Mary Jo Fisher
Encyclopedia
Mary Josephine Fisher (born 25 December 1962) is an Australian politician. She has been a Liberal
member of the Australian Senate
since 2007, representing the state of South Australia
.
Fisher was chosen on 6 June 2007 to fill a vacancy in the Australian Senate
left by the resignation of the Hon. Amanda Vanstone
. This preselection was subject of an internal appeal by fellow candidate Maria Kourtesis. On 5 June 2007 the appeals tribunal set up by the SA Liberal Party dismissed Mrs Kourtesis appeal in a 4-1 vote. A joint sitting of the Parliament of South Australia
officially nominated her on 6 June 2007. Fisher was sworn in as a South Australian Senator on 12 June. Maria Kourtesis remained fourth on the SA Liberal Party Senate ticket for the 2007 election.
Fisher was born in the Western Australia
n town of Beverley
. She is the niece of former Nuclear Disarmament
and Greens WA Senator Jo Vallentine
. She worked as a barrister
and specialist in industrial relations before the start of her political career. She subsequently served as a senior adviser to the then Industrial Relations Minister, Peter Reith
. At the time of her selection, Fisher was General Manager of Business Services for Business SA.
Fisher has served on the Senate's Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts committee, and is a participating member of the Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, and Legal and Constitutional Affairs Standing committees. She is the former Chair of the Senate Select Committee on the National Broadband Network, and she is currently the Chair of the Senate Standing References Committee on Environment and Communications.
Fisher made headlines in March 2011 when she mocked Prime Minister Julia Gillard
by dancing the Hokey Pokey
and the Time Warp in the Australian Senate
during a speech arguing against the Government's climate change
policy.
In July 2011, it was revealed that Fisher had been charged for alleged shoplifting and the alleged assault of a security guard at an Adelaide supermarket in December 2010. Fisher made a statement in which she said she would vigorously defend the claims. If convicted on either charge, Fisher would have lost her seat in the Australian Senate. Senator Fisher's defense was that she was suffering from depression and a severe panic attack at the time of the offense. On 18 November, magistrate Kym Boxall cleared Fisher of shoplifting charges, but found her guilty of assault, although no conviction was recorded and no penalty was imposed.
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
member of the Australian Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
since 2007, representing the state of South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
.
Fisher was chosen on 6 June 2007 to fill a vacancy in the Australian Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
left by the resignation of the Hon. Amanda Vanstone
Amanda Vanstone
Amanda Eloise Vanstone is a former Australian politician and a former Ambassador to Italy. She was a Liberal Senator for South Australia from 1984 to 2007, and held several ministerial portfolios in the Howard Government. After her resignation from the Senate in 2007, she served as the Australian...
. This preselection was subject of an internal appeal by fellow candidate Maria Kourtesis. On 5 June 2007 the appeals tribunal set up by the SA Liberal Party dismissed Mrs Kourtesis appeal in a 4-1 vote. A joint sitting of the Parliament of South Australia
Parliament of South Australia
The Parliament of South Australia is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of South Australia. It consists of the Legislative Council and the House of Assembly. It follows a Westminster system of parliamentary government....
officially nominated her on 6 June 2007. Fisher was sworn in as a South Australian Senator on 12 June. Maria Kourtesis remained fourth on the SA Liberal Party Senate ticket for the 2007 election.
Fisher was born in the Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
n town of Beverley
Beverley, Western Australia
Beverley is a town located in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, south-east of the state capital, Perth, between York and Brookton on the Great Southern Highway...
. She is the niece of former Nuclear Disarmament
Nuclear Disarmament Party
The Nuclear Disarmament Party was a political party in Australia. The party was formed in 1984 and enjoyed considerable initial success.-Foundation, the 1984 election, and the split:...
and Greens WA Senator Jo Vallentine
Jo Vallentine
Josephine Vallentine is a peace activist and a former Australian Senator for Western Australia. Vallentine entered the Senate on 1 July 1985 after she had been elected as a member of the Nuclear Disarmament Party but she sat as an independent and then as a member of the Greens Western Australia...
. She worked as a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
and specialist in industrial relations before the start of her political career. She subsequently served as a senior adviser to the then Industrial Relations Minister, Peter Reith
Peter Reith
Peter Keaston Reith, , former Australian politician, was a Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party and then a senior Cabinet minister in the first two terms of the Howard Government.-Early life:...
. At the time of her selection, Fisher was General Manager of Business Services for Business SA.
Fisher has served on the Senate's Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts committee, and is a participating member of the Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, and Legal and Constitutional Affairs Standing committees. She is the former Chair of the Senate Select Committee on the National Broadband Network, and she is currently the Chair of the Senate Standing References Committee on Environment and Communications.
Fisher made headlines in March 2011 when she mocked Prime Minister Julia Gillard
Julia Gillard
Julia Eileen Gillard is the 27th and current Prime Minister of Australia, in office since June 2010.Gillard was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales and migrated with her family to Adelaide, Australia in 1966, attending Mitcham Demonstration School and Unley High School. In 1982 Gillard moved...
by dancing the Hokey Pokey
Hokey Pokey
The hokey cokey or hokey pokey , also known as the okey cokey, hokey tokey, or cokey cokey, is a participation dance with a distinctive accompanying tune and lyric structure. It is well known in English-speaking countries...
and the Time Warp in the Australian Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
during a speech arguing against the Government's climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
policy.
In July 2011, it was revealed that Fisher had been charged for alleged shoplifting and the alleged assault of a security guard at an Adelaide supermarket in December 2010. Fisher made a statement in which she said she would vigorously defend the claims. If convicted on either charge, Fisher would have lost her seat in the Australian Senate. Senator Fisher's defense was that she was suffering from depression and a severe panic attack at the time of the offense. On 18 November, magistrate Kym Boxall cleared Fisher of shoplifting charges, but found her guilty of assault, although no conviction was recorded and no penalty was imposed.