Independent Queensland Redistribution Commission members appointed
- The Crisafulli Government has made three appointments to the independent Queensland Redistribution Commission.
- Governor in Council has approved the appointment of Mr Gregory Koppenol, Mr John Sosso and Mr Pat Vidgen PSM.
- The appointments are for a term of two years and meet the requirements of the Electoral Act.
The Crisafulli Government has today appointed the three commissioners to the independent Queensland Redistribution Commission (QRC).
The review and redistribution of Queensland's electoral boundaries is required under the Electoral Act 1992 because 7.5 years have passed since the previous redistribution became final in 2017.
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Minister for Integrity Deb Frecklington said the Governor in Council had approved the appointment of Mr Gregory Koppenol as the Judicial Chairperson, Mr John Sosso as a Commissioner and Mr Pat Vidgen PSM as the Electoral Commissioner.
Mr Gregory Koppenol served with distinction as a Judge on the District Court from 2007 to 2020, as the inaugural President of the Land and Resources Tribunal, and as a member of the Land Court of Queensland. Mr Koppenol's judicial service followed a distinguished career as a barrister appearing in in the High Court for notable cases such as Mabo and Wik.
Mr John Sosso is the Director-General of the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, with responsibilities including planning and urban growth. His vast public sector experience includes service to both State and Commonwealth Governments of both political persuasions, over four decades. Mr Sosso's background also includes serving as Director-General for the Department of Justice, serving as Deputy President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, and playing a key role instructing the drafting of the Electoral Act as a senior public servant in the Goss Government.
Electoral Commissioner of Queensland Mr Pat Vidgen PSM brings over three decades of senior public sector management experience to the QRC. Prior to his appointment as Electoral Commissioner of Queensland in 2018, he served in roles such as Deputy Director-General and Chief Operating Officer in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Deputy Chief Executive Officer in the Public Safety Business Agency, and General Manager in the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation.
The Commissioner appointments are for a term of two years and commence following Governor in Council approval today. All appointments meet the requirements of the Electoral Act. Previous redistributions to Queensland's electoral boundaries under the Electoral Act occurred in 2017, 2008 and 1999 and 1991.
