Joel Andrew Fitzgibbon (born 16 January 1962) is a retired Australian politician. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and represented the New South Wales seat of Hunter in the Australian House of Representatives from 1996 to 2022, a period of 26 years. He served as Minister for Defence (2007–2009) in the First Rudd Government and as 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) during the Gillard Government.
Fitzgibbon succeeded his father Eric Fitzgibbon in federal parliament. He is aligned with the Centre Unity faction in NSW, part of the federal Labor Right faction.
Early life and background
Fitzgibbon was born on 16 January 1962 in Bellingen, New South Wales. He suffered a seven-point swing against him in 1996 but held the seat, and was subsequently re-elected at the 1998, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019 elections. The White Paper argued that Australia's core strategic interests lay in the Asia-Pacific region, emphasised China's growing military strength, predicted a decline in US primacy in the Asia-Pacific, and advocated a A$100 billion upgrade of Australia's naval and air force power over 20 years.
The White Paper confirmed the government's plan to acquire around 100 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters for the Royal Australian Air Force. Fairfax also alleged that Defence Department officials had conducted a covert investigation into Fitzgibbon's relationship with Liu, believing it constituted a security risk, including alleged access to the computer network in his parliamentary office. Prime Minister Rudd accepted the resignation, stating that the minister had "made mistakes related to accountability". The resignation followed a heated shadow cabinet meeting in which shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus reportedly confronted Fitzgibbon directly. He was replaced in the portfolio by right-faction MP Ed Husic. Commentators noted his sustained pressure on the party had contributed to Labor abandoning its 2030 emissions reduction target from the 2019 election and agreeing to support new gas projects.
Death of Lance Corporal Jack Fitzgibbon
On 6 March 2024, Fitzgibbon's son, Lance Corporal Jack Fitzgibbon, aged 33, died as a result of a parachuting accident while serving with the 2nd Commando Regiment of the Australian Army at RAAF Base Richmond, approximately 50 kilometres north-west of Sydney. Jack Fitzgibbon suffered critical head injuries when his parachute failed to deploy properly during a routine Special Forces training exercise. He was transported to Westmead Hospital in a serious condition and died on 7 March 2024.
In a statement delivered by Acting Special Operations Commander Brigadier James Kidd, Fitzgibbon said his family was "devastated and heartbroken" by the loss. "Serving in the special forces was Jack's dream job and we take some comfort from the fact that he died serving his nation in the uniform of the Australian Defence Force," the statement read. "Jack was a dedicated, highly skilled and courageous soldier. He was an experienced parachutist. Our lives will never be the same without Jack, but we will always remain proud of him and his many achievements."
The ADF suspended all parachute training and opened an investigation into the accident. All parachute training exercises were paused while three independent investigations were conducted.