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The Class of 96: A Biographical Analysis of New Government Members of the Australian House of Representatives
Author(s) -
Pickering Paul A.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
australian journal of politics and history
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.123
H-Index - 23
eISSN - 1467-8497
pISSN - 0004-9522
DOI - 10.1111/1467-8497.00006
Subject(s) - house of representatives , politics , government (linguistics) , class (philosophy) , window of opportunity , wilderness , political science , public administration , government office , gender studies , sociology , law , local government , engineering , linguistics , ecology , philosophy , biology , aerospace engineering , artificial intelligence , computer science
The 1996 federal election brought thirty‐six new government members into the House of Representatives. The size of the "Class of 96" provides an opportunity for a comparison of biographical characteristics, looking for common experiences and backgrounds, as well as for an exploration of similarities and differences with previous cohorts of Coalition MPs. This examination will suggest that, in biographical terms, the "Class of 96" represents a significant new development in Australian politics. Further, a detailed analysis of the first speeches of the members of the "Class of 96" provides a window into the minds of those who have sought and achieved office on behalf of the Liberal and National parties after thirteen years in the political wilderness.