Philip Donato

Philip Donato (Italian: [doˈnaːto]; born 1972)^[2] is an Australian politician, currently serving as the member for Orange in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.^[3] Donato was a police officer and prosecutor before entering politics, and was elected at a by-election for the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party following the resignation of National Party MP Andrew Gee.^[4][5]

Philip Donato MP
Donato in 2022
Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Orange
Incumbent
Assumed office 12 November 2016
Preceded by	Andrew Gee
Personal details
Born	1972 (age 52–53) Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
Political party	Independent (2022–present)
Other political affiliations	Shooters, Fishers and Farmers (2016–2022)
Residence	Orange[1]
Occupation	Police officer and prosecutor

He is the first member of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party to represent a lower house seat, joining Legislative Council members Robert Borsak and Robert Brown in the Parliament of New South Wales.^[4]

On 12 December 2022, Donato resigned from the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party following a dispute with the party's leadership over comments concerning fellow member Helen Dalton: he accordingly announced that he would contest the 2023 New South Wales state election as an independent.^[6][7]