Lawyers triumph in the 2010 elections
27 August 2010
Swathes of lawyers have been running for office in the federal election and, although the outcome still remains anyone's guess, one thing is for sure - lawyers are the winners.

The 20 lawyers in NSW and Victoria who ran as incumbents have hung on to their seats, according to a Lawyers Weekly report. And at least four more will be joining their ranks - and that will be five, if you count Laura Smyth, the ex-Holding Redlich senior associate who at the time of writing seems poised to take La Trobe. This will bring the total number of former lawyers now sitting in the House of Representatives to 33.

Newly elected policitians outside the House of Representatives yesterday

 
Over half of the lawyers who stood in the election managed to win their seats. And those newly elected ex-lawyers who may miss the salary perks of practice will no doubt be cheered by the annoucement that our pollies are to get a pay rise of 4.1%. That's not so far behind the pay rises being handed out in law firms.

One person who could usefully tap these legally qualified politicians for some free advice will be the Governor General who will appoint the next government, should both Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott stumble into her office to claim leadership. According to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, she has instructed lawyers to advise on whether her links to Bill Shorten - MP, Labor power broker and, er, her son-in-law - might create a conflict of interest for her. If she is conflicted, the dubious honour of appointing the next government falls to Marie Bashir, NSW's longest serving Governor.