Bernie Ripoll
Encyclopedia
Bernard Fernand Ripoll is an Australian
politician. He has been a Labor
member of the
Australian House of Representatives
since October 1998, representing the Division of Oxley
, Queensland. The seat of Oxley, otherwise a safe Labor seat, was previously held by Pauline Hanson
, who formed the One Nation Party
after winning the seat in 1996 as an independent.
, Hérault, France, and educated at the Queensland University of Technology
. He was an aircraft electrician with the Royal Australian Air Force
, an electrician and an organiser with the State Public Services Federation of Queensland (now known as the Queensland Public Sector Union) before entering politics.
Prior to the election, the Division of Oxley was divided in half and the Division of Blair
was introduced. Hanson decided to contest the latter division instead of Oxley as she believed this would improve her chances.
Ripoll was appointed Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure in October 2004.
He is a member of the national Right
faction of the Australian Labor Party, affiliated to the Labor Forum also known as AWU faction.
politician. He has been a Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
member of the
Australian House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
since October 1998, representing the Division of Oxley
Division of Oxley
The Division of Oxley is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The current division is the second to bear the name, and was created in 1949. The division is named after the Australian explorer, John Oxley...
, Queensland. The seat of Oxley, otherwise a safe Labor seat, was previously held by Pauline Hanson
Pauline Hanson
Pauline Lee Hanson is an Australian politician and former leader of Pauline Hanson's One Nation, a political party with a populist and anti-multiculturalism platform...
, who formed the One Nation Party
One Nation Party
One Nation is a far-right and nationalist political party in Australia. It gained 22% of the vote translating to 11 of 89 seats in Queensland's unicameral legislative assembly at the 1998 state election and made major inroads into the vote of the existing parties...
after winning the seat in 1996 as an independent.
Early life
Ripoll was born in PézenasPézenas
Pézenas is a commune in the Hérault département in Languedoc-Roussillon, southern France. At the 1999 census, its population was 7443.-Name:...
, Hérault, France, and educated at the Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology is an Australian university with an applied emphasis in courses and research. Based in Brisbane, it has 40,000 students, including 6,000 international students, over 4,000 staff members, and an annual budget of more than A$750 million.QUT is marketed as "A...
. He was an aircraft electrician with the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
, an electrician and an organiser with the State Public Services Federation of Queensland (now known as the Queensland Public Sector Union) before entering politics.
Political career
Ripoll replaced Pauline Hanson as the Federal MP for Oxley after winning the Australian federal election, 1998.Prior to the election, the Division of Oxley was divided in half and the Division of Blair
Division of Blair
The Division of Blair is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was created in 1998 and is named after Harold Blair, an Aboriginal singer and civil rights campaigner...
was introduced. Hanson decided to contest the latter division instead of Oxley as she believed this would improve her chances.
Ripoll was appointed Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure in October 2004.
He is a member of the national Right
Labor Right
The Labor Right, or Labor Unity in some State branches, or Centre Unity in NSW, is the organised faction of the Australian Labor Party that tends to be more economically liberal and socially conservative than Labor Left....
faction of the Australian Labor Party, affiliated to the Labor Forum also known as AWU faction.