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4.4 per cent of politicians are First Nations peoples

It is the most diverse parliament in Australia’s history. A exceptional variety of First Nations girls have been elected. Linda Burney, Marion Scrymgour, Lidia Thorpe, Dorinda Cox, Malarndirri McArthy, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, Jana Stewart and Jacqui Lambie.

Along with their male First Nations colleagues, we now have throughout the Senate and House of Representatives a complete illustration of 4.4 per cent (with a nationwide Indigenous inhabitants of three.3 per cent). We have additional variety as a result of there may be additionally a file variety of newly elected multicultural Australian representatives, with members born in or with ancestry from Asia.

The radical adjustments to our representatives point out a releasing up of entry and alternatives for extra folks. Therefore, it might even be the most inclusive parliament in Australia’s history.

As a results of these shifts, the forty seventh Parliament is maybe the most “representative” parliament we’ve ever had. Representation is a crucial attribute of our parliament. The 151 members of the House of Representatives characterize electorates of roughly the identical numbers of voters. For success, a candidate should be in a position to persuade the electors that they really characterize the views of the residents in their voters.

In a rustic as diverse as ours, a extra diverse parliament – with extra girls, extra First Nations representatives and representatives of different racial and cultural diversities and talents ought to be the case. But it typically isn’t the case as a result of the energy and affect mechanisms of politics (and business and faith) take time to meet up with shifts in tradition. This parliament grew to become extra consultant of our nation by radical electoral stress. It was “a speaking of truth” to these in energy on points like gender, tradition and the surroundings.

Is there a theological method that Christians can mirror on these adjustments?

Given the tidal wave of girls of nice advantage getting into this forty seventh parliament, our thoughts might instantly go to historic narratives in Scripture of sturdy and gifted girls. Women like Miriam, a prophet despatched by God (Micah 6:4), Deborah, the decide of noble character, who led with such knowledge and authority (Judges 4,5), of the revered Huldah (2 Kings 22:13), of Noadiah, a prophetess in Nehemiah’s day( Neh 6:14), of diligent Anna (Luke 2: 36-37), of the famend daughters of Philip talked about briefly in Acts 21:9 and extra expansively by early historian, Eusebius  (EH 3.37.1; EH 5.17.3).

There can be Sarah, Miriam, Hannah, Abigail, Huldah, Esther and others. (I’m grateful to scholar Marg Mowczko for these lists). Then, after all, there may be trailblazing Mary, together with the businesswomen and different girls in the New Testament Church.

Of all of those girls, the phrases spoken over Esther appear to me to be most poignant for our girls getting into parliament:

“And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14, NIV)

Our nation is dealing with a time of nice disaster and alter. We want these sturdy girls, and we want our males, to assist information our greatest response to the financial, political and cultural challenges we face. Close to my coronary heart is the difficult prevalence of home and household violence. The very presence of so many ladies in parliament ought to assist to change the narrative of how we increase our younger women and men to deal with one another and the way we name out disrespect and sexism and create a tradition in this nation that’s protected and equal.

First Nations politicians, Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up!

It is especially pleasing to see so many First Nations folks and ladies elected to parliament. Each 12 months, NAIDOC has a theme. In 2022, the theme is ‘Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up!’ In this election, we’ve got seen many First Nations folks rise to that problem and realise the goals of many. In 2018, the theme was “Because of her, we can!” With so many First Nations girls in our parliament, we are able to have faith in the position fashions these girls present for our First Nations’ younger folks and broader communities.

How marvellous that our forty seventh Parliament symbolises such variety, fairness and inclusion. It ought to encourage us all.

Perhaps a broader theological reflection is on the image of heaven that Scripture provides us. We learn that in heaven there will probably be a “great multitude that no one can count, from every nation, tribe, people and language” (Revelation 7:9). This thought of heaven is a diverse one. The Christian gospel is a gospel of reconciliation and therapeutic, the place its topics are given the ministry of reconciling folks to one another and to God. Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice was an inclusive sacrifice – for the entire world’s sins.

The gospel is nice information that breaks the divide between women and men, slave and free, Jew and gentile (Galatians 3:28). Our church buildings can fail to show this joyous and diverse picture, regardless of our prayers that issues will probably be on earth as they’re in heaven. But how marvellous that our forty seventh Parliament symbolises such variety, fairness and inclusion. It ought to encourage us all.

Pray for our elected officers

In an election, there are losses and positive aspects, and this election noticed some excellent candidates lose their seats. For all its benefits, being a politician observably means taking over a voluntary vow of vulnerability each three years. Our parliamentarians work exhausting, make many sacrifices and are actually servants of our nation. Let’s be pleased about all of them and the blessings they provide us while in parliament. May God bless those that misplaced their seats, opening new doorways for service after a time of well-earned relaxation.

In our church prayer e-book, right here is the prayer we pray frequently for our nation

We give thanks for this land and the variety of its peoples. Grant that we might so honour each other that each one could also be enriched by our frequent heritage and free of despair, poverty and exclusion.

For those that pray, it is a worthy prayer for the forty seventh Parliament of Australia.

The Reverend Tracy Lauersen is an Anglican Minister in Victoria and the Convenor of the Churches Family Violence Working Group.

Image credit: Clockwise from high left – Jacqui Lambie (Jacquie Lambie, Facebook), Linda Burney (Australian Labor Party), Lidia Thorpe (The Australian Greens Party), Malarndirri McCarthy (Australian Labor Party), Dorinda Cox (Adendagostino, Wikimedia), Jana Stewart (Australian Labor Party), Marion Scrymgour (Australian Labor Party), Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (The Nationals).