Joel Fitzgibbon, Australian electrician and politician, 51st Australian Minister of Defence
Joel Andrew Fitzgibbon (born 16 January 1962) is an Australian politician. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and has served in the House of Representatives since the 1996 federal election, representing the New South Wales seat of Hunter. He served as Minister for Defence (2007–2009) in the first Rudd Government and Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (2013) in the second Rudd Government. He was also Chief Government Whip in the House of Representatives (2010–2013) in the Gillard Government.
Fitzgibbon succeeded his father Eric in federal parliament. He is aligned with the Centre Unity faction in NSW, part of the federal Labor Right faction. Since the 2019 election, he has become a vocal critic of stronger climate change policies, calling a potential 2030 target "delusional", and claiming that any embrace of more ambitious policies will alienate working-class support of Labor.
1962Jan, 16
Joel Fitzgibbon
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Events on 1962
- 5Feb
Charles de Gaulle
French President Charles de Gaulle calls for Algeria to be granted independence. - 5Aug
Nelson Mandela
Apartheid in South Africa: Nelson Mandela is jailed. He would not be released until 1990. - 15Sep
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Soviet ship Poltava heads toward Cuba, one of the events that sets into motion the Cuban Missile Crisis. - 18Sep
Jamaica
Burundi, Jamaica, Rwanda and Trinidad and Tobago are admitted to the United Nations. - 6Nov
Apartheid
The United Nations General Assembly passes a resolution condemning South Africa's apartheid policies and calls for all UN member states to cease military and economic relations with the nation.