4
September 2023
PDF Version [355KB]
Lisa
Richards
Politics and Public Administration
This Quick Guide provides information about
parliamentarians who identify as having non-English speaking ancestry and who
have served in the current, 47th, Parliament (26 July
2022–). This paper aims to provide only an approximation of the cultural
diversity of the Australian Parliament, as ancestry
does not necessarily equate to cultural or ethnic identity.
For the purposes of this paper, ‘non-English speaking’ ancestry
excludes parliamentarians with only Australian (except Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander parliamentarians are included), English, Irish,
Scottish, Welsh, Canadian, American, or New Zealander ancestry. Parliamentarians
with ancestral ties to any indigenous peoples are included.
The information in this Quick Guide is compiled from a range
of sources including the Library’s Parliamentary
Handbook, biographies, Senators
and Members
qualification registers that contain parents/grandparents country of birth information,
and statements by parliamentarians.
See the Library’s Parliamentary
Handbook: Overseas born website for available data on federal
parliamentarians’ country of birth.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of
this Quick Guide, it cannot be guaranteed to be comprehensive.
Party abbreviations
| ALP Australian Labor Party IND Independent |
| LIB Liberal Party of Australia KAP Katter’s
Australia Party |
| NATS The Nationals JLN Jacqui
Lambie Network |
| CA Centre Alliance PHON Pauline
Hanson’s One Nation |
| GRN Australian Greens UAP United
Australia Party [2018] |
Non-English speaking ancestry
Of the 230 parliamentarians (153 Members and 77 Senators)
who have served in the 47th Parliament to date, 59 parliamentarians have
identified as having at least one non-English speaking ancestry (26%).
Table 1: Number and percentage
of 47th Parliament parliamentarians with non-English speaking ancestry, by
party and chamber
| Party |
Parliament |
House of Reps |
Senate |
| No. |
% |
No. |
% |
No. |
% |
| ALP |
31 |
30% |
24 |
31% |
7 |
27% |
| LIB |
14 |
20% |
11 |
26% |
3 |
12% |
| NATS |
4 |
19% |
2 |
13% |
2 |
33% |
| GRN |
2 |
13% |
0 |
0% |
2 |
18% |
| KAP |
1 |
100% |
1 |
100% |
- |
- |
| JLN |
1 |
50% |
- |
- |
1 |
50% |
| UAP |
1 |
100% |
- |
- |
1 |
100% |
| CA |
0 |
0% |
0 |
0% |
- |
|
| PHON |
0 |
0% |
- |
- |
0 |
0% |
| IND |
5 |
36% |
3 |
27% |
2 |
67% |
| Coalition total |
18 |
20% |
13 |
22% |
5 |
16% |
| Crossbench total |
10 |
28% |
4 |
24% |
6 |
32% |
| Total |
59 |
26% |
41 |
27% |
18 |
23% |
Source: Compiled by the Australian Parliamentary Library.
Note 1: Percentages are rounded and are based on the number of parliamentarians
serving in that party currently or as of their last day in the 47th Parliament (i.e.
current Independents who started the 47th Parliament in a party have been
counted as Independents).
Note 2: Federal parliamentarians from the Liberal National Party (LNP) and
Country Liberal Party (CLP) are listed under the Coalition party room they sit
in (LIB or NATS).
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (8 Members and 3
Senators) and Italian (9 Members and 2 Senators) are the equal most
common non-English speaking ancestries among 47th Parliament parliamentarians. The
second most common is Greek (4 Members).
At the 2021
Census, 3.2% of the Australian population identified as Aboriginal and/or
Torres Strait Islander in total (2.9% Aboriginal, 0.1% Torres Strait Islander,
and 0.1% both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander). In comparison, 4.8% of
the 47th Parliament identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander or as
having Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander ancestry.
Italian is the seventh largest ancestry
in Australia. 4.4% of the Australian population identified as having
Italian ancestry at the 2021 Census, compared to 4.8% of the 47th Parliament’s
MPs and Senators.
1.7% of both the Australian population (ABS, 2021 Census)
and 47th Parliament MPs and Senators identify as Greek or as having Greek ancestry.
Chinese is the most common non-English-speaking ancestry and
the fifth most common ancestry in Australia (after English, Australian, Irish
and Scottish). 5.5% of Australians identified as Chinese or as having Chinese
ancestry at the 2021 Census. In comparison, only 1.3% of the 47th Parliament or
3 parliamentarians have Chinese ancestry: ALP MP for Reid NSW Sally Sitou (Chinese-Lao),
ALP MP for Tangney WA Sam Lim
(Chinese/Malay) and ALP Senator for SA Penny Wong
(Malaysian, Malaysian-Chinese).
1.3% of the Australian population identified as having
Vietnamese ancestry at the last Census. Independent MP for Fowler Dai Le is the
only parliamentarian with Vietnamese ancestry (0.4% of the 47th Parliament). Of
note, the most common ancestry in the Fowler electorate is Vietnamese, with 18.9%
of individuals residing in Fowler (NSW) identifying as Vietnamese.
Table 2: 47th Parliament
parliamentarians with non-English speaking ancestry
| Name |
Party |
Electorate or State/Territory |
Non-English speaking ancestry |
| Anne Aly, MP |
ALP |
Cowan (WA) |
Egyptian-Arabic
and born in Egypt |
| Peter Khalil, MP |
ALP |
Wills (Vic) |
Egyptian |
| Michael Sukkar, MP |
LIB |
Deakin (Vic) |
Lebanese
and Norwegian |
| Bob Katter, MP |
KAP |
Kennedy (Qld) |
Lebanese |
| Senator Fatima Payman |
ALP |
WA |
Afghan
and born in Afghanistan |
| Zaneta Mascarenhas, MP |
ALP |
Swan (WA) |
Goan
Indian |
| Cassandra Fernando, MP |
ALP |
Holt (Vic) |
Sri
Lankan and born in Sri Lanka |
| Michelle Ananda-Rajah, MP |
ALP |
Higgins (Vic) |
Tamil |
| Senator Mehreen Faruqi |
GRN |
NSW |
Pakistani
and born in Pakistan |
| Ian Goodenough, MP |
LIB |
Moore (WA) |
Singaporean
and born in Singapore |
| Dai Le, MP |
IND |
Fowler (NSW) |
Vietnamese
and born in Vietnam |
| Sally Sitou, MP |
ALP |
Reid (NSW) |
Chinese-Lao |
| Sam Lim, MP |
ALP |
Tangney (WA) |
Chinese/Malay
and born in Malaysia |
| Senator Penny Wong |
ALP |
SA |
Malaysian,
Malaysian-Chinese and born in Malaysia |
| Ed Husic, MP |
ALP |
Chifley (NSW) |
Bosniak |
| Tanya Plibersek, MP |
ALP |
Sydney (NSW) |
Slovenian |
| Senator Glenn Sterle |
ALP |
WA |
Yugoslavian |
| Senator Alex Antic |
LIB |
SA |
Serbian |
| Senator Maria Kovacic |
LIB |
NSW |
Croatian |
| Josh Burns, MP |
ALP |
Macnamara (Vic) |
Jewish |
| Mark Dreyfus, MP |
ALP |
Isaacs (Vic) |
Jewish |
| Julian Leeser, MP |
LIB |
Berowra (NSW) |
Jewish |
| Melissa McIntosh, MP |
LIB |
Lindsay (NSW) |
Austrian |
| Colin Boyce, MP |
NATS |
Flynn (Qld) |
Danish |
| Alison Byrnes, MP |
ALP |
Cunningham (NSW) |
Dutch |
| Bert Van Manen, MP |
LIB |
Forde (Qld) |
Dutch |
| Sophie Scamps, MP |
IND |
Mackellar (NSW) |
French |
| Anthony Albanese, MP |
ALP |
Grayndler (NSW) |
Italian |
| Carina Garland, MP |
ALP |
Chisholm (Vic) |
Italian |
| Daniel Mulino, MP |
ALP |
Fraser (Vic) |
Italian
and born in Italy |
| Tony Zappia, MP |
ALP |
Makin (SA) |
Italian
and born in Italy |
| Senator Raff Ciccone |
ALP |
Vic |
Italian |
| Tony Pasin, MP |
LIB |
Barker (SA) |
Italian |
| Ross Vasta, MP |
LIB |
Bonner (Qld) |
Italian |
| Aaron Violi, MP |
LIB |
Casey (Vic) |
Italian |
| Nola Marino, MP |
LIB |
Forrest (WA) |
Italian
and Swedish |
| Senator Matt Canavan |
NATS |
Qld |
Italian |
| Allegra Spender, MP |
IND |
Wentworth (NSW) |
Italian |
| Steve Georganas, MP |
ALP |
Adelaide (SA) |
Greek |
| Maria Vamvakinou, MP |
ALP |
Calwell (Vic) |
Greek
and born in Greece |
| Alex Hawke, MP |
LIB |
Mitchell (NSW) |
Greek |
| Michael McCormack, MP |
NATS |
Riverina (NSW) |
Greek |
| Mike Freelander, MP |
ALP |
Macarthur (NSW) |
Fijian |
| Michelle Rowland, MP |
ALP |
Greenway (NSW) |
Fijian |
| Terry Young, MP |
LIB |
Longman (Qld) |
South
Sea Islander |
| Jerome Laxale, MP |
ALP |
Bennelong (NSW) |
Mauritian |
| Senator Ralph Babet |
UAP |
Vic |
Mauritian
and born in Mauritius |
| Senator David Pocock |
IND |
ACT |
Zimbabwean
and born in South Africa |
| Linda Burney, MP |
ALP |
Barton (NSW) |
Wiradjuri |
| Gordon Reid, MP |
ALP |
Robertson (NSW) |
Wiradjuri |
| Marion Scrymgour, MP |
ALP |
Lingiari (NT) |
Tiwi
Islander, Miyartuwi (pandanus) yiminga (skin
group), and links to Central Australia |
| Senator Pat Dodson |
ALP |
WA |
Yawuru |
| Senator Malarndirri McCarthy |
ALP |
NT |
Yanyuwa
and Garrawa |
| Senator Jana Stewart |
ALP |
Vic |
Mutthi Mutthi
and Wamba Wamba |
| Senator Kerrynne Liddle |
LIB |
SA |
Arrente |
| Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price |
NATS |
NT |
Warlpiri |
| Senator Dorinda Cox |
GRN |
WA |
Noongar,
Bibbulmen, and Yamatji (clans
of the Kaneyang, Yued, Amangu and Wajarri peoples) |
| Senator Jacqui Lambie |
JLN |
Tas |
Palawa |
| Senator Lidia Thorpe |
IND |
Vic |
Djab
Wurrung, Gunnai, and Gunditjmara |
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