Filipino Australians win in NSW local elections

A number of Filipino-Australians sought elective positions in the Council Elections held last September 13 in cities and towns throughout New South Wales, reports the Philippine Consulate General in Sydney.

The Consulate acknowledged the significance of the recent elections on account of the interest and active involvement of Filipino-Australians in New South Wales in Australian mainstream politics. Their political affiliations represent a wide range of Australian political spectrum namely: Labor, Liberal, Green, special interest parties, and independent.

The Consulate also congratulated the two Filipino-Australians who won in the recent elections: Irene Ensomo Broad, re-elected councillor in the shire of Temora, and Jess Diaz, elected as councillor in Blacktown City. (Photo insert: Jess Diaz, newly elected councillor in Blacktown City)

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 district with a small Filipino community. She is also the first female councillor who has been re-elected, a rare feat in a region where few women participate in politics. Ms. Broad is 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. Blacktown City has the largest concentration of Filipinos in Australia, 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 law practice.

In congratulating Mr Diaz and Ms Broad, Philippine Consul General Maria Theresa P. Lazaro said, “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”. #

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Posted by Romy Cayabyab on Sep 24 2008. Filed under Community, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry