Joel Andrew Fitzgibbon (born 16 January 1962), is the Minister for Defence in the first Rudd Ministry. Fitzgibbon, an Australian Labor Party politician, has been a member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1996, representing the Division of Hunter in New South Wales. He was born in Bellingen, New South Wales, 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.

Fitzgibbon was elected to the Opposition Shadow Ministry in October 1998 and was 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.

In the 2007 federal election he was re-elected. He was appointed as the Defence Minister in Kevin Rudd's cabinet on 29 November 2007.

References

See also

• First Rudd Ministry

External links