Jason Virgo
Jason Virgo | |
|---|---|
| Member of the South Australian House of Assembly for MacKillop | |
| Assumed office 21 March 2026 | |
| Preceded by | Nick McBride |
| Member of the Mount Gambier City Council | |
| In office 3 April 2023 – 30 March 2026 | |
| Preceded by | Ben Hood |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1990 or 1991 (age 35–36) |
| Party | One Nation |
Other party | Sex Party Labor Party |
Jason Virgo (born 1990 or 1991) is an Australian politician. He was elected to the South Australian House of Assembly at the 2026 state election, representing the district of MacKillop for One Nation. He previously served on the Mount Gambier City Council from 2023 to 2026. Virgo is formerly a member of the Labor Party and the Sex Party, and stood for election representing the latter in 2010 and 2013.
Politics
Early involvement and activism
Virgo served as secretary of the Mount Gambier branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) for a period,[1][2] and was twice a candidate for the Australian Sex Party, standing at the 2010 and 2013 federal elections for the party in the Senate.[1][2][3][4][5] Virgo has said he joined the Labor Party and the Sex Party at the ages of 16 and 19, respectively.[1] In his 2026 maiden speech speech to Parliament, Virgo stated that he had begun organising rallies in support of marriage equality as a teenager.[6] In 2011 he helped organise a rally outside Parliament House, Adelaide, in support of the International Day Against Homophobia, which "ended in violence after it was crashed by Christian protesters".[7]
Local government
Virgo stood for the Mount Gambier City Council in 2022, but was unsuccessful.[8] However, when Ben Hood resigned from council in 2023 to take up a seat in the Legislative Council, Virgo was elected to Mount Gambier City Council via countback. Prior to this, Virgo worked at Mount Gambier Prison.[9] As a councillor, Virgo called for the return of the Autofest motoring event to Mount Gambier, to provide an alternative to unsafe hooning on the roads.[10]
State politics
Virgo was announced as the One Nation candidate for the MacKillop district at the 2026 state election, and took leave from council to focus on his candidacy.[11][12] Following the 2026 state election, MacKillop remained in doubt for a number of days. While Nick McBride, the outgoing MP, had clearly been defeated, there was still a possibility that Virgo could be overtaken by Liberal candidate Rebekah Rosser.[13][14] However, Virgo was ultimately successful, holding his lead against Rosser to become the new MP for MacKillop.[15][16] As a result, he resigned from his council seat, effective 30 March.[17]
Personal life
Virgo was born in 1990 or 1991[1] and raised in Port MacDonnell, South Australia. He holds the degree of Bachelor of Communications. At the time of his election to parliament he was working in a "security-based role in Mount Gambier" and in the process of qualifying to become a mortgage broker. He previously worked for the District Council of Grant and at the Christmas Island Immigration Detention Centre.[18]
Virgo is openly gay.[6] Virgo's partner is an Indonesian-born Muslim.[6]
References
- ^ a b c d Bird, Becc; Bradbrook, Sam; Graham, Narelle (3 April 2026). "South Australian MP Jason Virgo's switch from the Australian Sex Party to One Nation". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2 April 2026. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
- ^ a b "Record nominations". The SE Voice. 5 March 2026. Archived from the original on 23 March 2026. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
- ^ "Virgo victory sees One Nation gain a third SA seat". The Advertiser. 31 March 2026. p. 12.
- ^ "Senate Candidates - SA". Virtual Tally Room. Australian Electoral Commission. 15 September 2010. Archived from the original on 23 March 2026. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
- ^ "Senate Candidates - SA". Virtual Tally Room. Australian Electoral Commission. 15 September 2010. Archived from the original on 23 March 2026. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
- ^ a b c Karakulak, Helen; Dowdell, Rory (21 May 2026). "One Nation MP brought to tears in speech addressing sexuality". InDaily. Archived from the original on 21 May 2026. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ^ Merhab, Belinda (14 May 2011). "Gays, Christians clash at Adelaide protest rally". The Australian. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
- ^ The South Australian Government Gazette (PDF). 8 December 2022. p. 6855. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 March 2026.
- ^ "Virgo fills council vacancy". The SE Voice. 11 April 2023. Archived from the original on 18 March 2026. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
- ^ Brine, Josh; Bird, Becc (25 August 2023). "Mount Gambier councillor calls for Autofest return as city struggles with hoons". Archived from the original on 18 March 2026. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
- ^ "Virgo nomination". The SE Voice. 20 January 2026. Archived from the original on 18 March 2026. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
- ^ Varcoe, Charlotte (29 January 2026). "City councillor runs for MacKillop". The Border Watch. Archived from the original on 9 February 2026. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
- ^ Briggs, Casey (22 March 2026). "The SA election seats to watch as vote counting continues". ABC News. Archived from the original on 29 March 2026. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
- ^ Shepherd, Tory (27 March 2026). "Pauline Hanson's One Nation likely to win second South Australian lower house seat". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 29 March 2026. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
- ^ "One Nation projected to win formerly-safe South Australian seat of Mackillop". ABC News. 30 March 2026. Archived from the original on 29 March 2026. Retrieved 30 March 2026.
- ^ Briggs, Casey (30 March 2026). "MacKillop - SA Election 2026". ABC News. Archived from the original on 29 March 2026. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
- ^ "Minutes: Ordinary Council Meeting Tuesday 21 April 2026" (PDF). City of Mount Gambier. Mount Gambier, South Australia. 21 April 2026. p. 19. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
- ^ "Candidate endorsed". The SE Voice. 19 February 2026. Retrieved 2 April 2026.