Meet the Electoral Commissioner Mr Ed Killesteyn PSM

Mr Killesteyn is a career public servant, having worked in the Australian Taxation Office, the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs and the Repatriation Commission before joining the Australian Electoral Commission in January 2009.

Mr Killesteyn joined the ATO in 1972, having graduated from Macquarie University with 1st Class Honours in Accounting. While working for the ATO, he also lectured and tutored in Accounting at Macquarie University and later at the Australian National University after moving to Canberra in 1972.

Mr Killesteyn has held a number of senior positions within the ATO, DIMIA and the Repatriation Commission. He was appointed the inaugural Chief Finance Officer in the ATO in 1993. He was Deputy Commissioner of Taxation in charge of the Sydney South Taxation Office from 1989 to 1991. In 1994 he transferred to DIMIA as First Assistant Secretary and was responsible for implementation of the highly successful Electronic Travel Authority. Mr Killesteyn was appointed the inaugural Chief Information Officer in DIMIA as part of the Department's strategic response to managing issues arising from Y2K and DIMIA's significant investment in information technology to support its business.

Mr Killesteyn was appointed to the position of DIMIA Deputy Secretary in 2002. He was awarded a Public Service Medal (PSM) in the June 2004 Queen's Birthday Honours list for his work in establishing the world's first global electronic visa processing system and his work in APEC.

In August 2005, Mr Killesteyn took up the position of Deputy President of the Repatriation Commission, which oversees the administration of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 in the provision of compensation and health entitlements to Australian veterans of wars, conflicts and peace operations dating back to World War I. Mr Killesteyn also served as a member of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission, administering the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004, which covers entitlements for Australian Defence Force members for service on or after 1 July 2004.

Mr Killesteyn was appointed for a 5 year term as the Electoral Commissioner on 5 January 2009.

Mr Killesteyn is a Fellow of the Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management. His interests include Canberra rugby union and league football, good red wine, golf and family.

Commissioner's Speeches and Interviews

• Speech: "And what do you do between elections?" (July 2011)
• Radio Interview Transcript: Discussion on missing voters and 'famous people vote too' campaign (July 2010)
• Speech: Building Public Trust in the Public Sector (December 2009)
• Australian Electoral Commission – Colloquium 2009 – Welcoming address by Mr Ed Killesteyn, Electoral Commissioner (September 2009)
• Radio Interview Transcript, Radio National – Discussion about people missing from the elctoral roll (August 2009)
• Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters – Opening Address by Mr Ed Killesteyn, Electoral Commissioner (March 2009)

Further Information

Editors note – if you would like a photograph of the Electoral Commissioner in a format suitable for your publication please contact the AEC media team on 02 6271 4415.