Political Career
Ripoll replaced Pauline Hanson as the Federal MP for Oxley after winning the Australian federal election, 1998. Prior to the election, Oxley was divided in half, with most of the old Oxley's more rural territory shifted to the new Division of Blair. The reconfigured Oxley had a notional Labor majority of 51 percent. Hanson decided to contest the latter division instead of Oxley as she believed this would improve her chances. Former Queensland Premier Wayne Goss had already been preselected as Labor candidate, but a brain tumour forced him to retire from politics, and Ripoll was named in his place.
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.
On 2 March 2012, Ripoll was promoted into the Executive when appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer.
Read more about this topic: Bernie Ripoll
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