Non-English speaking Australians are under-represented in the political life of the nation, a new report from the Scanlon Foundation argues.

And the report, the latest in the Scanlon Foundation narrative series, says that the representation gap in Australia is not due to a lack of political engagement or interest on the part of immigrants and ethnical minorities — who have similar levels of political engagement to those of European backgrounds.

Rather, it is due to the discriminatory practices and the lack of incentives by the main parties to recruit and promote non-white and ethnically diverse candidates.

The report, titled ‘You can’t be what you can’t see: The participation of migrant communities in Australia’s political system’, quotes former Race Discrimination Commissioner Dr Tim Soutphommasane saying that is a need for recognition that there is a problem.

While the federal parliament will see an increased representation of female and culturally diverse members in the term ahead, the make-up of the two houses is still skewed in favour of white Anglo-centric candidates.

There will be 13 MPs from non-European and non-Indigenous backgrounds in the new parliament – up from nine MPs in the last parliament. But this represents just six per cent of all parliamentarians while 21 per cent of Australia’s population are from non-European backgrounds.

This compares with 17 per cent of non-European MPs in New Zealand, 16 per cent in Canada and 11 per cent in the UK.

In the broader community in 2022, 30 per cent of Australia’s population was born overseas and more than half are either first or second generation Australia.

And now migrants from India and China a close second and third to newcomers from the UK.

Australia is now a nation of people from more than 190 different countries, and stems 300 different ancestries.

And, since 1945, almost eight million people have come to Australia and our migration program continues to take in hundreds of thousands of migrants annually.

Scanlon report author Caroline Zielinski says the nature of ethnic communities’ engagement with politics is complex and multifaceted, but it is by no means non-existent.

“There is some indication of change. As the 2022 election results have shown, we are clearly moving towards creating a more diverse parliament.

“Many of the people interviewed for this Narrative suggested that these inequalities will neutralise over time, as generations of migrants become more educated, more affluent, and more networked,” Ms Zielinski said.

One of the interviewees was Jasmine Nguyen, the 25-year-old Vietnamese-Australian mayor of the City of Brimbank.

She said she came to be involved in politics when a friend decided to run for council.

“We were both participants of the Dual Identity Leadership Program [DILP], started by the Victorian chapter of the Vietnamese Community Australia,” Ms Nguyen said.

The experience prompted her to look at the composition of her own local council and, seeing not much diversity particularly in the way of ethnic young women, she decided to put her hand up and give it a go.

“I got seven out of 11 votes from the council [to be elected mayor], and I think [voting me in] sends a great message to the community: that no matter your age or your background, you can lead,” she said.

Ms Zielinski says stories like Jasmin Nguyen’s are a reason for hope.   

“New ethnic communities will start to mobilise – their children will enter universities and leadership programs and become advocates for not only their own communities, but for all Australians. And while this is probably true, is it fair to expect the Australians of ethnic heritage today to wait a hundred years — or more — before their voices become normalised?” she said.

“It is a monumental task, making ethnically diverse people feel heard and engaged in a system mired in complexity and internal politics. Yet it is possible, if only our leaders decide to clearly prioritise multiculturalism — the meaning of which should be revisited and altered to reflect the questions and values of Australia today,” Ms Zielinski said.

The report made several recommendations to improve diversity in politics.

“To support full and active participation in the political life of our society, civics education and conversations are vital. To enable this, we need to continue to encourage English literacy and comprehension. Schools, community organisations and community programs play an integral role in enhancing understanding and reducing mis- and dis-information,” the report recommends.

“The power of fostering aspiration and an inquisitive mind is a valuable asset for a society that is committed to democracy. We recommend that communities, geographic, cultural, social or educational foster networks and funding and that the ethnic media has a role in supporting this and raising the profile of ambitious individuals,” it says.

“Our recent election has highlighted the importance of acknowledging and supporting local candidates. This needs to continue to be a priority. To make this possible, pre-selection processes could be revisited to ensure a transparent method that allows the community to see and participate in democracy.”

It also recommended championing truth in political advertising and campaigning, a commitment to non-partisan support for cultural diversity and the ability for all people to participate in all aspects of our political systems as well as local engagement by politicians.