Cathy McGowan (Indi, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

() (): My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Minister, Papua New Guinea will hold its national election from 24 June to 8 July. Colleagues, you may be interested to know that there are 3,324 candidates, of whom 165 are women and, since independence in 1975, only seven women have been elected to that parliament. There are 45 political parties, and I am sure everyone would like to know that 2,620, or 79 per cent, of the candidates are independent. So my question to the minister is this: Is the Australian government supporting an increase in the number of women candidates running for election? What is being done to ensure fair and free elections for the people of Papua New Guinea? (Time expired)

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