Mitch Fifield

Mitchell Peter "Mitch" Fifield (born 16 January 1967), Australian politician, is member of the Australian Senate since March 2004, representing the state of Victoria for the Liberal Party. Fifield has been the Assistant Minister for Social Services and the Manager of Government Business in the Senate in the Abbott Government since 18 September 2013.^[1]

Early years

Fifield was born in Sydney, the son of two bank employees,^[2] and was educated at Barker College and the University of Sydney, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts.^[3] Between 1985 and 1987, Fifield served for three years in the Australian Army Reserve Psychology Corps.^[3]

Between 1988 to 1992, Fifield was a Senior Research Officer to the NSW Minister for Transport and Sydney's Olympic Bid, Bruce Baird; a Policy Advisor to the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Industrial Relations, 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.^[3]

Since 1996, Fifield held a number of Liberal Party positions, including:

• Delegate to the Liberal Party Victorian State Council (1996–present)
• Delegate to the Liberal Party Policy Assembly (1996) and (2004–present)
• Delegate to the Liberal Party Goldstein Electorate Council (1995–2003)

Parliamentary career

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.^[3]

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.^[4]

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.^[5] Along with Andrew Robb, he is also the co-publisher of The Party Room, a journal designed to promote new policy discussion within the Federal Coalition.^[5][6] 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."^[7]

External links

• Mitch Fifield's Senate Homepage
• Details of Fifield's push for Australia to become a republic
• Senate Report On Abolition of Compulsory Up-front Union Fees

References