Career
He entered the Parliament of Western Australia in 1988, after winning a by-election in the Electoral district of Ascot. That seat was abolished for the general election held a year later, and Ripper followed most of his constituents into the recreated seat of Belmont, which he holds today. Ripper served as Minister for Community Services and Minister for Disability Services in the Lawrence Ministry (1991–1993).
Labor was defeated in the 1993 election, and Ripper served as an opposition frontbencher for eight years, eventually rising to Deputy Leader of the state Labor Party under Geoff Gallop. Labor regained government in 2001, and Ripper was named Deputy Premier of Western Australia. At various times during Gallop's tenure, he served as Treasurer, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister for Energy and Minister Assisting the Minister for Public Sector Management in the Gallop government. After Gallop's retirement from politics in 2006, Ripper briefly served as acting premier until Gallop's official resignation as Premier when Alan Carpenter was elected as state Labor leader and premier. Under Carpenter, Ripper served as Deputy Premier and Treasurer.
Ripper succeeded Carpenter as WA leader of the ALP on 23 September 2008. In January 2011, Labor MP Ben Wyatt intended to challenge Ripper for the Labor leadership, but withdrew after finding minority support amongst caucus. On 17 January 2012, Ripper announced that he would stand down as Opposition Leader at a caucus meeting on 23 January, and retire from parliament at the 2013 state election. Mark McGowan, who had been managing opposition business in the House, was elected unopposed as his successor.
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