Mitch Fifield

Fifield was born in Sydney, the son of two bank employees,{{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=Australian Senate Hansard|publisher=Parliament of Australia|date=12 May 2004|access-date=14 October 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101014050603/http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/senators/homepages/first_speech/sfs-D2I.htm|archive-date=14 October 2010}} and was educated at Barker College and the University of Sydney, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts.{{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=14 October 2010}} Between 1985 and 1987, Fifield served for three years in the Australian Army Reserve Psychology Corps.

Between 1988 and 1992, Fifield was a Senior Research Officer for the NSW Minister for Transport and Sydney's Olympic Bid, Bruce Baird; a Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Industrial Relations' Policy Adviser, National's MP John Anderson during 1992; a Senior Policy Adviser to the Victorian Minister for Transport, Alan Brown from 1992 to 1996; and Senior Political Adviser to the Federal Treasurer, Peter Costello, from 1996 to 2003.

Since 1996, Fifield held a number of Liberal Party positions, including being a delegate to the Liberal Party Victorian State Council, since 1996; a delegate to the Liberal Party Policy Assembly, in 1996 and since 2004; a delegate to the Liberal Party Goldstein Electorate Council, between 1995 and 2003.

{{See also|Abbott government|Turnbull government}}

File:Mitch Fifield.jpg

On 31 March 2004, Fifield was appointed by the Parliament of Victoria under section 15 of the Australian Constitution to fill the casual vacancy in the Australian Senate caused by the resignation in February 2004 of Richard Alston. Fifield was re-elected at the 2007 federal election. 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.aph.gov.au/Library/parl/43/Shadow/index.htm |title=Department of the Parliamentary Library - Shadow Ministry |access-date=20 May 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100917122739/http://www.aph.gov.au/Library/parl/43/Shadow/index.htm |archive-date=17 September 2010 }}

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.{{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|access-date=14 October 2010}} 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.{{cite web|author1=Robb, Andrew|author-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|work=The Party Room|publisher=Andrew Robb and Mitch Fifield|date=June 2010|access-date=14 October 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100828085902/http://www.andrewrobb.com.au/Portals/0/Files/10107%20AND%20ThePartyRoom%20Vol8_d6.pdf|archive-date=28 August 2010}} Fifield has opposed federal money being spent on cycling infrastructure, and objected to part of the Rudd government's $42 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."{{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 TV|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=13 February 2009|access-date=16 February 2009}}

Following the 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.

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.{{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}}

Fifield offered his resignation from the frontbench on 22 August 2018, during the events of the Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill.{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-23/live-peter-dutton-poised-to-challenge-malcolm-turnbull-again/10155008 |title=Malcolm Turnbull faces fresh leadership challenge from Peter Dutton |last1=Sweeney |first1=Lucy |last2=Belot |first2=Henry |date=23 August 2018 |work=ABC News (Australia)}} On 28 August he was reappointed to the same portfolio by Turnbull's successor, Scott Morrison.

In May 2019, following the Coalition's victory at the 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, and resigned from the Senate on 16 August 2019.{{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}}{{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.}} On 8 September, the Liberal Party preselected Sarah Henderson, the former MP for Corangamite to be appointed to fill the casual vacancy.{{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}}

Fifield was appointed on 17 October 2019, replacing Gillian Bird as the new Permanent Representative of Australia to the UN, and presented his credentials to the UN Secretary‑General António Guterres on 22 October 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/marise-payne/media-release/ambassador-and-permanent-representative-united-nations|title=Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations|publisher=Minister for Foreign Affairs|date=17 October 2019|access-date=22 January 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.un.org/press/en/2019/bio5278.doc.htm|title=New Permanent Representative of Australia Presents Credentials (2019)|publisher=United Nations|date=22 October 2019|access-date=22 January 2020}}

Fifield was accused of "mansplaining" by the Australian senator Katy Gallagher during a debate in a Senate committee hearing regarding social services legislation, which subsequently went viral.{{Cite web|last=Ireland|first=Judith|date=2016-02-11|title='What?': Katy Gallagher explains mansplaining to Mitch Fifield during fiery estimates showdown|url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/what-katy-gallagher-explains-mansplaining-to-mitch-fifield-during-fiery-estimates-showdown-20160211-gmr3u5.html|access-date=2020-07-23|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en}} Fifield responded, claiming it was hypocritical and sexist to reduce an opponent's statement based on gender. The resulting argument lasted several minutes with both parties accusing the other of inappropriate language unfit for public office. Ultimately, Fifield posited the use of a phrase "womansplaining" in the same context, to which Gallagher replied that mansplaining was "a term that's used".{{Cite web|date=2016-02-11|title=Fifield accuses Gallagher of hypocrisy over 'mansplaining' criticism|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-11/fifield-accuses-gallagher-hypocrisy-over-mansplaining-criticism/7159178|access-date=2020-07-23|website=www.abc.net.au|language=en-AU}}

{{Reflist|2}}

• [http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian?MPID=D2I Mitch Fifield's Senate Homepage]
• [http://www.norepublic.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=266&Itemid=4 Details of Fifield's push for Australia to become a republic]
• [https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/senate/victoria/mitch_fifield Summary of parliamentary voting for Senator Mitch Fifield on TheyVoteForYou.org.au]

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Category:1967 births

Category:Abbott government

Category:Living people

Category:Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia

Category:Members of the Australian Senate

Category:Members of the Australian Senate for Victoria

Category:Members of the Cabinet of Australia

Category:People educated at Barker College

Category:Turnbull government

Category:University of Sydney alumni

Category:21st-century Australian politicians

Category:Morrison government

Category:Permanent representatives of Australia to the United Nations

Category:Politicians from Sydney