Mr Fitzgibbon brings over 26 years of experience as a former federal Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives, where he represented the Hunter electorate including for a number of years the areas of Lue, Kandos and Rylstone which then formed part of that electorate. Mr Fitzgibbon also has 8 years in Local Government. Throughout his career in politics, he served in Cabinet and held the ministerial portfolios of Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Minister for Defence, and Chief Government Whip. He also held several shadow portfolios throughout his time in Opposition, including Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Shadow Minister for Resources, Shadow Minister for Rural and Regional Australia, Shadow Minister for Small Business and Tourism, and Shadow Assistant Treasurer. He has served on a number of parliamentary committees, covering issues including regional affairs; agriculture and resources; economics and finance; employment and workplace relations; foreign affairs, defence and trade; and public administration.
