Michael Fisch

The Hon. Michael John Robert Fisch (b. March 16, 1954) is a former Prime Minister of Georgeland, who held office for just three weeks in a caretaker capacity in 1999 following the collapse of Charlton Robards' Labour government. Fisch is the shortest-serving Georgeland Prime Minister. Fisch, a Conservative, was appointed by President Susan O'Byrne to form an interim administration until after a general election, at which Fisch was defeated. In January 2007, he announced his candidacy for the Conservative nomination for the upcoming Presidential election.
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|- |Position || 23rd Prime Minister of Georgeland |- |Term in office || June 16, 1999-July 12, 1999 |- |Preceded by || Charlton Robards |- |Succeeded by || Charlton Robards |- |Political party || Conservative |- |Total time in office || 27 days (25th) |- |Born || 16th March 1954 |- |Constituency || Weston |- |Spouse || Janice Fisch (married 1981) |}

Early life and career

The son of a former Prime Minister, Robert Fisch, Fisch grew up surrounded by politics, though he was 25 by the time his father came to power. Fisch was educated at the University of Santa Christina, where he earned a legal degree, and practiced law until 1987, when he was elected to the Georgeland House of Commons for the blue-ribbon seat of Weston in mid Santa Christina. Following his election, Fisch had a meteoric rise. He was a junior minister in the short-lived government of Eric Edge in 1995, and when the Tories again went into opposition later that year, Fisch was made the Shadow Minister for the Environment. In 1996, Fisch became Shadow Minister for Health, and in 1997 added the position of Manager of Opposition Business in the House of Commons. In 1997, Fisch was elected leader of his party unopposed following the resignation of Shawn Hedges. At 43, he was his party's youngest leader for decades. He led the Conservatives into the first 1999 election, where he made small but noticable gains against the government.

Caretaker Government

In June 1999, just four months after his election loss, Fisch was appointed by President O'Byrne to lead a caretaker government. The ruling Labour Party had elected a new leader, Anthony McDonald, deposing Robards, but 60 members of the party, refusing to follow McDonald, resigned from the government and left Labour without a Commons majority. O'Byrne was advised she had no reason to choose McDonald as the new Prime Minister because of his lack of majority. She invited Fisch to form a government pending a double-dissolution election. Fisch initially refused, advising O'Byrne to appoint McDonald, but twenty hours later accepted the commission.
Elderton's government, being a caretaker administration, instigated no new policies and fought as the underdog, as the nation, furious with Labour, turned to Robards and his new United Islands Liberal Party, leaving Fisch weakened. The Liberals and Labour's former coalition partner, the Democratic Party of the United Islands agreed to a coalition deal days before the election, and Robards was returned. Fisch resigned his leadership shortly afterwards in favour of the Shadow Treasurer, Benedict Ingram. Fisch became Shadow Treasurer in his place, and later became Shadow Minister for Finance.

Second leadership stint

Following the election of 2002, at which new leader Mary Byrne was defeated, Fisch stood again for the leadership against her, and won. He became the second man to lead the Conservative party twice. Nevertheless, the choice of Fisch as leader was a questionable one. The government attacked him as a has-been, and in polling, Fisch was unable to perform against Robards as preferred Prime Minister or to eclipse the government in terms of voting intention. In December 2003, Fisch's Shadow Treasurer, Sam Richardson, challenged Fisch for the leadership and won. Fisch stood down from Parliament at the beginning of 2004, and entered the private sector. As Fisch was a caretaker Prime Minister, he has not been awarded the honourific of Right Honourable usually granted to former Prime Ministers.

Presidential candidacy

On January 9, 2007, Fisch announced he would seek the Conservative Party's nomination to become its official candidate at the upcoming Presidential election (in May 2008). He said he announced so early in the year because:

"I want to win, and if it takes me all year to convince the 
Conservative Party and the people of this country that I'm the right 
man for the job, then I'll spend all year doing it."

Fisch is now considered the front-runner for the nomination, though the Tories will not choose their candidate until January 2008.

Personal

Fisch is married to Janice Fisch, a Conservative party legal adviser and a former speechwriter to Benedict Ingram. They have two grown-up children.

Preceded by Charlton Robards	Prime Minister of the United Islands of Georgeland June 16, 1999-July 12, 1999	Succeeded by Charlton Robards
Preceded by Michael Elderton	Leader of the Conservative Party of Georgeland April 16, 1997-August 2, 1999	Succeeded by Benedict Ingram
Preceded by Mary Byrne	Leader of the Conservative Party of Georgeland October 16, 2002-October 1, 2003	Succeeded by Sam Richardson