25 Facts About Joel Fitzgibbon

Joel Andrew Fitzgibbon was born on 16 January 1962 and is a retired Australian politician.

Joel Fitzgibbon is a member of the Australian Labor Party and has served in the House of Representatives from 1996 to 2022, representing the New South Wales seat of Hunter.

Joel Fitzgibbon served as Minister for Defence in the first Rudd government and Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in the second Rudd government.

Joel Fitzgibbon was Chief Government Whip in the House of Representatives in the Gillard government.

Joel Fitzgibbon is aligned with the Centre Unity faction in NSW, part of the federal Labor Right faction.

Joel Fitzgibbon is the son of Anne and Eric Fitzgibbon.

Joel Fitzgibbon worked as an automotive electrician from 1978 to 1990, operating a small business.

Joel Fitzgibbon completed a graduate certificate in business administration at the University of Newcastle and was a part-time TAFE lecturer.

Joel Fitzgibbon served on the Cessnock City Council from 1987 to 1995, including as deputy mayor from 1989 to 1990.

Joel Fitzgibbon was a vice-president of the ALP's Cessnock branch and served as a delegate to state conference.

Joel Fitzgibbon won ALP preselection for the seat of Hunter following his father's retirement prior to the 1996 federal election.

Joel Fitzgibbon suffered a seven-point swing in 1996, but has been re-elected with little trouble since then, with the exception of the 2013 election, where his margin was significantly reduced.

In early December 2006, when Kevin Rudd became leader of the opposition, Joel Fitzgibbon was appointed shadow minister for defence.

Joel Fitzgibbon was appointed minister for defence when Labor won office at the 2007 federal election.

In 2008 Joel Fitzgibbon expressed dissatisfaction with an unclassified briefing he received on an assessment of the Joint Strike Fighter.

Joel Fitzgibbon subsequently ordered and received a classified report that addressed his concerns, and then expressed confidence in the JSF project.

On 22 October 2008, Joel Fitzgibbon instructed the Department of Defence to cease debt recovery procedures against SAS soldiers who had been accidentally overpaid.

In May 2009, Joel Fitzgibbon announced a new defence white paper titled Defending Australia in the Asia Pacific Century: Force 2030.

Joel Fitzgibbon resigned as Minister for Defence on 4 June 2009 after admitting that meetings held between his brother Mark Joel Fitzgibbon, the head of the health fund NIB, and Defence officials concerning business opportunities had breached the Ministerial Code of Conduct.

In 2013, Joel Fitzgibbon reflected on his term as Defence Minister and said that the defence chiefs had an obsession for the JSF and had refused to consider other alternatives.

Joel Fitzgibbon stated that he was considering running in the leadership ballot if other candidates do not "show more interest in regional Australia".

Joel Fitzgibbon later endorsed Anthony Albanese as leader, who won unopposed.

In September 2021, Joel Fitzgibbon announced his retirement at the next election, claiming that he has been successful in bringing back the Labor Party to the political centre.

In November 2022, Joel Fitzgibbon was appointed as the interim CEO of the Australian Forest Products Association, effective from February 2023.

Joel Fitzgibbon served as the convenor of the NSW Right faction in federal parliament.