Paul Fletcher (politician)

Paul William Fletcher (born 16 January 1965) is an Australian politician. He has been a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives, representing the Division of Bradfield, since his election to parliament at the 2009 Bradfield by-election. Fletcher served as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications between September 2013 and September 2015 in the Abbott Ministry. Since September 2015, he has served as the Minister for Major Projects, Territories, and Local Government.

Background and early career

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 repudiated his British citizenship.

Fletcher attended Sydney Grammar School, before going on to earn first-class honours degrees in economics and law from the University of Sydney. He later completed a Master of Business Administration degree at Columbia University's Graduate School of Business in New York City as a Fulbright Scholar.

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. 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.

Political career

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 area 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 prior to entering Parliament, as required by Section 44 of the Constitution of Australia. Fletcher had previously unsuccessfully sought Liberal Party pre-selection in the Division of Cook in 2007.

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.

Personal life

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