Nationality Australian | Role Australian Senator Spouse John Wells | |
Name Concetta Fierravanti-Wells Office Australian Senator since 2005 | ||
Q&A with Concetta Fierravanti Wells
Concetta Anna Fierravanti-Wells (born 20 May 1960) is an Australian politician. She is a Senator for the state of New South Wales representing the Liberal Party since May 2005. Fierravanti-Wells is the Minister for International Development and the Pacific, since February 2016 in the Turnbull Government. She has previously served as the Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs between September 2015 and February 2016. Fierravanti-Wells was elected to the Senate at the 2004 federal election.
Contents
- QA with Concetta Fierravanti Wells
- Coalition s senator concetta fierravanti wells on the copyright censorship bill
- Background and early career
- Political career
- References
Coalition s senator concetta fierravanti wells on the copyright censorship bill
Background and early career
Fierravanti-Wells was born in Wollongong, New South Wales; and both her parents were Italian immigrants. She was educated at the Australian National University, and was a senior government lawyer and ministerial advisor before entering politics. She was a Policy Advisor to Jim Carlton, then Shadow Minister for Policy Co-ordination and Development, between 1990 and 1993, and Senior Private Secretary to John Fahey, then Premier of New South Wales, from 1993 to 1994.
She was a senior lawyer with the Australian Government Solicitor between 1994 and 2004.
Political career
Fierravanti-Wells has been a member of the Federal Council of the Liberal Party; is an active member of Australians for a Constitutional Monarchy; and is on the committee of a new Liberal Party publication, The Conservative. She opposes same-sex marriage and adoption, claiming in a 2012 interview that many LGBT people do not "even intend on staying in a monogamous relationship".
Normally she would have taken her seat on 1 July 2005, however following the resignation of Senator John Tierney in April (his term was due to expire on 30 June), Fierravanti-Wells was appointed to the resulting vacancy, and took her seat on 5 May.
Prior to the 2013 federal election, she was the Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Ageing; and was appointed to the Abbott Ministry as the Parliamentary Secretary for Social Services from September 2013. During the Turnbull cabinet re-shuffle, Fierravanti-Wells was appointed as Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs, an outer ministry position.
On 13 February 2016, it was announced that Fierravanti-Wells would be appointed Minister for International Development and the Pacific following a rearrangement in the First Turnbull Ministry.