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The Honourable  Frederick Pitcher MP
Member of the Nauruan Parliament for Ubenide
Incumbent
Assumed office  2004
Preceded by	Russell Kun
Born	5 February 1967 (1967-02-05) (age 42) Nauru
Nationality	Nauruan
Political party	Naoero Amo
Alma mater	Macquarie University, Sydney
Religion	Christian

Frederick William Pitcher (b. February 5, 1967) is a Nauruan political figure. In December 2007, Pitcher was appointed Finance Minister of Nauru, to serve in the Administration of President Marcus Stephen.

Background and earlier career

Educated in Australia, where Pitcher also has many family connections, he was viewed as a young reformist during the preceding Administration of President Ludwig Scotty, and was perceived as close to Kieren Keke, who joined the Stephen Administration as Foreign Minister. Pitcher was elected to the Parliament of Nauru in 2004, and served in the second Administration of President Ludwig Scotty.

Finance Minister, 2007

On coming to office, as Finance Minister, Pitcher inherited the burden of the austerity measures associated with the outgoing Scotty Administration.

In March 2008, the speaker of the Parliament of Nauru, David Adeang, attempted to have Pitcher expelled from Parliament, by summoning a Parliamentary session, allegedly without informing members of the government, which resulted in the passing of a law forbidding Members of Parliament to hold dual citizenship. President Stephen argued that the law was unconstitutional; Adeang said it was not.^[1] On March 28, Adeang ordered Pitcher and another minister, Kieren Keke, to vacate their seats in Parliament, since they both hold dual Nauruan and Australian citizenship.^[2] The two ministers refused to do so, and Adeang suspended the sitting.^[3]

See also

• Nauruan parliamentary election, 2008

• Politics in Nauru

References