Paul Fletcher (politician)

Paul William Fletcher (born 16 January 1965) is an Australian Liberal Party politician serving as Minister for Communications and Arts since 2019, and has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Bradfield since 2009.[2]

The Honourable Paul Fletcher MP
Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts
Incumbent
Assumed office 26 May 2019
Prime Minister	Scott Morrison
Preceded by	Mitch Fifield
Minister for Families and Social Services
In office 28 August 2018 – 26 May 2019
Prime Minister	Scott Morrison
Preceded by	Dan Tehan
Succeeded by	Anne Ruston
Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities
In office 19 July 2016 – 27 August 2018
Prime Minister	Malcolm Turnbull Scott Morrison
Preceded by	Jamie Briggs
Succeeded by	Alan Tudge
Minister for Territories, Local Government and Major Projects
In office 21 September 2015 – 16 July 2017 27 October 2017 – 20 December 2017
Prime Minister	Malcolm Turnbull
Preceded by	Fiona Nash
Succeeded by	John McVeigh
Member of the Australian Parliament for Bradfield
Incumbent
Assumed office 5 December 2009
Preceded by	Brendan Nelson
Personal details
Born	Paul William Fletcher (1965-01-16) 16 January 1965 Devizes, England, United Kingdom
Citizenship	Australian British (1965–2009)[1]
Political party	Liberal Party of Australia
Spouse(s)	Manuela Zappacosta
Children	2
Residence	Roseville, Sydney
Alma mater	University of Sydney Columbia Business School
Website	www.paulfletcher.com.au

Fletcher served as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications between September 2013 and September 2015 in the Abbott Ministry, and between September 2015 and July 2016, he served as the Minister for Major Projects, Territories, and Local Government. He briefly served as the Minister for Territories, Local Government and Major Projects between October and December 2017. He served as Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities from July 2016 to August 2018 in the Second Turnbull Ministry, and Minister for Families and Social Services in the First Morrison Ministry.

Background and early career

Fletcher was born in the English town of Devizes and came to Australia with his family at age two. He was a dual Australian/British citizen until 2009 when he renounced his British citizenship.[3][4]

Fletcher attended Sydney Grammar School, before going on to earn first-class honours degrees in economics and law from the University of Sydney. In 1993 he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to go to Columbia University's Graduate School of Business in New York City,[5] where he completed a Master of Business Administration degree.[6]

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 then founded Fletchergroup Advisers, a strategy consultancy focusing on the communications industry.[7] 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.[8]

Political career

Fletcher was selected from a field of 17 people to be the Liberal Party candidate, 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.[9]

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.[10] Fletcher has served as the Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities since July 2016.

Personal life

Fletcher is married to jeweller Manuela Zappacosta and they have one son, and they live with her son from a previous marriage.[3][11]

References

1. 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. Salusinszky, Imre (28 September 2009). "Ex-Optus exec enters politics". The Australian.
4. "Paul Fletcher Citizenship Renunciation" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 March 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
5. "About Paul Fletcher". Paul Fletcher MP. Archived from the original on 12 October 2018. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
6. "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.
7. Network Insight Institute (2009). Paul Fletcher Archived 28 June 2005 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 27 September 2009.
8. 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.
9. "NSW Liberals reject Cook candidate Towke". Brisbane Times. 3 August 2007. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2009.
10. "Turnbull cabinet reshuffle: who's going where". ABC News. Australia. 20 September 2015. Archived from the original on 20 September 2015.
11. "Fletcher an outstanding choice for Bradfield: Nelson". ABC News. 27 September 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2009.

External links

• Australian Parliament House biography
• Paul Fletcher's campaign website for the Bradfield by-election 2009
• Australian Telecommunications Users Group biography

Parliament of Australia
Preceded by Brendan Nelson	Member for Bradfield 2009–present	Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Jamie Briggs as Minister for Urban Infrastructure	Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities 2016–present	Incumbent
Preceded by Fiona Nash as Minister for Regional Development	Minister for Territories, Local Government and Major Projects 2017	Succeeded by John McVeigh as Minister for Regional Development, Territories and Local Government
New ministerial post	Minister for Major Projects, Territories, and Local Government 2015–2016	Succeeded by Fiona Nash as Minister for Territories and Local Government