# List of Asian Australian politicians

This is a list of Asian Australians who have served as members of Australian federal, state, or territory legislatures. Despite Australia's proximity to Asia, as well as the significant and increasing minority of Australians belonging to an Asian ethnicity, the Australian Parliament is considered to be particularly under-representative of its constituents of Asian descent in comparison to other Western multicultural democracies with members of minority groups making up only about 6 percent of Parliament.

## Classification

The term Asian Australian was first coined in the 1950s by European Australians who sought to strengthen diplomatic and trade ties with Asia. However, the term was not originally used to describe or recognise the experiences of people of Asian descent living in Australia. It was not until the late 1980s and 1990s that the term was adopted and used by Asian Australians themselves to discuss issues related to racial vilification and discrimination. Today, the term is widely accepted and used to refer to people of Asian descent who are citizens or residents of Australia, although its usage and meaning may vary within the Asian Australian community.
When people use the term Asian in everyday conversation, they are usually referring to two main groups: East Asians (including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Mongolian) and Southeast Asians (including Filipinos, Cambodians, Vietnamese, Laotians, Indonesians, Thais, and Singaporeans). Additionally, South Asians (including Indians, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans, Nepalese, and Pakistanis) may also be included.

### Census definition

Information relating to the racial composition of the population was collected for the first time at the Census of 1911. The following were classified as "Asiatic":
* Chinese
* Hindus
* Japanese
* Syrians
* Malays
* Filipinos
* Javanese
* Cingalese
* Afghans and Baluchis
* Timorese
* Arabs
* Asiatic Turks
* Persians
* Asiatic Jews
* Siamese
* Asiatic (so described)
* Armenians
* Burmese
* Tibetans
At censuses prior to 1966 the instructions relating to race were insufficient to enable respondents to classify themselves according to the degree of racial mixture. As one report for the 1966 Census of Population and Housing details:
   For example, from 1933 to 1961 persons were asked the following question:
   At the 1966 Census the instructions were re-designed ... in an endeavour to obtain precise data on racial mixture and also to avoid the opprobrium attaching to the term "half-caste" ...
The Australian Bureau of Statistics and Australian Census no longer collect data on race as a standalone category. Instead, they collect information on distinct ancestries, of which census respondents can select up to two. The ABS has classified certain ancestries into categories for the purposes of aggregating data, including:
* North-East Asian (including Chinese, Koreans, Japanese, etc.);
* South-East Asian (including Vietnamese, Filipinos, Indonesians, etc.); and
* Southern and Central Asian (including Indians, Sri Lankans, Afghans, etc.).
Ancestry is the primary statistical measure of ethnicity or cultural origins in Australia. The different ancestry groups may have distinct histories, cultures, and geographical origins. Therefore, information on Australians with ancestry from Asia can be found in the respective articles for each separate article (e.g., Chinese Australians, Indian Australians, etc.).

## Officeholders

20 Asian Australian people have been members of the Parliament of Australia (the Federal Parliament), including ten each in the Senate and the House of Representatives. The most common represented ethnicity are Chinese Australian (nine) and Indian Australian (three). There are eight incumbent Asian Australian parliamentarians as of 2022.

### Federal Parliament
#### Senate

| Senator | Senator | Ethnicity | Party | State | Tenure | Tenure | Notes |
| Senator | Senator | Ethnicity | Party | State | Term start | Term end | Notes |
| | Tsebin Tchen (1941–2019) | Chinese | Liberal | Victoria | 1 July 1999 | 30 June 2005 | Retired |
| | Penny Wong (born 1968) | Chinese (Malaysian Chinese) | Labor | South Australia | 1 July 2002 | Incumbent | |
| | Lisa Singh (born 1972) | Indian | Labor | Tasmania | 1 July 2011 | 30 June 2019 | Lost reelection |
| | Dio Wang (born 1981) | Chinese | Palmer United | Western Australia | 1 July 2014 | 2 July 2016 | Lost reelection |
| | Mehreen Faruqi (born 1963) | Pakistani | Greens | New South Wales | 15 August 2018 | Incumbent | |
| | Fatima Payman (born 1995) | Afghan | Labor (to 2024) Independent (from 2024) | Western Australia | 1 July 2022 | Incumbent | |
| | Varun Ghosh (born 1985) | Indian | Labor | Western Australia | 1 February 2024 | Incumbent | |
* ↑ First Asian-born migrant to be elected to Parliament
* ↑ First Asian-born member of Cabinet, First Asian-Australian foreign minister, and the first openly LGBTI person to hold the office
* ↑ First woman of South Asian heritage to be elected to Parliament
* ↑ First Muslim woman to attain any political office in Australia; first Muslim woman senator to be elected to Parliament

#### House of Representatives

| Member | Member | Ethnicity | Party | Division | State | Tenure | Tenure | Notes |
| Member | Member | Ethnicity | Party | Division | State | Term start | Term end | Notes |
| | Michael Johnson (born 1970) | Chinese (Hong Konger) | Liberal | Ryan | Queensland | 10 November 2001 | 20 May 2010 | |
| | Michael Johnson (born 1970) | Chinese (Hong Konger) | Independent | Ryan | Queensland | 20 May 2010 | 21 August 2010 | |
| | Ian Goodenough (born 1975) | Singaporean | Liberal | Moore | Western Australia | 7 September 2013 | Incumbent | |
| | Gladys Liu (born 1964) | Chinese (Hong Konger) | Liberal | Chisholm | Victoria | 18 May 2019 | 21 May 2022 | First Chinese Australian woman to be elected to the House |
| | Dave Sharma (born 1975) | Indian | Liberal | Wentworth | New South Wales | 18 May 2019 | 21 May 2022 | Second Australian ambassador of Indian heritage |
| | Michelle Ananda-Rajah (born 1972) | Sri Lankan | Labor | Higgins | Victoria | 21 May 2022 | Incumbent | |
| | Cassandra Fernando (born 1988) | Sri Lankan | Labor | Holt | Victoria | 21 May 2022 | Incumbent | |
| | Dai Le (born 1968) | Vietnamese | Independent | Fowler | New South Wales | 21 May 2022 | 8 May 2023 | First Vietnamese-born member to be elected to Parliament |
| | Dai Le (born 1968) | Vietnamese | Dai Le and Frank Carbone Network | Fowler | New South Wales | 8 May 2023 | Incumbent | First Vietnamese-born member to be elected to Parliament |
| | Sam Lim (born 1961) | Chinese (Malaysian Chinese) | Labor | Tangney | Western Australia | 21 May 2022 | Incumbent | |
| | Zaneta Mascarenhas (born 1980) | Indian | Labor | Swan | Western Australia | 21 May 2022 | Incumbent | |
| | Sally Sitou (born 1982) | Chinese (Laotian Australians) | Labor | Reid | New South Wales | 21 May 2022 | Incumbent | |

### State and local government
#### Governors

| Governors | Governors | Ethnicity | State | Tenure | Tenure | Notes |
| Governors | Governors | Ethnicity | State | Term start | Term end | Notes |
| | Hieu Van Le (born 1954) | Vietnamese | South Australia | 1 September 2014 | 31 August 2021 | First person of Asian heritage to be appointed a state governor in Australia. First person of Vietnamese background to be appointed to a vice-regal position anywhere in the world. |

#### Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly

| Member | Member | Ethnicity | Party | Constituency | Tenure | Tenure | Notes |
| Member | Member | Ethnicity | Party | Constituency | Term start | Term end | Notes |
| | Elizabeth Lee (born 1979) | Korean | Liberal | Kurrajong | 15 October 2016 | Incumbent | First East Asian-Australian to lead a major political party in Australia. |
| | Deepak-Raj Gupta (born 1966) | Indian | Labor | Yerrabi | 23 July 2019 | 17 October 2020 | First Indian-born person to hold the position of MLA in the Australian Capital Territory. First MLA to be sworn in on the Bhagwat Gita, representing his Hindu faith. |

#### Parliament of New South Wales

| Member | Member | Ethnicity | Party | Constituency | Tenure | Tenure | Notes |
| Member | Member | Ethnicity | Party | Constituency | Term start | Term end | Notes |
| | Prue Car | Bengali | Labor | Londonderry | 8 June 2021 | Incumbent | |
| | Anoulack Chanthivong (born 1977) | Laotian | Labor | Macquarie Fields | 28 March 2015 | Incumbent | First politician of South-East Asian heritage to take a seat in the NSW Parliament |
| | Wes Fang (born 1977) | Singaporean | Nationals | | 9 August 2017 | Incumbent | First person of Asian heritage to represent the Nationals in NSW |
| | Mehreen Faruqi (born 1963) | Pakistani | Greens | Heffron | 19 June 2013 | 14 August 2018 | |
| | Trevor Khan (born 1957) | Punjabi | Nationals | | 24 March 2007 | 6 January 2022 | |
| | Geoff Lee (born 1967) | Chinese | Liberal | Parramatta | 26 March 2011 | 25 March 2023 | |
| | Jenny Leong (born 1977) | Chinese | Greens | Newtown | 28 March 2015 | Incumbent | |
| | Daniel Mookhey (born 1982) | Punjabi | Labor | Monaro | 6 May 2015 | Incumbent | |
| | Helen Sham-Ho (born 1943) | Chinese (Hong Konger) | Liberal / Independent | | 19 March 1988 | 28 February 2003 | |
| | Gurmesh Singh | Indian | Nationals | Coffs Harbour | 23 March 2019 | Incumbent | |
| | Henry Tsang (born 1942) | Chinese | Labor | | 27 March 1999 | 3 December 2009 | |
| | Ernest Wong (born 1960s) | Chinese (Hong Konger) | Labor | | 24 May 2013 | 23 March 2019 | |
| | Peter Wong (born 1942) | Chinese | Liberal / Unity Party | | 27 March 1999 | 23 March 2007 | |
| | Gladys Berejiklian (born 1970) | Armenian | Liberal | | 22 March 2003 | 30 December 2021 | |

#### Parliament of the Northern Territory

| Member | Member | Ethnicity | Party | Constituency | Tenure | Tenure | Notes |
| Member | Member | Ethnicity | Party | Constituency | Term start | Term end | Notes |
| | Jack Ah Kit (1950–2020) | Chinese | Labor | Arnhem | 7 October 1995 | 16 June 2005 | |
| | Ngaree Ah Kit (born 1981) | Chinese | Labor | Karama | 27 August 2016 | 28 October 2024 | |
| | Harry Chan (1918–1969) | Chinese | | Fannie Bay | December 1962 | 5 August 1969 | |
| | Jinson Charls | Indian | Country Liberal | Sanderson | 28 August 2024 | Incumbent | |
| | Richard Lim (born 1946) | Malaysian | Country Liberal | Greatorex | 1994 | 2007 | |
| | Lauren Moss (born 1987) | Indian | Labor | Casuarina | 18 October 2014 | 28 October 2024 | |
| | Sandra Nelson (born 1971) | East Timorese | Labor | Katherine | 27 August 2016 | 30 July 2020 | |
| | Khoda Patel | Indian | Country Liberal | Casuarina | 28 August 2024 | Incumbent | |
| | Tanzil Rahman | Bangladeshi | Country Liberal | Fong Lim | 28 August 2024 | Incumbent | |

#### Parliament of Queensland

| Member | Member | Ethnicity | Party | Constituency | Tenure | Tenure | Notes |
| Member | Member | Ethnicity | Party | Constituency | Term start | Term end | Notes |
| | Michael Choi (born 1959) | Chinese (Hong Konger) | Labor | Capalaba | 17 February 2001 | 23 March 2012 | |
| | Anne Warner (born 1945) | Indian | Labor | Kurilpa | 22 October 1983 | 1 November 1986 | |

#### Parliament of South Australia

| Member | Member | Ethnicity | Party | Constituency | Tenure | Tenure | Notes |
| Member | Member | Ethnicity | Party | Constituency | Term Start | Term End | Notes |
| | Jing Lee (born 1967) | Malaysian Chinese | Liberal | State-wide | 20 March 2010 | Incumbent | |
| | Rob Lucas (born 1953) | Japanese | Liberal | State-wide | 6 November 1982 | 19 March 2022 | |
| | Tung Ngo (born 1972) | Vietnamese | Labor | State-wide | 15 March 2014 | Incumbent | |
| | Bernice Pfitzner (born 1938) | Singaporean | Liberal | State-wide | 23 October 1990 | 10 October 1997 | |

#### Parliament of Tasmania

| Member | Member | Ethnicity | Party | Constituency | Tenure | Tenure | Notes |
| Member | Member | Ethnicity | Party | Constituency | Term Start | Term End | Notes |
| | Lisa Singh (born 1972) | Indian | Labor | Denison | 18 March 2006 | 13 April 2010 | |

#### Parliament of Victoria

| Member | Member | Ethnicity | Party | Constituency | Tenure | Tenure | Notes |
| Member | Member | Ethnicity | Party | Constituency | Term Start | Term End | Notes |
| | Tien Kieu (born 1960) | Vietnamese | Labor | South Eastern Metropolitan Region | 24 November 2018 | 26 November 2022 | |
| | Hong Lim (born 1950) | Chinese | Labor | Clayton / Clarinda | 30 March 1996 | 29 November 2014 | |
| | Sang Nguyen (born 1960) | Vietnamese | Labor | Melbourne West Province | May 1996 | November 2006 | |
| | Jude Perera (born 1953) | Sri Lankan | Labor | Cranbourne | 25 November 2002 | 24 November 2018 | |
| | Samantha Ratnam (born 1977) | Sri Lankan | Greens | Northern Metropolitan Region | 19 October 2017 | Incumbent | |
| | Harriet Shing (born 1976) | Chinese | Labor | Eastern Victoria Region | 29 November 2014 | Incumbent | |
| | Meng Heang Tak | Cambodian | Labor | Clarinda | 19 December 2018 | Incumbent | |
| | Huong Truong (born 1983) | Vietnamese | Greens | Western Metropolitan Region | 21 February 2018 | 24 November 2018 | |
| | Kaushaliya Vaghela | Indian | Labor / Independent / New Democrats | Western Metropolitan Region | 24 November 2018 | 26 November 2022 | |
| | Fred Van Buren (1936–2006) | Sri Lankan | Labor | Eumemmerring | 1985 | 1992 | |
| | Nicole Werner | Chinese (Malaysian Chinese) | Liberal | Warrandyte | 26 August 2023 | Incumbent | |
| | Eden Foster | Indian | Labor | Mulgrave | 18 November 2023 | Incumbent | |

#### Parliament of Western Australia

| Member | Member | Ethnicity | Party | Constituency | Tenure | Tenure | Notes |
| Member | Member | Ethnicity | Party | Constituency | Term Start | Term End | Notes |
| | Helen Bullock (born 1965) | Chinese | Labor | Mining and Pastoral Region | 22 May 2009 | 21 May 2013 | |
| | Jags Krishnan (born 1972) | Indian | Labor | Riverton | 13 March 2021 | Incumbent | |
| | Kevin Michel (born 1961) | Indian | Labor | Pilbara | 11 March 2017 | Incumbent | |
| | Yaz Mubarakai (born 1975) | Indian | Labor | Jandakot | 11 March 2017 | Incumbent | |
| | Batong Pham (born 1967) | Vietnamese | Labor | | November 2007 | May 2009 | |
| | Pierre Yang (born 1983) | Chinese | Labor | South Metropolitan Region | 22 May 2021 | Incumbent | |

#### Councilors and Mayors

| Member | Member | Ethnicity | Position | Tenure | Tenure | Notes |
| Member | Member | Ethnicity | Position | Term Start | Term End | Notes |
| | John So (born 1946) | Hong Konger | Lord Mayor of Melbourne | July 2001 | November 2008 | First Lord Mayor of Melbourne of Chinese descent. |
| | Katrina Fong Lim (born 1961) | Chinese | Lord Mayor of Darwin | 3 April 2012 | 4 September 2017 | |
| | Daniel Lim | Malaysian Chinese | Councillor of City of Melville | 25 October 2023 | | |
| | Anthony Tran (born 1999) | Vietnamese | Maribyrnong City Council | 9 November 2021 | | |
| | Kun Huang (born ?) | Chinese | Cumberland City Council | | | |
| | Sabrin Farooqui (born ?) | Bangladeshi | Cumberland City Council | | | |
| | Jasmine Nguyen (born ?) | Vietnamese | Brimbank City Council | | | |