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Paul Fletcher (politician)

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The Honourable
Paul Fletcher
MP
Official portrait, 2013
Manager of Opposition Business in the House
Incumbent
Assumed office
5 June 2022
DeputyKevin Hogan
LeaderPeter Dutton
Preceded byTony Burke
Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts
In office
22 December 2020 – 23 May 2022
Prime MinisterScott Morrison
Preceded byHimself (Communications and Arts)
Alan Tudge (Cities and Urban Infrastructure)
Succeeded byMichelle Rowland (Communications)
Tony Burke (Arts)
Catherine King (Infrastrtucture)
Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts
In office
29 May 2019 – 22 December 2020
Prime MinisterScott Morrison
Preceded byMitch Fifield
Succeeded byHimself (Communications and the Arts)
Jane Hume (Digital Economy)
Minister for Families and Social Services
In office
28 August 2018 – 29 May 2019
Prime MinisterScott Morrison
Preceded byDan Tehan
Succeeded byAnne Ruston
Minister for Urban Infrastructure
(Minister for Cities and Urban Infrastructure 2017-2018)
In office
19 July 2016 – 27 August 2018
Prime MinisterMalcolm Turnbull
Scott Morrison
Preceded byJamie Briggs
Succeeded byAlan Tudge
Minister for Territories, Local Government and Major Projects
In office
21 September 2015 – 19 July 2016
Prime MinisterMalcolm Turnbull
Preceded byWarren Truss (Infrastructure and Regional Development)
Succeeded byFiona Nash (Local Government and Territories)
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Bradfield
Incumbent
Assumed office
5 December 2009
Preceded byBrendan Nelson
Personal details
Born
Paul William Fletcher

(1965-01-16) 16 January 1965 (age 59)
Devizes, Wiltshire, England
Citizenship
Political partyLiberal Party of Australia
SpouseManuela Zappacosta
Children2
Residence(s)Roseville, Sydney
Alma mater
Websitewww.paulfletcher.com.au

Paul William Fletcher (born 16 January 1965) is an Australian politician. He is a member of the Liberal Party and has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2009, representing the New South Wales division of Bradfield. He held ministerial office in the Turnbull and Morrison governments from 2015 to 2022.

Fletcher was management consultant, lawyer and corporate executive before entering politics. He was first elected to parliament at the 2009 Bradfield by-election.[2] He served as a parliamentary secretary in the Abbott government from 2013 to 2015, before being promoted to the ministry by Malcolm Turnbull. Fletcher subsequently served as Minister for Major Projects, Territories, and Local Government (2015–2016), Urban Infrastructure and Cities (2016–2018), Families and Social Services (2018–2019), and Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts (2019–2022). He was appointed to cabinet in 2018 by Scott Morrison. After the Coalition's defeat at the 2022 election he was named Manager of Opposition Business in the House.

Early life

[edit]

Fletcher was born in Devizes, Wiltshire, England,[3] the son of Clive and Mary Fletcher.[4] His father was a professor of computational engineering.[3] He arrived in Australia with his family at the age of two, and held British citizenship until 2009 when he renounced it to stand for parliament.[5][6]

Fletcher grew up in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, where he was the dux of Sydney Grammar School in 1982. He subsequently attended the University of Sydney, graduating with first-class honours in economics and laws. At university he co-wrote two plays, titled The Fax of Life and Annually Fixated.[3] In 1993, Fletcher was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to go to Columbia University's Graduate School of Business in New York City,[7] where he completed a Master of Business Administration degree.[8]

Fletcher was one of seven Liberal MPs in the 46th Parliament of Australia who obtained degrees at an Oxbridge or Ivy League university, the others being Alan Tudge, Angus Taylor, Andrew Laming, Dave Sharma, Greg Hunt and Josh Frydenberg.[9]

Professional career

[edit]

In his early career, Fletcher worked as a management consultant, a corporate lawyer for Mallesons Stephen Jaques, and a corporate strategist for TNT Limited. From 1996 to 2000, he worked as chief of staff to Minister for Communications Richard Alston, a Liberal Party politician. Fletcher joined Optus in 2000 and worked as director of corporate and regulatory affairs until 2008. He was a staunch opponent of Telstra, accusing the latter company of being a monopoly.[3]

After leaving Optus, Fletcher founded Fletchergroup Advisers, a strategy consultancy focusing on the communications industry.[10] He also wrote a book entitled Wired Brown Land? Telstra's Battle for Broadband that was published in 2009, discussing Telstra's bid to operate the Australian Government's proposed National Broadband Network.[11]

Political career

[edit]

Fletcher joined the Young Liberals at the age of 16.[3] In 2009, he won preselection from a field of 17 people to be the Liberal Party candidate at the 2009 Bradfield by-election, following the retirement of former Liberal leader Brendan Nelson. Bradfield, a seat located in the North Shore of Sydney, has been held continuously by the Liberal Party since its creation in 1949, and is one of the safest Liberal Party seats in Parliament. He was required to renounce his dual British citizenship before entering Parliament, as required by Section 44 of the Constitution of Australia.[1] Fletcher had previously unsuccessfully sought Liberal Party pre-selection in the Division of Cook in 2007.[12]

Under the Abbott government, Fletcher was the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications. In September 2015 Fletcher was appointed as the Minister for Major Projects, Territories, and Local Government in the Turnbull government.[13] Fletcher served as the Minister for Urban Infrastructure from July 2016 until he was promoted to Cabinet in 2018.

Fletcher is a member of the Moderate/Modern Liberal faction of the Liberal Party.[14][15]

In June 2022 he was appointed Manager of Opposition Business in the House.[16] He also serves as Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy, as well as Shadow Minister for Science and the Arts.

On 10 December 2024, Fletcher announced that he would not seek re-election at the next federal election.[17][18]

Personal life

[edit]

Fletcher is married to jeweller Manuela Zappacosta and they have one son, and they live with her son from a previous marriage.[5][permanent dead link‍][19]

[edit]
  • "FLETCHER, the Hon. Paul William". Senators and Members of the Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  • Paul Fletcher's campaign website for the Bradfield by-election 2009
  • Australian Telecommunications Users Group biography

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Cranston, Belinda (27 September 2009). "UK executive pre-selected for Bradfield". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2009.
  2. ^ "NSW Division – Bradfield". Virtual Tally Room. Australian Electoral Commission. 15 December 2009. Archived from the original on 8 December 2009. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e Hunter, Fergus; Samios, Zoe (2 March 2020). "A nerd in charge: the lapsed playwright shaping Australia's online future". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  4. ^ "Paul Fletcher delivers his Maiden Speech". Paul Fletcher MP. 9 February 2010. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  5. ^ a b Salusinszky, Imre (28 September 2009). "Ex-Optus exec enters politics". The Australian.[permanent dead link‍]
  6. ^ "Paul Fletcher Citizenship Renunciation" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 March 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  7. ^ "About Paul Fletcher". Paul Fletcher MP. Archived from the original on 12 October 2018. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  8. ^ "Australian Chamber of Commerce and IndustryThe Hon Paul Fletcher MP - Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry". www.australianchamber.com.au. Archived from the original on 12 October 2018. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  9. ^ Yim, Noah; Carter, Daniel (27 October 2021). "Pathways to Parliament". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  10. ^ Network Insight Institute (2009). Paul Fletcher Archived 28 June 2005 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 27 September 2009.
  11. ^ Fletcher, Paul (2009). Wired brown land : Telstra's battle for broadband. UNSW Press. ISBN 978-1-74223-003-0. Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  12. ^ "NSW Liberals reject Cook candidate Towke". Brisbane Times. 3 August 2007. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2009.
  13. ^ "Turnbull cabinet reshuffle: who's going where". ABC News. Australia. 20 September 2015. Archived from the original on 20 September 2015.
  14. ^ Massola, James (20 March 2021). "Who's who in the Liberals' left, right and centre factions?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 22 March 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  15. ^ Massola, James (8 April 2023). "How Morrison's shattering defeat gave Dutton a seismic shift in factional power". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  16. ^ "Fletcher welcomes Shadow Cabinet appointment". paulfletcher.com.au. Archived from the original on 10 December 2024.
  17. ^ "Statement - Member for Bradfield Paul Fletcher to leave Parliament at next federal election". paulfletcher.com.au (Press release). 10 December 2024. Archived from the original on 14 December 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  18. ^ Clarke, Melissa (10 December 2024). "Peter Dutton frontbench reshuffle looms with moderate Paul Fletcher departing". ABC News. Archived from the original on 14 December 2024. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  19. ^ "Nelson backs new Bradfield candidate". ABC News. 27 September 2009. Archived from the original on 10 December 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2009. Paul Fletcher, 44, a former telecommunications executive who is married with two children has been chosen as his successor.
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by Member for Bradfield
2009–present 		Incumbent
Political offices
New ministerial post Minister for Territories, Local Government and Major Projects
2015-2016 		Succeeded byas Minister for Local Government and Territories
Preceded byas Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Minister for Urban Infrastructure
2016–2018 		Succeeded by
Vacant
Title last held by
Jamie Briggs
as Minister for Cities and the Built Environment 		Minister for Cities
2017–2018
Preceded byas Minister for Social Services Minister for Families and Social Services
2018–2019 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Communications and the Arts
2019–2022 		Succeeded byas Minister for Communications
Succeeded byas Minister for the Arts
Vacant
Title last held by
Angus Taylor
as Minister for Law Enforcement and Cybersecurity 		Minister for Cyber Safety
2019–2020 		Succeeded byas Minister for Superannuation, Financial Services and the Digital Economy
Preceded byas Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities
2020–2022 		Succeeded byas Minister for Infrastructure, Regional Development and Local Government
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