Mitch Fifield

Mitchell Peter Fifield (born 16 January 1967) is an Australian politician and diplomat who last served as the Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations. He previously served as a Senator for Victoria from 2004 to 2019, representing the Liberal Party. He was a government minister in the Abbott, Turnbull, and Morrison governments, serving as Assistant Minister for Social Services (2013–2015), Manager of Government Business in the Senate (2013–2015), Minister for Communications (2015–2019), and Minister for the Arts (2015–2019).

Early life and education Fifield was born in Sydney, the son of two bank employees, and was educated at Barker College and the University of Sydney, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts. Between 1985 and 1987, Fifield served for three years in the Australian Army Reserve Psychology Corps.

Throughout his political career, Fifield has been an advocate of voluntary student unionism, as well as allowing women to serve on the front lines of the Australian Defence Force. Along with Andrew Robb, he is the co-publisher of The Party Room, a journal designed to promote new policy discussion within the Federal Coalition. Fifield has opposed federal money being spent on cycling infrastructure, and objected to part of the Rudd government's $42 billion stimulus package being used for new cycleways and home insulation: "I don't think Bradford batts and bike paths is serious economic infrastructure. Call me crazy, but I don't think it is."

Following the 2013 federal election Fifield was appointed to the Abbott Ministry as the Assistant Minister for Social Services and the Manager of Government Business in the Senate. On 28 August he was reappointed to the same portfolio by Turnbull's successor, Scott Morrison.

Permanent Representative to the United Nations In May 2019, following the Coalition's victory at the 2019 federal election, it was announced that Fifield would be appointed to succeed Gillian Bird as Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations. He stepped down from cabinet as a result, and resigned from the Senate on 16 August 2019. On 8 September, the Liberal Party preselected Sarah Henderson, the former MP for Corangamite to be appointed to fill the casual vacancy.

Fifield was appointed on 17 October 2019, replacing Gillian Bird as the new Permanent Representative of Australia to the UN, and presented his credentials to the UN Secretary‑General António Guterres on 22 October 2019.

Controversy Fifield was accused of "mansplaining" by the Australian senator Katy Gallagher during a debate in a Senate committee hearing regarding social services legislation, which subsequently went viral. Fifield responded, claiming it was hypocritical and sexist to reduce an opponent's statement based on gender. The resulting argument lasted several minutes with both parties accusing the other of inappropriate language unfit for public office. Ultimately, Fifield posited the use of a phrase "womansplaining" in the same context, to which Gallagher replied that mansplaining was "a term that's used".