Pointy End vs Round End - Federal Election 2007

The Howard Government has been busy this week chanting a scare mantra concerning the number of former unionists it allegedly finds hiding under Federal Labor's bed.

Now in February last year the Department of Parliamentary Services published a research note which stated that the makeup of Government and Opposition benches were remarkably similar.

It found that the 41st Parliament was generally middle-aged, well-educated and mostly male, with many having worked in politics-related occupations immediately before their election.

The research found that:
The Coalition has a total of 126 members of Parliament
Labor has a total of 88 members of Parliament
Labor members have more 'general' qualifications than their Coalition counterparts (36% to 23%)
Coalition members have more 'law' qualifications than their Labor counterparts (23% to 18%)
Labor members have more 'education' qualifications than their Coalition counterparts (17% to 6%)
An equal number of Labor and Coalition members have economic qualifications.

As to the exact number of both Labor and Coalition members who have belonged to a union:

Full Research Note:
http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/RN/2005-06/06rn24.pdf