Mitch Fifield: Difference between revisions

{{Use dmy dates|date=AugustDecember 20162020}}

{{Infobox politicianofficeholder

| name = Mitch Fifield

| nationality = [[Australian nationality|Australian]]

| honorific-prefix = [[Australian Senate|Senator]] = [[The Honourable]]

| image = Mitch Fifield DFAT.jpg

| officeappointer = [[MinisterDavid for Communications (Australia)|Minister for CommunicationsHurley]]

| term_startnominator = 21 September 2015= [[Scott Morrison]]

| term_endterm_start = 2917 MayOctober 2019

| predecessor = [[MalcolmGillian TurnbullBird]]

| successoroffice1 = [[PaulMinister Fletcherfor Communications (politicianAustralia)|PaulMinister for FletcherCommunications]]

| office1term_end1 = [[Minister29 forMay the Arts (Australia)|Minister for the Arts]]2019

| term_end1 predecessor1 = 29 May[[Malcolm 2019Turnbull]]

| primeministersuccessor1 = [[MalcolmPaul Turnbull]]<br>[[ScottFletcher (politician)|Paul MorrisonFletcher]]

| successorterm_start2 = [[Paul21 FletcherSeptember (politician)|Paul Fletcher]]2015

| term_start2predecessor2 = 20= December[[George 2017Brandis]]

| term_end2successor2 = 23[[Paul Fletcher August(politician)|Paul 2018Fletcher]]

| leader2term_start3 = 20 = [[MathiasDecember Cormann]]2017

| successor2term_end3 = [[Marise23 August Payne]]2018

| primeminister2predecessor3 = [[MalcolmMathias TurnbullCormann]]

| term_start3 primeminister3 = 18 September[[Malcolm 2013Turnbull]]

| predecessor3term_start4 = [[Jacinta18 September Collins]]2013

| successor3term_end4 = [[Simon20 December Birmingham]]2017

| primeminister3predecessor4 = [[Tony Abbott]]<br /> = [[MalcolmJacinta TurnbullCollins]]

| office5 primeminister4 = [[AustralianTony Senate|SenatorAbbott]]<br for />[[VictoriaMalcolm (Australia)|VictoriaTurnbull]]

| term_end5term_start5 = 31 March 2004

| term_end5 = 16 August 2019
| predecessor5 = [[Richard Alston (politician)|Richard Alston]]

| successor5 = [[Sarah Henderson]]

| birth_name = Mitchell Peter Fifield

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1967|1|16}}

| birth_place = [[Sydney]], [[New South Wales]], Australia

| death_date =

| death_place =

| constituency =

| party = [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]]

| partner profession = MariPolicy Dunicadvisor

| childrenreligion = 2

| professionsignature = Policy advisor =

| religionfootnotes =

| signaturewebsite = {{URL|www.mitchfifield.com/}}

| footnotessuccessor = [[James Larsen]]

'''Mitchell Peter Fifield''' (born 16 January 1967) is an Australian politician and diplomat who haslast beenserved as the [[Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations]]. He previously served as a [[Australian Senate|Senator]] for [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] sincefrom 2004 to 2019, representing the [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal Party]]. He was a government minister in the [[Abbott Governmentgovernment|Abbott]], [[Turnbull Governmentgovernment|Turnbull]], and [[Morrison Governmentgovernment]]s, from 2013 to 2019. He servedserving as [[Minister for Social Services (Australia)#List of Assistant Ministers for Social Services|Assistant Minister for Social Services]] (2013–2015), [[Manager of Government Business in the Senate (Australia)|Manager of Government Business in the Senate]] (2013–2015),<ref>{{cite news|title=Tony Abbott's cabinet and outer ministry|url=http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/tony-abbotts-cabinet-and-outer-ministry-20130916-2tuma.html|accessdateaccess-date=16 September 2013|newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|date=16 September 2013|agency=[[Australian Associated Press|AAP]]}}</ref><ref name=dpmc>{{cite web|url=http://www.dpmc.gov.au/parliamentary/docs/ministry_list_20130918.pdf |format=PDF |title=Abbott Ministry |work=[[Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Australia)|Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet]] |publisher=[[Commonwealth of Australia]] |date=18 September 2013 |accessdateaccess-date=22 September 2013 |deadurlurl-status=yesdead |archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130926165842/http://www.dpmc.gov.au/parliamentary/docs/ministry_list_20130918.pdf |archivedatearchive-date=26 September 2013 |df= }}</ref> [[Minister for Communications (Australia)|Minister for Communications]] (2015–2019), and [[Minister for the Arts (Australia)|Minister for the Arts]] (2015–2019).

Fifield was born in [[Sydney]], [[New South Wales]], the son of two bank employees,<ref name="MaidenSpeech">{{cite web|url=http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/homepages/first_speech/sfs-D2I.htm|title=First Speech – Mitch Fifield, Senator for Victoria|work=[[Hansard|Australian Senate Hansard]]|publisher=[[Parliament of Australia]]|date=12 May 2004|accessdateaccess-date=14 October 2010|deadurlurl-status=yesdead|archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101014050603/http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/senators/homepages/first_speech/sfs-D2I.htm|archivedatearchive-date=14 October 2010|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and was educated at [[Barker College]] and the [[University of Sydney]], where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts.<ref name="Parlbio">{{cite web|url=http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22handbook%2Fallmps%2FD2I%22 |title=Biography for Mitchell (Mitch) Peter Fifield|work=Members and Senators|publisher=[[Parliament of Australia]]|access-date=|accessdate=14 October 2010}}</ref> Between 1985 and 1987, Fifield served for three years in the [[Australian Army Reserve]] Psychology Corps.<ref name="Parlbio"/>

{{See also|Abbott Governmentgovernment|Turnbull Governmentgovernment}}

On 31 March 2004, Fifield was appointed by the [[Parliament of Victoria]] under section 15 of the [[Australian Constitution]] to fill the [[Casual vacancies in the Australian Parliament|casual vacancy]] in the Australian Senate caused by the resignation in February 2004 of [[Richard Alston (politician)|Richard Alston]]. Fifield was re-elected at the [[2007 Australian federal election, 2007|2007 federal election]].<ref name="Parlbio"/> After the 2010 election, Fifield was appointed the Shadow Minister for Disabilities, Carers and the Voluntary Sector and Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aph.gov.au/Library/parl/43/Shadow/index.htm |title=ArchivedDepartment copyof the Parliamentary Library - Shadow Ministry |accessdate=2011-05access-date=20 May 2011 |deadurlurl-status=yesdead |archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100917122739/http://www.aph.gov.au/Library/parl/43/Shadow/index.htm |archivedatearchive-date=17 September 2010 |df= }}</ref>

Throughout his political career, Fifield has been an advocate of [[voluntary student unionism]], as well as allowing women to serve on the front lines of the [[Australian Defence Force]].<ref name="SMHCoorey">{{cite news|author=Coorey, Phillip|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/mp-fights-to-let-women-in-close-combat/2006/10/01/1159641213166.html|title=MP fights to let women in close combat| work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|date=2 October 2006|accessdateaccess-date=14 October 2010}}</ref> Along with [[Andrew Robb]], he is the co-publisher of ''The Party Room'', a journal designed to promote new policy discussion within the Federal Coalition.<ref name="SMHCoorey"/><ref name="PartyRoom">{{cite web|author1=Robb, Andrew|authorlinkauthor-link=Andrew Robb|author2=Fifield, Mitch|url=http://www.andrewrobb.com.au/Portals/0/Files/10107%20AND%20ThePartyRoom%20Vol8_d6.pdf|title=Issue 8, Winter 2010|format=PDF|work=The Party Room|publisher=Andrew Robb and Mitch Fifield|date=June 2010|accessdateaccess-date=14 October 2010|deadurlurl-status=yesdead|archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100828085902/http://www.andrewrobb.com.au/Portals/0/Files/10107%20AND%20ThePartyRoom%20Vol8_d6.pdf|archivedatearchive-date=28 August 2010|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Fifield has opposed federal money being spent on [[cycling infrastructure]], and objected to part of the [[First Rudd Governmentgovernment|Rudd Governmentgovernment]]'s $42&nbsp;billion stimulus package being used for new cycleways and home insulation: "I don't think Bradford batts and bike paths is serious economic infrastructure. Call me crazy, but I don't think it is."<ref name="Lateline_Forum">{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2008/s2491407.htm|title=Friday Forum with Mitch Fifield and Mark Arbib|work=[[Lateline]]: [[ABC (Australian TV channel)|ABC TV]]|publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]|date=13 February 2009|accessdateaccess-date=16 February 2009}}</ref>

Following the [[2013 Australian federal election, 2013|2013 federal election]] Fifield was appointed to the Abbott Ministry as the Assistant Minister for Social Services and the Manager of Government Business in the Senate.<ref name=dpmc/>

Fifield replaced the 29th [[Australian Prime Minister]], [[Malcolm Turnbull]], as Minister for Communications, in September, 2015. He is currently deeply embroiled in a major Australian political controversy concerning his knowledge of police raids on his Opposition counterpart, Senator [[Stephen Conroy]] in the course of an election campaign, over leaks about alleged failures of the current [[Australian Prime Minister]] with respect to shortcomings of Australian internet infrastructure when Malcolm Turnbull was Minister for the same portfolio.<ref>{{cite news| url = http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-21/shorten-questions-whether-fifield-told-pm-of-nbn-leak-probe/7434432| title = NBN Co document leak AFP referral decision was made by management, Mitch Fifield says - ABC News| website = [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]| date = 21 May 2016}} </ref>

In May 2019, following the Coalition's victory at the [[2019 Australian federal election|2019 federal election]], it was announced that Fifield would be appointed to succeed [[Gillian Bird]] as [[Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations]]. He stepped down from cabinet as a result, butand willresigned remain infrom the Senate untilon an16 exact date is fixed forAugust his appointment2019.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.afr.com/news/politics/national/sinodinos-fifield-off-to-us-as-scomo-reshuffles-ministry-20190526-p51r9x|title=Sinodinos, Fifield off to US as ScoMo reshuffles ministry|newspaper=[[The Australian Financial Review]]|date=26 May 2019|access-date=26 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Hansard/Hansard_Display?bid=chamber/hansards/8f5f59a1-32bd-48b2-be73-b477b00ae225/&sid=0000|title=Hansard – Senate|date=9 September 2019|work=Parliament of Australia|quote=The PRESIDENT (10:01): I inform the Senate that Senator Fifield resigned his place as a senator for the state of Victoria on 16 August 2019. Pursuant to the provisions of section 21 of the Constitution, the Governor-General notified the Governor of Victoria of the vacancy in the representation of that state caused by this resignation. I table copies of the letter of resignation and the letter to the Governor of Victoria.}}</ref> On 8 September, the Liberal Party preselected [[Sarah Henderson]], the former MP for [[Division of Corangamite|Corangamite]] to be appointed to fill the casual vacancy.<ref name="preselection">{{cite news |last1=Willingham |first1=state political reporter Richard |title=Sarah Henderson defeats Greg Mirabella to win Senate seat |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-08/sarah-henderson-beats-greg-mirabellaliberal-for-vic-senate-seat/11489840 |access-date=8 September 2019 |work=ABC News |date=8 September 2019 |language=en-AU}}</ref>

{{s-ttl |title=[[Australian Senate|Senator for Victoria]] | years =2004–present 2004–2019}}

{{s-ttl|title=[[Minister for the Arts (Australia)|Minister for the Arts]]|years=2015–present2015–2019}}

{{s-ttl|title=[[Minister for Communications (Australia)|Minister for Communications]]|years=2015–present2015–2019}}

[[Category:Abbott Governmentgovernment]]

[[Category:Turnbull Governmentgovernment]]

[[Category:Morrison Governmentgovernment]]