Wayne Swan says “many caucus members came from working class families”. How many? Crikey did the research …

Caucus member Evidence
 ‘Working
class’?
Dick Adams Was a “nearly illiterate” meatworker in rural Queensland Yes
Anthony Albanese Raised by single mother under hardscrabble conditions Yes
Catryna Bilyk Grew up in an average middle-class family during the 1960s and 1970s No
Sharon Bird Was first woman in her family to gain full-time employment Yes
Mark Bishop Battler parents had few assets and many demands Yes
Chris Bowen Westie whose dad was a shift worker and mum worked in childcare Yes
David Bradbury Son of Maltese migrants, lived in Western Sydney all his life Yes
Gai Brodtmann Came from a “working class matriarchy”, father left family when she was 11 Yes
Carol Brown Grew up in working class Warrane as eighth child in family of 13 children Yes
Anna Burke Raised in middle class Ashwood inside her current electorate of Chisholm No
Tony Burke Dad was a pharmacist, describes his upbringing as “fortunate” No
Mark Butler Great grandfather and great great grandfather were Liberal premier. No
Anthony Byrne Was raised in the Kalgoorlie goldfields Yes
Kim Carr Left wing enforcer born in hardscrabble Tumut Yes
Bob Carr Son of a train driver, raised in working class Matraville. First family member to finish high school Yes
Doug Cameron Raised in the working-class town of Bellshill, near Glasgow Yes
Nick Champion Father an alcoholic, was a supermarket trolley boy before entering parliament Yes
Jason Clare Was the first in his family to go to university Yes
Jacinta Collins Born in Altona, worked as a checkout chick Yes
Julie Collins Grew up in the Bridgewater housing estate near Hobart and was “relatively poor” Yes
Greg Combet Dad died early on, kicked out of company home and mother forced to take a job to support the family Yes
Stephen Conroy UK military battler parents, lived in many houses before settling in Canberra Yes
Simon Crean Father and brother were Labor MPs, went to the selective Melbourne High No
Trish Crossin Grew up in Melbourne’s Kensington as part of “rich, multicultural, working class community” Yes
Michael Danby Father was a refugee from Nazi Germany, arrived in Australia with nothing Yes
Yvette D’Ath Father was a carpenter and mother was a secretary. Both worked hard “to put food on the table and a roof over our heads for me and my brother and sister.” Yes
Mark Dreyfus Son of noted composer George Dreyfus No
Justine Elliot Was a Gold Coast cop No
Kate Ellis Family instilled “Labor values” and father once worked in a factory Yes
Craig Emerson Grew up in remote NSW town of Baradine, moved to Sydney after father “lost his job during a drought in timber quotas in 1970.” Yes
Chris Evans Son of Welsh father who immigrated with not much Yes
Don Farrell Son of small business owners No
John Faulkner Raised in tiny irrigation town of Leeton, father worked for the water commission Yes
David Feeney Son of an Irish immigrant miner Yes
Laurie Ferguson Father was deputy premier of NSW but a labourer before launching political career No
Martin Ferguson Father was deputy premier of NSW but a labourer before launching political career No
Joel Fitzgibbon Succeeded his father in Hunter No
Mark Furner Grew up in Chermside housing commission Yes
Peter Garrett Grew up in leafy Wahroonga, attended private Barker College No
Steve Georganas Father was a railway worker, grew up in working class Hindmarsh Yes
Steve Gibbons Father was a “left leaning used car dealer” Yes
Julia Gillard Working class cred claims regularly recited Yes
Gary Gray Emigrated with family of £10 Poms Yes
Sharon Grierson “A proud daughter of the noble working class of Newcastle” Yes
Alan Griffin “Political leanings were established in a working class family” by father Alby Yes
Alex Gallacher Arrived in Australia from Scotland in 1966, father sought better life Yes
Jill Hall Grew up in tiny town of Macksville, attended local high school Yes
Chris Hayes Father was a NSW police officer who instilled “values” in him Yes
John Hogg Came from “humble surrounds” Yes
Ed Husic Father was an immigrant welder on the Snowy Mountains Scheme. Yes
Harry Jenkins Succeeded his father in Scullin No
Stephen Jones Mother raised a large Catholic family with little money Yes
Mike Kelly Survived childhood with the support of St Vincent de Paul after father went bankrupt Yes
Catherine King Father waged “a personal battle out of poverty” Yes
Andrew Leigh Both father and mother were successful academics No
Kirsten Livermore Grew up in a working class family in Ipswich Yes
Joe Ludwig AWU scion — although associate makes good point Joe had “dirt poor” upbringing in regional Queensland prior to Bill’s ascension Yes
Kate Lundy Raised in tiny Quirindi, left school in year 11 to become construction union hard head Yes
Geoff Lyons Father imbued “Labor values” Yes
Jenny Macklin Went to Wangaratta High, staffers attest to tough country upbringing Yes
Richard Marles Father was headmaster of Trinity Grammar, mother Chancellor of Melbourne Uni. Attended Geelong Grammar. No
Gavin Marshall Raised in Reservoir as a “young and inspired son of working class parents” Yes
Robert McClelland Father was a NSW Labor MP No
Anne McEwen Depression-era parents grew up in working class suburb of Adelaide Yes
Jan McLucas Attended exclusive Clayfield College as a rural boarder No
Daryl Melham Mother raised 10 children alone after bootmaker immigrant dad died Yes
Rob Mitchell Grew up in working class Melbourne suburb of Dallas, family didn’t have much material trappings of wealth Yes
Claire Moore Raised Catholic in Toowoomba by cattle buyer father and political activist mother Yes
John Murphy Father was a small town lawyer in Dunedoo No
Shayne Neumann Neither mother nor father attended high school. Was a part-time meatworker Yes
Brendan O’Connor A migrant and a migrant family’s son Yes
Deborah O’Neill Parents Irish immigrants, lived in Western Sydney Yes
Julie Owens Father worked in the Army and was an accomplished musician No
Melissa Parke Grew up on her parents’ apple farm, attended public schools Yes
Graham Perrett Grew up in St George, Queensland, as the seventh of ten children Yes
Tanya Plibersek Parents hard working immigrants who gave it all up to come to a new land Yes
Helen Polley Raised Catholic in bucolic country town of Westbury No
Louise Pratt Activist mother struggled in the 80s as economic reforms hit home, father struggled to construct family house. Yes
Bernie Ripoll “Family and I came to Australia from another country without much” Yes
Amanda Rishworth Background “more middle than working class”, says a friend, although attended Julia Gillard’s famed working class advancement factory of Unley High No
Michelle Rowland Clerk father married Fijian royalty but returned home to working class Blacktown Yes
Nicola Roxon Professional parents, attended Melbourne’s Methodist Ladies College (on a scholarship) No
Kevin Rudd Raised by his single mother on charity. Once lived in a car. Yes
Janelle Saffin Grew up on a housing commission estate Yes
Bill Shorten Father a waterside union official, mother a trailblazing lawyer No
Sid Sidebottom Has made big deal of battler profile Yes
Lisa Singh Indo-Fijian father (one of 12 children) nearly died in rainstorm before moving to Australia in 1963 Yes
Stephen Smith Dad worked for the postal service in small town Narrogin Yes
Laura Smyth Immigrated to Melbourne from Ireland in 1983, family had “nothing” on arrival Yes
Warren Snowdon Attended Catholic schools in Canberra No
Ursula Stephens Irish-born daughter of working class parents Yes
Glenn Sterle Truckie who grew up in housing commission suburb of Langford in Perth’s east Yes
Wayne Swan Parents “did not get a fair go”, died young. Springsteen fan. Yes
Mike Symon Carless father worked as a paymaster in Melbourne’s western suburbs. Mother stayed home to raise kids. Yes
Matt Thistlethwaite Parents embodied “those great working class values of their generation: hard work, fairness and community activism”. Gave so Matt could grow. Yes
Kelvin Thomson Raised in working class Pascoe Vale Yes
Maria Vamvakinou Born in Greece, parents emigrated when she was four in 1963 to build new life from scratch Yes
Penny Wong Moved to Oz from Malaysia after dirt poor father separated from Australian mother Yes
Tony Zappia The power lifting champion’s parents “sacrificed so much of their lives so that my brothers, my sister and I could have a better life.” Yes