Steve Fielding

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Steven Fielding (born 17 October 1960), is a Victorian Senator and the Federal parliamentary leader of the Family First Party in Australia.

Fielding was born in Melbourne and educated at RMIT University, where he graduated in engineering[1], and at Monash University, where he gained an MBA. He worked as an engineer and a senior superannuation executive before entering politics. He was a member of the Knox City Council in 2003-04. Fielding is a member of CityLife Church, a large Pentecostal church in Melbourne. Fielding and his wife Susan have three children, James, Campbell and Gabrielle.

Fielding was elected to represent Victoria in the Senate at the 2004 federal election. He is the first representative of Family First to be elected to the Federal Parliament.

Since he polled less than 2% of the popular vote, Fielding's election was not expected. Like many Senators he gained a quota under the Senate's proportional representation system by receiving preferences from other parties (see Australian electoral system). The Australian Democrats and the Australian Labor Party agreed to swap preferences with Family First. But Fielding benefited from the larger-than-expected surplus of Liberal preferences, and stayed in the count long enough to receive Democrat and Labor preferences, defeating the Australian Greens' candidate David Risstrom for the last Senate place in Victoria. (For more detail see this explanation of the count by Antony Green).

While Family First is generally regarded as a conservative party, Fielding has said that he will not be an automatic supporter of government legislation in the Senate, where the Howard government has a majority of two, with a margin of 1. On some issues which he sees as affecting the well-being of families, such as the WorkChoices industrial relations policies, he has indicated disagreement with government policies.

With some backbenchers being willing to cross the floor, Fielding's vote has been important on some of the government's more controversial legislation. His vote ensured the passage of Voluntary student unionism,[2] the overturning of civil unions legislation in the Australian Capital Territory,[3] and changes to media ownership laws.[4] Conversely, his intention to vote "no" ensured the defeat of the government's proposed tightening of asylum seeker laws.[5]

Fielding's decision to support the Howard government's Voluntary Student Unionism legislation resulted in his office being targeted by anti-VSU activists, who vandalised the walls with pro-union graffiti.[6]

Fielding joined protesting pensioners in May 2008, who brought traffic to a standstill in the Melbourne CBD, when he and others took their tops off in the style of the successful cab drivers who successfully stripped for increased cab security, to demand an increase in the Pension from the government, of an extra $70 to $100 a week.[7][8]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Senator Steve Fielding - Biography
  2. ^ Graffiti Attack on Steve Fielding's Office After VSU Vote, The Age, 10 Dec 2005
  3. ^ Bid to save ACT civil unions fails, PM, Jun 15 2006
  4. ^ Media laws pass the Senate, PM, Oct 12 2006
  5. ^ Backbench rebellion forces border protection backdown, Lateline, Aug 14 2006
  6. ^ Graffiti Attack on Steve Fielding's Office After VSU Vote, The Age, 10 Dec 2005
  7. ^ Ageing Aussies strip in pension protest - Breaking News - World - Breaking News
  8. ^ LIVENEWS.com.au > National > Pensioners strip during pay protest


Persondata
NAME Fielding, Steven
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Australian politician
DATE OF BIRTH 17 October 1960
PLACE OF BIRTH Melbourne, Australia
DATE OF DEATH living
PLACE OF DEATH