The Philippine Consulate General in Sydney reports that a number of Filipino-Australians sought elective positions in the recent Council Elections held last September 13, 2008 in cities and towns throughout New South Wales. This is significant because this is the first time that Filipino-Australians in New South Wales have exhibited interest and active involvement in Australian mainstream politics. Their respective affiliations represent all shades of the Australian political spectrum namely: Labor, Liberal, Green, special interest parties, and independent.
The election of two Filipino-Australians is confirmed: Jess Diaz was elected in Blacktown City and Irene Ensomo Broad re-elected in the shire of Temora.
Ms. Broad was the first Filipino-Australian to be elected into public office in the state of New South Wales, and most probably in the whole of Australia. She was first elected as an independent councillor in 2004, in a predominantly Caucasian district. She is the first female councillor who has been re-elected, a rare feat in a region where few females participate in politics. Ms. Broad is also credited for shaping and orienting town policies that has made Temora one of the most-friendly towns in New South Wales.
Mr. Diaz, a lawyer, won a seat in the Council of Blacktown. This city is one of the largest suburbs of New South Wales and has the largest concentration of Filipinos in Australia, registering almost 21,000 in the 2006 Australian census, making it a bastion for Filipinos in Australia. Mr. Diaz has been an active community leader and is a member of service associations including the Jaycees, the Lions, and the Knights of Rizal. A former schoolteacher, he was senior legal counsel for Citibank Australia, before setting up his own legal practice.
“The Filipino-Australians are now acknowledged as active participants in the nation-building of Australia by Australian mainstream society. Their interest to seek public office and to be politically empowered will certainly augur well for the communities they serve. We hope that more Filipino Australians will take up the challenge.”
Philippine Consul General Maria Theresa P. Lazaro
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