1. Australia is one of the most multicultural nations in the world, and the ACT is an example of this diversity. Over one-third of the ACT’s population was born overseas or has at least one parent born overseas, and over 25% speak a language other than English at home.
2. Despite this rich diversity, the ACT Branch of the Australian Labor Party has had limited success in having a person of colour as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), or Member or Senator of the Federal Parliament from a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) background.
3. The underrepresentation of CALD communities in ACT Labor leadership and public office risks weakening the connection between the Party and the communities it seeks to represent, undermining Labor's values of fairness, inclusion, and equal opportunity.
4. The ALP has made significant progress through affirmative action rules to increase the representation of underrepresented groups e.g. women and first nations Australians within Party structures and public office. These mechanisms have been critical in broadening Labor’s representational base.
5. The National Platform of the ALP commits to “inclusive and diverse representation across all levels of government and Party leadership,” yet there remains a gap in effective pathways and support structures to ensure CALD representation is realised, especially in regions like the ACT.
6. Increasing CALD representation would enhance the cultural competency of the Party, broaden its electoral appeal, and improve the quality of public policy through more inclusive decision-making.
7. Concrete steps—such as quotas or targets, preselection mentoring, and the establishment of dedicated CALD engagement and development programs—are consistent with the Party’s existing affirmative action framework and should be considered as part of an ACT-specific strategy.
8. Labor must lead by example and be proactive in building a representative democracy that reflects the full spectrum of our society