Joel Fitzgibbon
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The Honourable Joel Fitzgibbon MP |
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| Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry | |
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In office 2 July 2013 – 18 September 2013 |
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| Prime Minister | Kevin Rudd |
| Preceded by | Joe Ludwig |
| Succeeded by | Barnaby Joyce |
| Chief Government Whip in the House of Representatives | |
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In office 27 September 2010 – 14 May 2013 |
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| Prime Minister | Julia Gillard |
| Preceded by | Roger Price |
| Succeeded by | Chris Hayes |
| Minister for Defence | |
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In office 3 December 2007 – 4 June 2009 |
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| Prime Minister | Kevin Rudd |
| Preceded by | Brendan Nelson |
| Succeeded by | John Faulkner |
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Hunter |
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Assumed office 2 March 1996 |
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| Preceded by | Eric Fitzgibbon |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Joel Andrew Fitzgibbon 16 January 1962 Bellingen, New South Wales, Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political party | Australian Labor Party |
| Spouse(s) | Dianne |
| Children | 3 |
| Website | JoelFitzgibbon.com |
Joel Andrew Fitzgibbon (born 16 January 1962) is an Australian politician and Australian Labor Party (ALP) member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1996, representing the Division of Hunter in New South Wales. Fitzgibbon is aligned with the ALP's Centre Unity faction in NSW. From December 2007 to June 2009 he was the Minister for Defence in the First Rudd Ministry. He resigned from cabinet in June 2009, following a series of controversies. In July 2013, following Kevin Rudd's election as Labor Leader, he was appointed the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in the Second Rudd Ministry.
Joel Fitzgibbon was born in Bellingen, New South Wales, and is the son of Eric Fitzgibbon who was MP for Hunter 1984–96. Before entering politics Fitzgibbon was an automotive electrician, electorate officer, part-time technical education lecturer and small business operator. He was a member of the Cessnock City Council in the period 1987–95.
Joel's father, Eric Fitzgibbon, retired before the 1996 election, and Joel won Labor preselection for the seat. Hunter is one of Labor's few country strongholds; it has been in Labor hands without interruption since 1910. While Joel Fitzgibbon suffered a seven-point swing in 1996, he has been re-elected with little trouble since then, with the exception of the 2013 election, where his margin was significantly reduced. He was elected to the opposition shadow ministry in October 1998 and was appointed Shadow Minister for Mining, Energy and Forestry in 2003–05. In June 2005 he was appointed shadow assistant treasurer and shadow minister for revenue and for small business and competition. In early December 2006, when Kevin Rudd became leader of the opposition, Fitzgibbon was appointed shadow minister for defence. He was subsequently appointed minister for defence when Labor won office at the 2007 federal election.
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