Steve Fielding

Steven Fielding (born 17 October 1960), Australian politician, is parliamentary leader of the Family First Party.

Related Topics:
17 October - 1960 - Australia - Politician - Family First Party

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Fielding was born in Melbourne and educated at RMIT University, where he graduated in engineering, and at Monash University, where he gained an MBA. He worked as an engineer and business executive before entering politics. He was a member of the Knox City Council in 2003-04.

Related Topics:
Melbourne - RMIT University - Monash University - MBA - Knox - 2003 - 04

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Fielding was elected to represent Victoria in the Senate at the 2004 federal election. He is the first representaive of Family First to be elected to the Federal Parliament.

Related Topics:
Victoria - Senate - 2004 federal election - Federal Parliament

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Since he polled less than 2% of the popular vote, Fielding's election was a surprise. He gained quota under the Senate's proportional representation system by receiving preferences from other parties (see Australian electoral system). The Australian Democrats and the Australian Labor Party agreed to swap preferences with Family First in the belief that Family First could not win a seat. But Fielding benefited from the larger-than-expected surplus of Liberal preferences, and stayed in the count long enough to receive Democrat and Labor preferences, defeating the Australian Greens' lead candidate David Risstrom for the last Senate place in Victoria. Labor's decision to swap preferences with Family First, which caused Labor's Senator Jacinta Collins to lose her seat, became a source of acrimony within the party after the election.

Related Topics:
Proportional representation - Australian electoral system - Australian Democrats - Australian Labor Party - Liberal - Australian Greens' - David Risstrom - Jacinta Collins

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Fielding's election was greeted with dismay by left-wing and socially liberal commentators, since he was seen as the representative of fundamentalist Christians and as hostile to abortion, feminism, gay rights and other social causes. He was also seen as providing another vote for the Howard government in the Senate. But while Family First is generally regarded as a conservative party, Fielding has said that he will not be an automatic supporter of government legislation in the Senate, where the government has a majority of one. On some issues which he sees as affecting the well-being of families, such as industrial relations, he has indicated disagreement with government policies.

Related Topics:
Fundamentalist - Abortion - Feminism - Gay rights - Howard

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Fielding and his wife Susan have three children, James, Campbell and Gabrielle.

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