13 Facts About Bernie Ripoll

Bernard Fernand Ripoll was born on 6 January 1966 and is a former Australian politician.

Bernie Ripoll was a Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1998 to 2016, representing the Division of Oxley, Queensland.

In 2013, Bernie Ripoll was made Shadow Minister for Financial Services and Shadow Minister for Sport, on 15 September 2015 he resigned from the Shadow Cabinet position.

Bernie Ripoll was born on 6 January 1966 in Pezenas, France, the son of Suzanne and Andre Bernie Ripoll.

Bernie Ripoll's parents were Pieds-Noirs of Spanish ancestry who came to France following the Algerian Revolution.

Bernie Ripoll moved to Australia as a child, where he learned to speak English, and became an Australian citizen in 1974.

Bernie Ripoll joined the Royal Australian Air Force as a teenager and was an apprentice aircraft electrician from 1983 to 1984.

Bernie Ripoll completed his high school leaving certificate by attending night school.

Bernie Ripoll subsequently worked as an electrician from 1986 to 1990, later completing the degree of Bachelor of Business at the Queensland University of Technology as a marketing major.

At the 1998 federal election, Bernie Ripoll sought to regain Oxley for Labor.

Former Queensland Premier Wayne Goss had already been preselected as Labor candidate, but a brain tumour forced him to retire from politics, and Bernie Ripoll was named in his place.

Bernie Ripoll was appointed Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure in October 2004.

On 2 March 2012, Bernie Ripoll was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, and appointed as Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business from 25 March 2013.