The incoming Federal Parliament will have a record number of First Nations people representing a heap of different communities around Australia. Things you love to see: it.
Once the votes are all counted and the election results shakes out, it looks like three new First Nations people will be joining the re-elected politicians across the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Entering into the Big House we’ve got Labor’s Marion Scrymgour set to win the seat of Lingiari in the Northern Territory and Wiradjuri man Gordon Reid locking in Robertson on the NSW Central Coast. Jacinta Nampijinpa Price — of the conservative Country Liberal Party — is set to win the senate seat for the Northern Territory.
These three join the re-elected Labor senators Mutthi Mutthi and Wamba Wamba woman Jana Stewart from Victoria, Yanyuwa woman Malarndirri McCarthy from the NT and Yawuru elder Patrick Dodson from Western Australia. Greens senators Yamatji-Noongar woman Dorinda Cox from WA and proud DjabWurrung Gunnai Gunditjmara woman Lidia Thorpe from Victoria have also retained their seats.
In the House of Representatives, First Nations people will be represented by Linda Burney — who is also pinned to be the new Minister for Indigenous Affairs when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announces his full cabinet. Liberal Minister Ken Wyatt is the sole outgoing First Nations man as he concedes the seat of Hasluck to Labor.
The Parliamentary Library also recognises Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie as an MP who identifies as Indigenous or has having Indigenous heritage, rounding out the count to a solid 10 across the board.
Per the National Indigenous Times, this representation of First Nations voices across the Federal Parliament sits at around 4.4 per cent — which is huge because Indigenous people make up 3.3 per cent of the population.
It’s reported the movement on Voice to Parliament will happen swiftly, which enables Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to provide advice to Parliament on policies and initiatives. The incoming Labor government promised a referendum to lock it into the Australian Constitution in its over the next four years.
You bloody beauty.
