Concetta Anna Fierravanti-Wells (née Fierravanti;[a] born 20 May 1960) is an Australian politician who was a Senator for New South Wales from 2005 to 2022, representing the Liberal Party.
After the Coalition's defeat at the 1993 federal election she was seconded to New South Wales premier John Fahey as his senior private secretary.
[1] Fierravanti-Wells was an unsuccessful candidate for Liberal preselection at the 1994 Warringah by-election, which saw future prime minister Tony Abbott elected to parliament.
[1] Fierravanti-Wells defeated incumbent senator John Tierney for Liberal preselection prior to the 2004 federal election, winning by 57 votes to 51 with the support of powerbroker David Clarke.
Following the 2008 Liberal leadership spill, Fierravanti-Wells was appointed as a shadow parliamentary secretary under Malcolm Turnbull, with responsibility for immigration and citizenship.
She was promoted to shadow minister for ageing when Tony Abbott replaced Turnbull as opposition leader in December 2009, adding the mental health portfolio following the 2010 election.
She supported ASIO director-general Duncan Lewis's request that Coalition MPs use more moderate language in reference to Islamic extremism, which was seen as controversial.
[13][14] In April 2018, speaking at the Overseas Development Institute in London, Fierravanti-Wells said increasing Australia's foreign aid commitment was opposed by most in the country.
[21] In November 2021, Fierravanti-Wells was one of five Liberal-aligned senators who voted against the government in support of One Nation’s COVID-19 Vaccination Status (Prevention of Discrimination) Bill 2021.
[24] Fierravanti-Wells later clarified via Twitter and an open letter to party members that she did not nominate for the unwinnable positions, and so she would not appear on the Senate ticket and would not be a candidate at the election.
[25] A few days later, on 29 March 2022, she spoke in parliament, criticising Scott Morrison and the pre-selection process in the New South Wales division of the Liberal Party.