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Incoming Independent M-P Dai Le has made an appearance on Vietnamese community TV to speak directly to the people who helped elect her to the southwestern Sydney seat of Fowler.
It's an electorate with a strong Vietnamese presence and was once a safe Labour seat before Ms Le knocked Labor's candidate Kristina Keneally out of the race.
Highlights
- More Asian-Australians heading to parliament in Canberra for the first time and this team of diverse, fresh faces intent on overhauling Parliament House
- Several independent women candidates who successfully unseated Liberal and National opponents have their election campaigns focused on climate action, political integrity and gender equality.
- According to the 2016 census, despite Asian Australians making up about 16 per cent of the country's population, they lack representation in parliament.
Ms Le says she reflects the cultural diversity of the electorate she's representing.
"At the polling booths, people have said to me from all walks of life and from all cultures have said to me, 'You're one of us. You're part of the community. We're backing you.' So that was very heartwarming for me that yes, I am of Vietnamese heritage and a refugee, but a lot of people can relate to me, and they know that I can relate to their journeys and their stories."
Erin Chew is a co-founder of the Asian Australian Alliance advocacy network. She says the change in parliament is just the beginning.
"The good news, first of all, is that there is a doubling of numbers of Asian Australians who will enter parliament from the 2019 election to now, and that is what we call progress. But, it shouldn't be considered as the peak, nor should it be considered as we have achieved that. it should only be considered as the start of more to come."
