Barton Lecture

Click here for Transcript of Joel Fitzgibbon's Speech

The University of Newcastle is pleased to present the inaugural Barton Lecture, an annual event which will explore Federalism in the Australian context.

Sir Edmund Barton, one of the founding fathers of the Constitution and the first Prime Minister of Australia, was elected to the seat of Hunter in 1901. The inaugural Barton Lecture will be presented by the current Member for Hunter, the Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon. This is an opportunity to hear the views of the current member for Hunter on a range of issues.

There will be plenty of time for questions at the end of the lecture.

Guest Speaker: The Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon, Member for Hunter and Minister for Defence

Venue:  Newcastle Panthers, King St, Newcastle

Date:     Thursday 3 July 2008 

Time:     5.30pm for 6pm start

Cost:      Free

The Barton Lecture is proudly presented by the University of Newcastle, through the Office of Corporate Development and Community Partnerships.

For further information or to register, contact pat.chipchase@newcastle.edu.au or call 02 4921 7476

Biography: The Hon. JOEL FITZGIBBON MP

Member for Hunter
Minister for Defence

Joel Fitzgibbon is a local to the Hunter Electorate having lived in Cessnock all of his life.  He was first elected to the Federal Parliament in March 1996.

Following his re-election in 1998, Joel was elected to Labor’s front bench and has held a number of portfolios since including Small Business, Tourism, Banking and Financial Services, Forestry, Mining and Energy, Assistant Treasurer and Shadow Minister for Defence.

The 2007 election saw a change in Government and Joel was appointed to the Cabinet Ministry as Australia's Defence Minister.

After leaving school Joel completed an apprenticeship as an automotive electrician and subsequently spent 10 years running his own small business. He also served eight years as a Councillor on Cessnock City Council including a term as Deputy Mayor.

In 2004, Joel completed a Graduate Certificate in Business Administration at the University of Newcastle.  Earlier as a mature age student, he had completed a number of subjects towards an Arts/Law degree at the University of New England.

Joel lives in Cessnock with his wife Dianne and their three children - Caitlin, Jack and Grace.  Dianne has been a small business operator for more than twenty years in the personal services sector.  Joel has a keen interest in sport. He played rugby league for Cessnock in his younger days and helps out with the junior league where and when he can.
 
Hunter is a semi-rural NSW electorate and includes the Cessnock, Maitland, Muswellbrook, Singleton and Upper Hunter Local Government Areas. The Hunter electorate boasts a diverse range of industries from rural through to electricity, mining, aluminium smelting and tourism.