Anthony Fels

Anthony James Fels (born 19 November 1964) is a former Liberal Member of Parliament. He was the member of the Western Australian Legislative Council representing the Agricultural Region from 2005 to 2009, representing the Liberal Party (2005–2008) and later the Family First Party (2008–2009).[1] In 2007, Fels was found to be in contempt of Parliament by a select committee report for giving false answers to a parliamentary inquiry.[2][3] Despite attempts from the Liberal Party to remove Fels, he resigned from the Liberal Party in August 2008, and attempted to form his own party called People Against Daylight Saving. He later joined Family First.[4] He was leader of WA Family First before they merged with the Australian Conservatives.

Growing up on the family farm, east of Esperance, Fels began his education at Castletown Primary School.[5] He then attended Esperance Senior High School and the University of Western Australia, where he studied agricultural science.

At university, Fels became interested in politics and ran for the Student Guild elections in his first year and for Guild President in his second and third years. On both occasions, he was runner up. He was elected as a delegate to the Australian Union of Students in 1984.

Fels was an independent candidate for the Senate at the 2010 federal election and for the state Legislative Council at the 2013 election, a Katter's Australian Party candidate for the Senate at the 2013 federal election, and a Mutual Party candidate at the 2014 special Senate election.

As of January 2017, Fels was a member of One Nation. At one stage it was reported that he had been preselected as a One Nation candidate at the 2017 state election,[6] but the party later said that he had not yet been endorsed.[7]

Fels was a nominated candidate representing the Non-Custodial Parents Party (Equal Parenting) in the 2017 Bennelong by-election. He came last of 12 candidates with a primary vote of less than 0.2 percent.[8] He was a candidate for Clive Palmer's United Australia Party at the 2019 Australian federal election.[9]