Amanda Jane Stoker (née Fell; born 30 October 1982) is an Australian politician who served as a Senator for Queensland from 2018 until 2022.
"[5] She completed her HSC at Hurlstone Agricultural High School before studying arts and law at Sydney University, graduating with first-class honours.
[8] Prior to her appointment to the Senate, Stoker was a member of Level Twenty-Seven Chambers and a sessional academic at Central Queensland University.
[7][11] During her time there, the AIP was a critic of anti-mining advocacy groups holding charitable status,[12] and hosted a visit to Brisbane by climate science denier Patrick Moore.
[1] In reference to her elevation Prime Minister Morrison said: "she's one of the most bright and intelligent people to come into this Parliament and I was thrilled to be able to bring her into the Executive so early in her Parliamentary career".
[26] Grace Tame, named 2021 Australian of the Year for her advocacy for survivors of sexual assault, criticised Morrison's appointment of Stoker to Assistant Minister for Women saying he had exhibited either very poor judgment, or cultural calculation in elevating a conservative who had "aimed at falsifying all counts of sexual abuse on campuses across the nation".
[28][29] In May 2021, a squabble broke out between Stoker and the LNP Queensland state council when she was relegated to the third-spot on the Senate voting ticket for the 2022 federal election.
In 2019, Crikey reported that she is a social and fiscal conservative who had positioned herself as a champion of free speech and religious freedom.
[47] Stoker blames unions for the casualisation of workplaces, and argues against raising minimum wages and penalty rates because doing so would "reduce job opportunities for those most in need".
[41] In July 2021, she was quoted as commending changes to the LNP constitution to take a "zero tolerance" approach to sexual misconduct, as part of a new complaints and investigation process.
[51] In 2020, Stoker faced criticism when she said former Queensland LNP leader Deb Frecklington "should not be playing the gender card" by speaking out against bullying from within the party.
Additionally, Stoker told The Australian that everyone was entitled to support and respect, but that inclusion of the trans-identifying adults could not "mean we neglect our duties to children."
In 2020, Stoker launched a petition against "dangerous and radical ideas" and "completely unreasonable" demands of the transgender activist lobby.
[39] In 2018, Stoker opposed a proposed bill to remove an exemption in the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 that would allow religious schools to expel students on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender identity.
[58] In 2020, Stoker admitted to using the pseudonym "Mandy Jane" to post comments in the third person on her own official Facebook site which defended and argued for the senator's views on topics including race, family law and religious freedom.
Stoker's spokesman said the "Mandy Jane" account was the senator's personal profile but did not concede that she should have disclosed that before posting the material on her own page.