Filipino Australian candidates lose federal election bid

By Lee Pendleton

During the Federal Election held 7 September, we witnessed the change of leadership with the coalition winning majority of the seats all over Australia. Labor party candidate Kevin Rudd, in spite of his comeback as the Prime Minister forced Julia Gillard to be replaced as the leader of the Labor party, failed to get the number of Labor votes across the Australia. This Federal election we have noticed the diversity of the major party’s candidates among them were three Filipino Australians bid for Parliament, two for the lower house and another for the Senate who failed in their. The chance to be swayed on anti-labor votes failed to help two Filipino Australians bets under the Liberal National coalition to become the first Filipino heritage Member of the Parliament. The Filipino candidates in the federal elections were Ronaldo Villaver NSW, Coalition candidate for the seat of Greenway in New South Wales Blacktown, solicitor Jaymes Diaz, Carmen Diaz of South Australia, and Michael Deverala representing the electorate of Gorton west of Melbourne running under the Democratic party.

Australian political system is constitutional monarchy which is under the parliamentarian form of government wherein the Prime Minister is the head of government. Since Australia has been colonised by England it is showing allegiance to the Queen of England Queen Elizabeth 11. The Governor General, the Queen’s representative in Australia, will swear in Prime Minister-Elect Tony Abbott. After six years in government, the Labor party of Australia has lost its mandate and the Liberal party wins more than half of the majority seats in the Parliament.

Australia has two major political parties. The Australian Labor party which was founded on the principle of the trade unions in Australia, and the Liberal party which is the conservative party mainly for the middle class and huge business’ concern. The disunity and party chaos of leadership within the Labor party may have lost Australian citizens trust towards them and have to switch their faith and hope to the Coalition government.