The changing face of Australian politics

While one in four Australians is born overseas, only 12 per cent of politicians are. Critics say the lack of diversity in politics causes skewed policies. But that's slowly changing, as a new crop of politicians bring their unique culture and background.

IanGoodenough_AAP.jpg

Liberal MP Ian Goodenough delivers his maiden speech at Parliament House in Canberra (AAP).

Western Australian MP Ian Goodenough was nine years old when he migrated to Australia, his family settling in the inner city Perth suburb of Leederville.

Of mixed English, Portuguese and Malaysian-Chinese heritage, Mr Goodenough is just one of a handful of overseas-born federal politicians.

The first-time MP and long-serving Liberal Party member suffered racism when he first arrived, but is confident that as more migrants enter Australian parliament, circumstances will change for future generations.

See Shalailah Medhora's story for more details.


Share
1 min read

Published

Updated

Source: SBS

Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world
The changing face of Australian politics | SBS News