The Honourable Mitch Fifield is a former Australian Senator and Cabinet Minister, having recently concluded a four year term in New York as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations and a term as Vice President of the UN General Assembly.

As Ambassador and Head of Mission Mitch led a team comprised of staff from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Australian Defence Force and the Australian Federal Police advancing Australia’s priorities in international peace and security, development and human rights.

Mitch represented Australia at the UN General Assembly and led Australia’s work in other UN bodies including the UN Economic and Social Council and the UN Security Council.

Mitch was also responsible for Australia’s involvement with UN funds, programs and specialised agencies and managing Australia’s relations with the other 192 UN Member States and the UN Secretary-General.

In an independent capacity Mitch co-chaired (respectively with his counterparts from El Salvador, Namibia and Indonesia) the UN processes that achieved significant reform of the UN General Assembly, established the global targets to eliminate HIV/AIDS and set the goals for international disaster risk reduction.

During sixteen years in the Senate, Mitch served for a decade on the frontbench including six years as a member of the Prime Minister’s Leadership Group having held the positions of Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate; Manager of Government Business in the Senate; Minister for Telecommunications and Cyber Safety; Minister for the Arts and Culture; Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Digital Government; Minister for Disabilities and Minister for Aged Care.

Through these roles Mitch reformed Australia’s media laws to be platform agnostic and to enhance the viability of Australian voices, oversaw the build of the National Broadband Network (NBN) to ensure universal internet access, legislated tougher and world leading safety regulation of online platforms, developed the domestic security framework for the 5G revolution, laid the foundations of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), delivered greater choice for the aged in home care, provided policy and funding certainty for the arts and boosted support for Australian contemporary music.

Before entering Parliament, Mitch served as senior adviser to the Federal Treasurer (finance minister) working on eight national Budgets, economic reform and tax reform. Mitch was a senior adviser on microeconomic reform to transport ministers in the Victoria and New South Wales State governments.

Mitch has been an Ambassador for the not-for-profit school music organisation, The Song Room, and was an Advisory Board Member for the Yachad Accelerated Learning Project for indigenous students.

Mitch served as a reservist in the Australian Army Psychology Corps and studied government and public administration at Sydney University.