A Fairfax Media analysis of state election candidates has uncovered the prevalence of a political class.
Far from reflecting the broader society, it seems that many of our aspiring politicians are political insiders. A third have been mayors or councillors, former MPs, staff members to politicians or unionists.
A Fairfax Media analysis of state election candidates for the Coalition and Labor shows that 28 per cent have been either councillors or MPs.
Of the 113 candidates from the Labor, Liberal and National parties the most common occupation was political professional, such as staffer to a politician, lobbyist or trade unionist, with 17 of the candidates in this category. - Fairfax Media did not include sitting MPs recontesting their seats.
 
The occupations of candidates were broken down into 19 categories.
One in six Labor candidates are teachers or trainers, compared with one in 17 Coalition candidates. Eleven people standing for Labor are lawyers compared with just one from the Liberals.
In the Mike Baird camp, there is a higher percentage of people working in retail, small businesses, finance or real estate compared with Labor. The Liberals have also fielded a few students, mainly in impossible-to-win seats.
Meanwhile, more community/health care workers and tradies have lined up for Labor for this election.
 
 
In the Nationals camp of four candidates, two are political professionals and two work in finance.
Labor candidate for Cootamundra Charlie Sheahan can lay claim to working in the most uncommon occupation - agriculture.
Sheahan, who will go up against the Nationals' Katrina Hodgkinson, has worked in agriculture for several years, predominantly as a farm manager, shearer and wool classer.
Both sides of politics are exploiting the profiles that candidates have built as mayors or councillors by choosing a fair proportion of their candidates from local government - with 30 per cent of Labor and 24 per cent of Liberals/Nationals candidates coming from the third tier of government.
