Paul Fletcher (politician)

Fletcher was born in the English town of Devizes and came to Australia with his family at age two. He was a dual Australian/British citizen until 2009 when he renounced his British citizenship.[3][4]

Fletcher attended Sydney Grammar School, before going on to earn first-class honours degrees in economics and law from the University of Sydney. In 1993 he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to go to Columbia University's Graduate School of Business in New York City,[5] where he completed a Master of Business Administration degree.[6]

In his early career, Fletcher worked as a management consultant, a corporate lawyer for Mallesons Stephen Jaques, and a corporate strategist for TNT Limited. From 1996 to 2000, he worked as Chief of Staff to Minister for Communications Richard Alston, a Liberal Party politician. Fletcher joined Optus in 2000 and worked as Director of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs until 2008. He then founded Fletchergroup Advisers, a strategy consultancy focusing on the communications industry.[7] He also wrote a book entitled Wired Brown Land? Telstra's Battle for Broadband that was published in 2009, discussing Telstra's bid to operate the Australian Government's proposed National Broadband Network.[8]

Fletcher was selected from a field of 17 people to be the Liberal Party candidate, following the retirement of former Liberal leader Brendan Nelson. Bradfield, a seat located in the North Shore of Sydney, has been held continuously by the Liberal Party since its creation in 1949, and is one of the safest Liberal Party seats in Parliament. He was required to renounce his dual British citizenship before entering Parliament, as required by Section 44 of the Constitution of Australia.[1] Fletcher had previously unsuccessfully sought Liberal Party pre-selection in the Division of Cook in 2007.[9]

Under the Abbott government, Fletcher was the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications. In September 2015 Fletcher was appointed as the Minister for Major Projects, Territories, and Local Government in the Turnbull government.[10] Fletcher has served as the Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities since July 2016.

Fletcher is married to jeweller Manuela Zappacosta and they have one son, and they live with her son from a previous marriage.[3][11]

• Australian Parliament House biography
• Paul Fletcher's campaign website for the Bradfield by-election 2009
• Australian Telecommunications Users Group biography