The Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon MP was first elected to the House of Representatives in March of 1996.
During his more than 23 years as the Member for Hunter Mr Fitzgibbon has held a number of shadow ministerial positions including Mining, Energy & Forestry, Defence, Assistant Treasurer, Banking and Financial Services, Small Business and Competition, and Tourism. Most recently, Mr Fitzgibbon was Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and for Regional and Rural Australia.
In Government, Mr Fitzgibbon served as Minister for Defence and Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
He also served as Chief Government Whip and chaired the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade.
Mr Fitzgibbon is currently the Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Resources. Mr Fitzgibbon knows the agriculture, mining, oil and gas industries well and is determined to emphasise their importance to the national economy and the regional jobs they create. He is committed to developing a sound strategic plan to fully capitalise on growing global demand for our high qualityexports.
Mr Fitzgibbon is also the founder of the Country Caucus, a group of Federal Labor MPs and Senators dedicated to promoting the interests of rural and regional Australia.
He is driven to champion issues of importance both to the Hunter and to other regional communities. Mr Fitzgibbon provides a strong voice for country people within the Labor leadership group.
Mr Fitzgibbon lives in Cessnock in the Hunter Valley with his wife Dianne, who was elected a Cessnock City Councillor in 2016. They have three adult children.