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Sen. Mitch Fifield (Lib-Vic) – Valedictory Speeches

These are the valedictory speeches for Senator Mitch Fifield, Liberal, Victoria.

Fifield, 52, was appointed to the Senate on March 3, 2004, filling a casual vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Richard Alston.

Fifield served as a minister in the governments of Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison, between September 2013 and May 2019. He was Minister for the Arts and Minister for Communications from 2015 until 2019.

He was Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate between 2017 and 2018, and Manager of Government Business in the Senate from 2018 to 2019.

Prior to entering parliament, Fifield worked for Treasurer Peter Costello (1996-2003) as a senior political adviser. He was also a senior policy adviser to Alan Brown, the Victorian Minister for Transcpot (1992-96).

Fifield, bruised by the leadership turmoil in the Liberal Party in 2018, will soon take up the post of Ambassador to the United Nations.

Listen to the valedictory speeches for Fifield (57m):

Watch the valedictories (57m):

Hansard transcript of valedictory speeches for Senator Mitch Fifield.

The PRESIDENT (18:33): Pursuant to order, the Senate will now move to valedictory statements.

Senator FIFIELD (Victoria) (18:33): Colleagues and friends, doesn’t it go by in the blink of an eye? It was a little over 15 years ago that I rose to speak for the first time in this great chamber. I did so as the 487th senator to serve in this place since Federation. This struck me at the time as being a pretty small number, but since I arrived 120 senators have left this place. I cite these figures to highlight that, while ours may be a select group, our custodianship is transitory. To be chosen by your party peers to be their flag-bearer, to be endorsed by the voters, to be afforded a platform and resources to pursue the national interest, there are few greater privileges. Today, for me, represents the culmination of a decade and a half in the Senate, and the drawing of stumps on a parliamentary and a ministerial career. But today also represents for me the conclusion of 31 years in full-time professional politics and 23 years working in this building. [Read more…]


Turnbull Announces New Ministry

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has announced his new ministry, following the 2016 federal election.

The Second Turnbull Government will be sworn in at Government House tomorrow morning at 9.00am.

There are 42 members of the executive. The Cabinet has been increased to 23 members, the largest number since the Whitlam governments (1972-75), when all ministers were in the Cabinet and there was no outer ministry. The Outer Ministry has shrunk to 7 members and there are 12 Assistant Ministers, previously known as Parliamentary Secretaries.

Most major portfolios in the Cabinet are unchanged. Scott Morrisonremains Treasurer, whilst Julie Bishop continues in Foreign Affairs and Peter Dutton stays in Immigration and Border Protection.

Christopher Pyne has been moved from Education into a newly-created portfolio of Defence Industry, in which he will oversee the South Australian submarine building program. Senator Simon Birmingham becomes Minister for Education and Training.

Kelly O’Dwyer’s position as Assistant Treasurer has been re-named Revenue and Financial Services. Her previous responsibility for Small Business has gone to Michael McCormack.

Greg Hunt becomes Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, whilst Josh Frydenberg takes over Environment and Energy. [Read more…]


Senator Don Farrell (ALP-SA) – Valedictory Speech

Don Farrell was elected as a Labor senator from South Australia at the 2007 federal election.

Farrell

Farrell served just one term. He was one of six ALP senators to be defeated at the 2013 federal election. His term expired on June 30, 2014. His place was taken by Bob Day of the Family First party.

Farrell had originally been preselected to the number one position on the ALP Senate ticket for the election, but he relinquished it to Penny Wong, out of deference to her status as a senior minister. However, the ALP only polled 22.66% of the primary vote and won just one seat. [Read more…]


Senator Mark Furner (ALP-Qld) – Valedictory Speech

Mark Furner was elected to the Senate as a Labor member from Queensland at the 2007 federal election.

Furner

Furner served just one six-year term and was one of six ALP senators defeated at the 2013 federal election. His term finished on June 30, 2014. He was replaced by Glenn Lazarus from the Palmer United Party. [Read more…]