The Hon Joel Fitzgibbon MP

Contact details

Biography

In this section:

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Parliamentary service

• Elected to the House of Representatives for Hunter, New South Wales, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2010.

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Parliamentary appointments

• Trustee, Parliamentary Retiring Allowances Trust from 19.10.10.

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Ministerial appointments

• Minister for Defence from 3.12.07 to 9.6.09.

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Committee service

• House of Representatives Standing: Primary Industries, Resources and Rural and Regional Affairs from 29.5.96 to 31.8.98; Industry and Resources from 21.10.02 to 31.8.04; Economics, Finance and Public Administration from 2.12.04 to 7.2.07; Economics from 15.6.09 to 19.7.10 and from 20.9.12; Employment and Workplace Relations from 11.2.10 to 19.7.10; Selection from 30.9.10; House from 25.10.10; House Appropriations and Administration from 25.10.10; Procedure from 25.10.10; Regional Australia from 9.5.12.
• Joint Statutory: Public Accounts from 29.5.96 to 1.1.98; Public Accounts and Audit from 1.1.98 to 31.8.98.
• Joint Standing: Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade from 15.6.09.
• Joint Select: Retailing Sector from 9.2.99 to 30.8.99.

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Conferences, delegations and visits

• Attended CPA Regional Seminar, New Zealand and Sydney, September-October 1996.
• Bilateral visits to Greece, Cyprus and Turkey, July 1999; USA, Canada and Ireland, May-June 2000.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to New Zealand, August 2006.
• Official visits to UK, December 2007; Kuwait, Iraq, United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan, December 2007; Lithuania, February 2008; Romania, April 2008; Turkey and United Arab Emirates, April 2008; Singapore, May-June 2008; USA, July 2008; New Zealand, August 2008; Solomon Islands, September 2008; Indonesia and East Timor, September 2008; Canada, Spain, Portugal and UK, November 2008; Japan, December 2008; Ethiopia, United Arab Emirates and Poland, February 2009; Timor-Leste, March 2009; USA, April 2009; United Arab Emirates, April 2009; Malaysia and Singapore, May-June 2009.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to South Africa, Zimbabwe, Ghana and Ethiopia, April 2011.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Uganda, March-April 2012.

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Parliamentary party positions

• Chief Government Whip from 27.9.10.
• Member, Opposition Shadow Ministry from 19.10.98 to 3.12.07. Shadow Minister for Small Business and Tourism from 20.10.98 to 25.11.01; Shadow Minister for Resources from 25.11.01 to 8.12.03; and Tourism from 2.7.03 to 8.12.03; Shadow Minister for Mining, Energy and Forestry from 8.12.03 to 26.10.04; Shadow Minister for Banking and Financial Services from 26.10.04 to 24.6.05; Assistant Shadow Treasurer and Revenue from 26.10.04; Shadow Minister for Small Business and Competition from 24.6.05 to 10.12.06; Shadow Minister for Defence from 10.12.06 to 3.12.07.

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Party positions

• Delegate, NSW Young Labor 1985-86.
• Senior Vice-President, ALP Cessnock Branch 1985-96.
• Delegate, Cessnock State Electorate Council 1986-96.
• Secretary, Hunter Federal Electorate Council 1990-96.
• Delegate, ALP State Conference (NSW) 1990-96.
• Campaign Director, NSW State Elections 1991 and 1995.

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Personal

• Born 16.1.1962, Bellingen, NSW.
• Married.

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Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• Graduate Certificate in Business Administration (Ncle).
• Automotive electrician 1978-90.
• Electorate officer to EJ Fitzgibbon, MP 1990-96.
• Part-time TAFE lecturer.
• Small business operator.

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Electorate

• Description: rural.
  
  Location: central New South Wales, to the north-west of Newcastle; it includes the towns of Aberdeen, Branxton, Cessnock, Denman, Kandos, Kurri Kurri, Maitland, Merriwa, Murrurundi, Muswellbrook, Scone and Singleton.
  
  Area: 20 111 sq km (approx.).
  
  Electors enrolled: 91 516 (at 21.8.10).
  
  Industries: agriculture, aluminium smelting, coal-mining, dairy farming, engineering, farming, forestry, fruit and vegetables, horse studs and racing, timber milling, tourism, wine grapes, wineries and wool and the Liddell and Bayswater Power Stations.
  
  State electorates: Hunter includes parts of the New South Wales Assembly electorates of Bathurst, Cessnock, Maitland and Upper Hunter.

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