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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/dec/19/too-many-white-men-analysis-of-victorias-new-parliament-reveals-diversity-gap-persists
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| ‘Too many white men’: analysis of Victoria's new parliament reveals diversity gap persists | ‘Too many white men’: analysis of Victoria's new parliament reveals diversity gap persists |
| (1 day later) | |
| The 59th Victorian parliament is being sworn in on Wednesday and its average member is a 48-year-old Australian-born man who was educated at a religious or private school and worked in politics as a political or party staffer before being elected. | The 59th Victorian parliament is being sworn in on Wednesday and its average member is a 48-year-old Australian-born man who was educated at a religious or private school and worked in politics as a political or party staffer before being elected. |
| Essentially, the parliament will resemble premier Daniel Andrews, although Andrews, being ambitious, is only 46. | Essentially, the parliament will resemble premier Daniel Andrews, although Andrews, being ambitious, is only 46. |
| A Guardian Australia analysis of the profiles of all 128 parliamentarians who will represent Victoria for the next four years found that the group is not particularly representative. | A Guardian Australia analysis of the profiles of all 128 parliamentarians who will represent Victoria for the next four years found that the group is not particularly representative. |
| Only 70% of the new parliament will have parliamentary experience – for the rest, predominantly Labor MPs and micro-party upper house candidates who were elected in the Labor landslide on 24 November, it was their first day. | Only 70% of the new parliament will have parliamentary experience – for the rest, predominantly Labor MPs and micro-party upper house candidates who were elected in the Labor landslide on 24 November, it was their first day. |
| Just 9.2% of MPs were born overseas, compared with 28% of all Victorians. A majority of MPs did not identify their heritage as other than Anglo-Celtic, but those who did were of Greek, Indian, Sri Lankan, Italian, Lebanese and Vietnamese origins. | |
| And while 0.8% of the Victorian population identified as being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage at the last Census, there are no Indigenous people in the Victorian parliament. Lidia Thorpe, the only Aboriginal person in parliament, lost her seat of Northcote just 12 months after winning it at a 2017 byelection. | And while 0.8% of the Victorian population identified as being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage at the last Census, there are no Indigenous people in the Victorian parliament. Lidia Thorpe, the only Aboriginal person in parliament, lost her seat of Northcote just 12 months after winning it at a 2017 byelection. |
| Representative democracy? How Victoria's election candidates compare with voters | Representative democracy? How Victoria's election candidates compare with voters |
| Thorpe told Guardian Australia after her loss that she was disappointed there would be no Aboriginal people in parliament as the state conducted treaty negotiations with Aboriginal people, a process the Andrews government has committed to and of which she had been critical. | Thorpe told Guardian Australia after her loss that she was disappointed there would be no Aboriginal people in parliament as the state conducted treaty negotiations with Aboriginal people, a process the Andrews government has committed to and of which she had been critical. |
| “We need to have more Aboriginal people in parliament, not just because they are Aboriginal but because they come with a whole range of lived experiences that are valuable,” she said. | “We need to have more Aboriginal people in parliament, not just because they are Aboriginal but because they come with a whole range of lived experiences that are valuable,” she said. |
| “We need to have a whole lot more [diversity]. We need to look like our community. There are too many men in that parliament, there’s too many white men in that parliament, and I think there’s a lot of people that have lost touch with reality.” | “We need to have a whole lot more [diversity]. We need to look like our community. There are too many men in that parliament, there’s too many white men in that parliament, and I think there’s a lot of people that have lost touch with reality.” |
| About 40% of all MPs elected following the 2018 election are women, an increase of just two MPs since the 58th parliament and still significantly short of the percentage of women in the broader population, which is 50.9%, according to the 2016 census. | About 40% of all MPs elected following the 2018 election are women, an increase of just two MPs since the 58th parliament and still significantly short of the percentage of women in the broader population, which is 50.9%, according to the 2016 census. |
| The Liberal party had the lowest proportion of women, with just eight women to 23 men across both houses. It also ran the lowest proportion of female candidates and put two-thirds of female candidates in marginal seats. | The Liberal party had the lowest proportion of women, with just eight women to 23 men across both houses. It also ran the lowest proportion of female candidates and put two-thirds of female candidates in marginal seats. |
| In Labor ranks, the proportion of women rises to 46.6% and 50% of cabinet positions are held by women. | In Labor ranks, the proportion of women rises to 46.6% and 50% of cabinet positions are held by women. |
| Two of the four Greens MPs in the new parliament are women, as are three of the seven National party MPs. | Two of the four Greens MPs in the new parliament are women, as are three of the seven National party MPs. |
| More than a third of all MPs had worked for a political party or an individual politician before being elected, while 19.5% had worked for a union and 14.2% had practiced as a lawyer. Just over 12% had spent time on local councils and the same proportion had owned and operated a small business. | More than a third of all MPs had worked for a political party or an individual politician before being elected, while 19.5% had worked for a union and 14.2% had practiced as a lawyer. Just over 12% had spent time on local councils and the same proportion had owned and operated a small business. |
| On the government benches, 49.3% of MPs had worked as a political staffer with 34.2% coming from the union movement. | On the government benches, 49.3% of MPs had worked as a political staffer with 34.2% coming from the union movement. |
| • This article was corrected on 20 December 2018 to state that 28% of Victorians were born overseas. | |
| Victorian politics | Victorian politics |
| Victoria | Victoria |
| Daniel Andrews | Daniel Andrews |
| Liberal party | Liberal party |
| Indigenous Australians | Indigenous Australians |
| Labor party | Labor party |
| Australian Greens | Australian Greens |
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