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Labor, LNP, Greens and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation are all running in Saturday’s election who would become the state’s first Indian MPs in 25 years if elected – but political critics say this is a great demand
Twenty-five years since an MP of Indian origin last sat in the Queensland parliament, candidates from one of the state’s largest immigrant communities are running for election in the most parties this weekend
Unlike the UK, Canada and the US, fewer than a dozen members of Australia’s Indian diaspora have been elected to federal or state parliaments, or territorial assemblies, to the exception of British citizens born during colonial times and after the federation
Labor and the National Liberal Party are fielding leading candidates for the first time in key seats in Brisbane who were born in India, but while their preferences will play a role, they are seen by some, unlikely to to win
While candidates of Indian descent from both parties – as well as those from the Greens and One Nation – say they do not face racial discrimination from their parties, political analysts have suggested otherwise
Palani Thevar was born in Tamil Nadu state in southern India and represents the Labor Party in Maiwar, won by the LNP Greens by a slim margin in 2017 He is a community worker and former president of the Federation of Indian Communities of Queensland (FICQ)
« We should be part [of parliament], make a difference, solve problems, not be spectators, be decision makers, so that you can create a better community, » he said
The LNP leads Punjab-born Pinky Singh in the Brisbane central electorate of McConnel, a traditional Labor stronghold where the Greens are seen as the main challenger
Ms Singh moved to Australia two decades ago and runs a business with her partner In 2016, she also became the family spokesperson for bus driver Manmeet Alisher who was killed when a home-made explosive was thrown into his vehicle
« I think we need diversity in parliament I feel there is a cultural and language barrier, and we are all here to inspire a lot more, » she said
Indian candidates all know each other Nik Aii Reddy, One Nation candidate by Pauline Hanson, sits at Bancroft headquarters in north Brisbane and former deputy to M Thevar at the FICQ
Born in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, he says race is no obstacle and denies that the party he twice ran for is racist
« I believe this is the one party that speaks for all Australians, no matter where you are from »
Punjab-born Navdeep Singh is a third Greens candidate for Jordan siege He says he’s not assessing his chances of winning but it’s more than that
« It’s important to raise awareness, it’s not a matter of a day, it’s not about winning, it’s about making your voice heard for the right thing, » he said. he declared
« That’s why I’m running It would be good for the whole community, not just the Indian community, but everyone »
People born in India are the third largest immigrant group in Queensland, after those from England and New Zealand, and their numbers have been steadily increasing since around 50,000 were registered during of the 2016 census
But for 25 years, no MP of Indian origin has served in the Queensland parliament since Anne Warner’s 12-year tenure of Labor ended in 1995
Ms Warner thinks overly cautious screening policies and the legacy of White Australia politics are to blame
« There are those people who do the numbers, as they call it, in political parties. The last thing they would want is for [a candidate] to have what he considers a » obstacle « »
Ms Warner, who grew up in the UK, was the first and only Indian-born MP from Queensland, but she does not claim Indian heritage, describing herself as a ‘dark-skinned woman’ who immigrated to Australia
A surprise victory in the 1983 state election, she became Minister of Family Services and then Minister of Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander Affairs under the Goss government, a first for a woman of color in the time
« This is absolutely essential if we are to call ourselves a democracy, because the truth is that society is not homogeneous, it is not made up of one group of people, it is made up of different groups people and these people have aspirations, they have rights, desires and the right to be treated equally and one of the ways to demonstrate that equality is through representation in parliament ”, she declared
« You also have a country that is poised to become incredibly important economically in the world, I think it would be to Australia’s advantage to encourage that connection
“And of course there is a whole range of cultural aspects; both places were colonized by Great Britain, English is a common language and, oh let’s not forget cricket, a passion for both countries «
According to M Thevar of the Labor Party, elections are about going out and being seen, heard and accepted
« When I speak I have an accent, people like to listen to the Australian accent, that’s normal People when they come up with a different color, people have a different opinion, but once they are friends and interact, that makes things really easy «
M Singh, of the Greens, says Australia’s past has a strong influence on the acceptance of ‘colored’ candidates and combines with the immigration rhetoric seen in federal politics to deter candidates from running
« Australia’s dark history, we are on stolen ground, we never had a treaty, which still plays a role in our modern life, » he said
« When young people see the treatment of Indigenous people and hear the story, they draw parallels between the treatment of their parents
« We can see what is going on in the big political parties, they still don’t see them as equal human beings »
This is a sentiment dismissed by Ms. Singh of the LNP, who says that more needs to be done to educate the community
« They feel shy and many members of the community I speak to, they just don’t understand the system yet and don’t feel their voice is heard enough in parliament, » she said
« It’s not just about the Indian community, but we definitely need young Australians to come forward, with new ideas to bring for the community, for Queenslanders and Australians, » he said. he declared
June D’Rozario was unexpectedly elected to the Northern Territory legislature in 1977 and would be its first representative of Indian descent
Victoria has the largest population of Indian origin in Australia and elected Kaushaliya Virjibhai Vaghela to its Legislative Council in 2018, a first for the community
Political scientist Juliet Pietsch of Griffith University is the author of Race, Ethnicity and the Participation Gap, and says parties are still afraid of running candidates from an ethnic minority
« It has that symbolic impact, that they care about ethnic issues, that they care about representation, » she said
« In Australia we are much more afraid to talk about issues such as structural inequalities, political inequalities and this goes back to the history of our White Australian politics
« We are afraid enough to talk about these issues in public, we tend to want to talk about very superficial issues – multiculturalism in terms of culture and diversity, different languages and food – because of this deep pain. in our history, and this again raises these issues «
« For young migrants growing up in our country, it means a lot to see representatives who are like them, making decisions that impact their lives and that of their families, » she said. p>
« It is very important to develop more confidence in the political system and the biggest impact is that they then want to get into politics because they see themselves as part of the system
« Sadly what we are seeing in Queensland is a common trend across Australia that all four candidates are taking seats that are impossible to win. I think we need to take the next step to get them are also placed in a seat where they have a chance «
« I don’t agree with that, I’m pretty good in the LNP and they backed me up and here I am as a candidate, » Ms. Singh said
« I don’t believe in a winnable and non-winnable seat, I think if your mindset is right people can see you are genuine »
« Maiwar is a really very strong winnable seat, we only lost with a very small number of votes last time, » he said
Queensland’s last parliament broke new ground with a record three elected Indigenous MPs; two aborigines, and for the first time, an islander of the Torres Strait
« [Without it,] parliament becomes monochrome, it becomes less interesting, it becomes less dynamic, it becomes less focused and it becomes less relevant »
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National Liberal Party of Queensland, 2020 Queensland State Election, Queensland, Australian Labor Party (Queensland branch), One Nation by Pauline Hanson
World News – UA – India-born candidates hope to make history in Queensland election
SOURCE: https://www.w24news.com