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Public service heavyweight John Sosso has announced he plans to retire next Friday, bringing an end to a 42-year career working for the Queensland government.
The State Development director-general was stepping aside for health reasons, Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said in a statement released on Friday afternoon.
“Mr Sosso has made a remarkable contribution to public administration,” Bleijie said.
“In recognising over 40 years of public service, I pay tribute to John’s unwavering commitment, his leadership and his contribution to the economic and social development of Queensland.”
This masthead reported last month that rumours of Sosso’s imminent departure were swirling in the public service, with some suggesting he had considered retirement before his appointment to the Queensland Redistribution Commission in early 2025.
First employed in the Justice Department’s policy and legislation branch in 1984, Sosso later served as director-general of the Justice Department and director-general of the Department of Consumer Affairs.
He was also the deputy director-general in the Department of Premier and Cabinet during the era of Campbell Newman, the last LNP premier before David Crisafulli.
Sosso sat also on multiple tribunals, including as deputy president of the national native title tribunal between 2000 and 2012, and on the Commonwealth administrative appeals tribunal between 2017 and 2023.
Bleijie said Sosso served under both sides of politics, and was “instrumental in implementing the important work of the Crisafulli Government”.
The State Development deputy director-general Shaun Ferris would take over Sosso’s role in an acting capacity from next Friday.
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