David Fawcett
{{Short description|Australian politician}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = David Fawcett
| image = David_Fawcett.png
| office = Assistant Minister for Defence
| term_start = {{start date|2018|8|26|df=y}}
| term_end = 26 May 2019
| primeminister = Scott Morrison
| predecessor = Michael McCormack {{small|(2016)}}
| successor = Alex Hawke
| honorific-prefix = Senator the Honourable
| honorific-suffix =
| party = Liberal
| parliament2 = Australian
| constituency_MP2 = Wakefield
| term_start2 = 9 October 2004
| term_end2 = 24 November 2007
| predecessor2 = Neil Andrew
| successor2 = Nick Champion
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1963|10|23}}
| birth_place = Narrabri, New South Wales, Australia
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = Australian
| residence = Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| alma_mater = University of New South Wales
| occupation = Pilot & army officer
| website = http://www.senatorfawcett.com.au/
| nickname =
| allegiance = 30px Commonwealth of Australia
| branch = 30px Australian Army
| serviceyears = 1982–2004
| rank = 15px Lieutenant Colonel
| unit = Australian Army Aviation
| commands =
| battles =
| awards = 30px Australian Defence Medal
30px Defence Long Service Medal (with clasp)
|office1 = Senator for South Australia
| term_start1 = 1 July 2011
| term_end1 =
}}
David Julian Fawcett (born 23 October 1963) is an Australian Liberal Party politician who has been a Senator for South Australia since 2011. Fawcett served in the Morrison government as Assistant Minister for Defence from 2018 to 2019.
Fawcett was previously elected to federal parliament, serving for one term as member for the House of Representatives seat of Wakefield in South Australia, elected at the 2004 election.
Early life
Fawcett was born on 23 October 1963 in Narrabri, New South Wales.{{cite news|url=https://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian?MPID=DYU|title=Senator the Hon David Fawcett|publisher=Parliament of Australia|accessdate=10 April 2022}} His family is originally from Kapunda, South Australia.{{cite news|url=https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22chamber%2Fhansardr%2F2004-11-18%2F0068%22|title=Maiden speech|date=18 November 2004|accessdate=10 April 2022|publisher=Australian House of Representatives Hansard}} He spent part of his childhood in Thailand where his father had been sent under the Colombo Plan. He returned to Australia in 1975 to attend Prince Alfred College in Adelaide.{{cite news|url=https://pac.edu.au/community/princes-men-gallery/senator-david-fawcett/|title=Senator David Fawcett|publisher=Prince Alfred College|accessdate=10 April 2022}}
Military service
Fawcett graduated from the Royal Military College Duntroon with a Bachelor of Science in 1985. He joined the Australian Army Aviation Corps and qualified as a pilot, flying fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. He qualified as a test pilot through the Empire Test Pilots' School in 1993 and was a senior flying instructor at the Oakey Army Aviation Centre, finishing his full-time military service in 2004. He was posted to Royal Australian Air Force Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU) at Edinburgh, South Australia as an Army helicopter test pilot. He held a number of positions in ARDU and the Defence Acquisition Organisation, culminating in his final appointment as Commanding Officer,{{cite Au Parliament |mpid=DYU |name=Senator David Fawcett |access-date=2021-11-07}} responsible for flight test programs for all of the Australian Defence Force aircraft. He reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel before leaving the ADF to enter politics.{{cite web |url=http://proaviation.com.au/2013/07/25/profile-senator-david-fawcett/ |title=Profile – Senator David Fawcett |work=Pro Aviation |access-date=23 August 2018}}
Parliament
Prior to the 2004 election, the seat of Wakefield had been dramatically altered in a redistribution. The seat had long been a safe rural Liberal seat stretching from the Yorke Peninsula through to the Riverland and the state's border, but upon the abolition of the safe metropolitan Labor seat of Bonython, Wakefield was moved to take in the outer northern Adelaide suburb of Elizabeth and part of Salisbury, spanning through to the rural mid-north town of Clare—roughly a fifth the size of its former incarnation. The Liberals held the old Wakefield with a comfortably safe two-party margin of 14.6 points, but the new Wakefield was notionally a marginal Labor seat with a two-party margin of just 1.3 points. The previous Liberal member, Neil Andrew, believed this made Wakefield unwinnable and opted not to recontest the seat in 2004. However, Fawcett narrowly defeated the Labor candidate, ex-Bonython MP Martyn Evans, on a swing of 2.2 points, taking the seat on Family First preferences. Despite an extensive campaign at the 2007 election, Fawcett was defeated by Labor's Nick Champion, suffering a large swing of 7.2 points.
Fawcett was elected as a Liberal Senator in South Australia at the 2010 election and assumed his seat on 1 July 2011.{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2010/guide/ssa-results.htm |title=Senate Results – South Australia – 2010 Federal Election |website=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=15 September 2010}}{{cite news |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/family-first-misses-out-on-senate-seat-in-south-australia/story-fn3dxity-1225924022216 |title=Family First misses out on Senate seat in South Australia|access-date=15 September 2010 | agency=Australian Associated Press|date=15 September 2010}}
He served as deputy Government whip in 2014-2016, then from 2016 to 2022.{{Cite news |last=Holderhead |first=Sheradyn |date=7 November 2017 |title=South Australian Liberal David Fawcett confirms he wants to become the next Senate President |work=Adelaide Now |url=https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/south-australian-liberal-david-fawcett-confirms-he-wants-to-become-the-next-senate-president/news-story/9cb2926ae658f945f0a88502feb8bd7d}}{{Cite web |title=Senators and Members |url=https://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian?MPID=DYU |website=Australian Parliament House}} Fawcett has served extensively in Parliamentary committees, chairing Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade while in government, then as Deputy Chair while in opposition.
Fawcett is a member of the National Right faction of the Liberal Party,{{cite web |last1=Massola |first1=James |title=How Morrison's shattering defeat gave Dutton a seismic shift in factional power |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/how-morrison-s-shattering-defeat-gave-dutton-a-seismic-shift-in-factional-power-20230330-p5cwoq.html |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=8 April 2023 |access-date=4 December 2023}} after previously being aligned with the Centre-Right faction during the Morrison government years.{{cite web |last1=Massola |first1=James |title=Who's who in the Liberals' left, right and centre factions? |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/who-s-who-in-the-liberals-left-right-and-centre-factions-20210303-p577gv.html |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=20 March 2021 |publisher=Fairfax Media |access-date=1 February 2022}}
Personal life
Fawcett is married with two children.{{Cite web |title=David Fawcett |url=https://aussiegov.com/south-australia/david-fawcett/ |access-date=2024-03-19 |website=aussiegov.com |language=en-gb}} He has been involved in leadership positions at Clovercrest Baptist Church in Modbury North, Adelaide and Tyndale Christian School in Salisbury East, Adelaide. He has been a contributing member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and the Australian Flight Test Society.
Notes
{{Reflist}}
References
{{commons category}}
- {{Cite web |url=http://www.davidfawcett.net/ |title=David Fawcett MP |access-date=24 February 2007 |publisher=David Fawcett}}
External links
- [https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/representatives/wakefield/david_fawcett Summary of parliamentary voting for Senator David Fawcett on TheyVoteForYou.org.au]
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{{S-par|au}}
{{Succession box| title={{nowrap|Member for Wakefield}} | before=Neil Andrew | after=Nick Champion | years=2004–2007}}
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{{Australian Senators}}
{{First Morrison Ministry}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fawcett, David}}
Category:Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia
Category:Members of the Australian Senate
Category:Members of the Australian Senate for South Australia
Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives
Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Wakefield
Category:Australian Army officers
Category:University of New South Wales alumni
Category:Royal Military College, Duntroon graduates