7] She has since married Jon Ford, a former Minister in the Gallop and Carpenter governments^[8] and they live in Denmark, Western Australia.