Mary Jo Fisher | |
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Senator for South Australia | |
In office 12 June 2007 – 14 August 2012 |
|
Preceded by | Amanda Vanstone |
Succeeded by | Anne Ruston |
Personal details | |
Born |
Beverley, Western Australia |
25 December 1962
Political party | Liberal |
Profession | Barrister |
Mary Josephine Fisher (born 25 December 1962) is a former Australian politician. She was a Liberal member of the Australian Senate from June 2007, representing the state of South Australia, but resigned in August 2012, after twice being charged with shoplifting.
Fisher was born in the Western Australian town of Beverley. She is a great-granddaughter of George Miles, a long-serving former member of the Western Australian Legislative Council, and a niece of former Nuclear Disarmament Party and Greens WA Senator Jo Vallentine. She worked as a barrister and specialist in industrial relations before the start of her political career. She subsequently served as a senior adviser to the then Industrial Relations Minister, Peter Reith. At the time of her selection, Fisher was General Manager of Business Services for Business SA.
Fisher was chosen on 6 June 2007 to fill a vacancy in the Australian Senate caused by the resignation of the Hon. Amanda Vanstone. This preselection was the subject of an internal party appeal by fellow candidate Maria Kourtesis. On 5 June 2007 the appeals tribunal set up by the SA Liberal Party dismissed Mrs Kourtesis appeal in a 4-1 vote. A joint sitting of the Parliament of South Australia officially nominated Fisher as a senator on 6 June 2007. Fisher was sworn in as a South Australian Senator on 12 June. Maria Kourtesis remained fourth on the SA Liberal Party Senate ticket for the 2007 election.
Fisher served on the Senate's Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts committee, and was a member of the Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, and Legal and Constitutional Affairs Standing committees. She is the former Chair of the Senate Select Committee on the National Broadband Network, and she also served as the Chair of the Senate Standing Environment and Communications References Committee.