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Female Australian Aboriginal Party Leader Confirmed as First for Australian Politics

MEDIA RELEASE - The Family First Party

8 August 2004 - The Family First Party today announced that its lead South Australian Senate Candidate in the upcoming Federal Election, Ms Andrea Mason, would become the Party’s national leader, making her the nation’s first-ever female aboriginal party leader.

Ms Mason said she was delighted to be confirmed as the Leader of the Family First Party saying Family First appealed to a wide cross section of the community and had particular relevance to today’s struggling families.

“Family First is standing up for the family in Australia. We are fast becoming a political force in Australian politics with more than 60 lower house candidates and 13 Senate candidates to contest the up coming federal election. Each day thousands of volunteers are supporting the party with many more becoming financial members.

“Why is this happening? The Australian voting community is fed up with the two major parties and they are actively looking for a sensible alternative,” Ms Mason said.

Ms Mason grew up in Western Australia before her family moved to Adelaide in 1979. After completing her secondary education she was awarded a Netball Scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport and moved to Canberra for two years.

On her return to Adelaide, she commenced a Bachelor of Arts in Aboriginal Affairs and Public Administration finishing her studies in 1988. Andrea entered the South Australian Public Service in 1989 working in housing and employment programs.

In 1999 Andrea commenced a Bachelor of Law Degree at the University of Adelaide. Graduating in 2002, Andrea began working for Family First SA Party Leader, Andrew Evans, Member of the Legislative Council in SA as a Personal Assistant.

Source: The Family First Party

New party launched for election

By Chris Herde

9 August 2004 - The pastor who will head Family First's Queensland Senate ticket in the coming federal election denies it is a party exclusively for evangelical Christians.

"We are value orientated rather than Christian orientated," Pastor John Lewis said.

Anyone who supported family values was welcome, regardless of their religious background.

Family First, launched nationally on Sunday, is expected to make a strong showing in Queensland due to the void left by One Nation.

Pastor Lewis is the party's number one Senate candidate for Queensland.

In order to run his election campaign, Pastor Lewis has taken leave from Brisbane's Assemblies of God Northside Christian Church and Christian College, which he founded 27 years ago.

Pastor Lewis said the new party was a "conservative-type party" but not solely for evangelical Christians.

"We are clearly stating that this is not a religious party, this is a family based party," he said.

"Though I am a minister there will be lots of people in our party and our candidates that will not be of the same persuasion as myself.

The party, which has a number of evangelical Christians in its hierarchy, has already tasted success at state level.

The national party grew out of Family First's success in the 2002 South Australian state election when leader Andrew Evans won an upper-house seat.

Mr Evans was the general superintendent of the Assemblies of God in Australia until 1997.

The party chose Andrea Mason, the daughter of a pastor of the Aboriginal Evangelical Fellowship, as its national leader.

She is the first indigenous Australian woman to lead a party in the 103-year history of federal politics.

The party expects to fight it out for the sixth Senate seat in Queensland with the Australian Democrats, child abuse campaigner Hetty Johnston, the Greens and possibly the Nationals.

Source: AAP

Further information: election 2004

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