Mitch Fifield

Mitch Fifield
Senator for Victoria
Incumbent
Assumed office 31 March 2004
Preceded by	Richard Alston
Personal details
Born	16 January 1967 (1967-01-16) (age 44) Sydney
Nationality	Australia
Political party	Liberal Party of Australia
Children	1 daughter
Website	http://www.mitchfifield.com/

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.

Early years

Fifield was born in Sydney, the son of two bank employees,^[1] and was educated at Sydney University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts.^[2] At university he also participated in the Christian para-church meetings organised by the campus group known as Student Life.^{[citation needed]} Between 1985 and 1987, Fifield served for three years in the Australian Army Reserve Psychology Corps.^[2] He has a daughter and is divorced.^{[citation needed]} At Sydney University, Fifield was a member of the Sydney University Liberal Club, affiliated to the Australian Liberal Students Federation.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[2]

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.^[2]

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.^[3]

Throughout his political career, Fifield has been an advocate of voluntary student unionism, as well as allowing women to serve on the frontlines of the Australian Defence Force.^[4] He is also the co-Publisher of The Party Room alongside Andrew Robb, a journal designed to promote new policy discussion within the Federal Coalition.^[4][5] 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."^[6]

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

1. ^ "First Speech – Mitch Fifield, Senator for Victoria". Australian Senate Hansard. Commonwealth of Australia. 2004-05-12. http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/homepages/first_speech/sfs-D2I.htm. Retrieved 2010-10-14. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} "Biography for Mitchell (Mitch) Peter Fifield". Commonwealth of Australia. http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22handbook%2Fallmps%2FD2I%22. Retrieved 2010-10-14. 
3. ^ http://www.aph.gov.au/Library/parl/43/Shadow/index.htm
4. ^ ^{a b} Coorey, Phillip (2006-10-02). "MP fights to let women in close combat". The Sydney Morning Herald (Fairfax Media). http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/mp-fights-to-let-women-in-close-combat/2006/10/01/1159641213166.html. Retrieved 2010-10-14. 
5. ^ Robb, Andrew; Fifield, Mitch (2010-06). "Issue 8, Winter 2010". The Party Room. Andrew Robb and Mitch Fifield. http://www.andrewrobb.com.au/Portals/0/Files/10107%20AND%20ThePartyRoom%20Vol8_d6.pdf. Retrieved 2010-10-14. 
6. ^ "Friday Forum with Mitch Fifield and Mark Arbib". Lateline (ABC-TV) (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). 2009-02-13. http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2008/s2491407.htm. Retrieved 2009-02-16. 

Persondata
Name	Fifield, Mitch
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1967-01-16
Place of birth	Sydney
Date of death
Place of death