Who would have thought a pollster’s 85% furphy would be more newsworthy than war in the middle east or Donald Trump’s tantrums. Politics without theatrics would be boring and bland. And so it was before the advent of television and the spin doctors crafting the so-called ‘pic-fac’ or picture facility some three decades ago. That added entertainment to it, which at times backfired on the attention (of the public) seeker politicians.
The last 10-15 days have been, by far the best example of it. Remove the contribution of the hero – Jacinta Price and there is nothing to talk about.
It all started with a furphy sold cleverly by smart pollsters claiming 85% Indians coming into Australia vote Labor. No one really had the time to verify the claim, which to me seems an isolated anecdotal yarn woven to rattle the completely vanquished opposition struggling to hold the fort. The news, was amplified by Sky News coverage, which in my view sermonizes to the already converted (being a paid service) and of course, the federal opposition panicked.
Then came the announcements of the ‘take our country back’ rallies of August 31 on social media. And there is no dearth of unemployed Aussies who think they ‘run a parallel government’ from the palm of their hand 24/7 proselytizing to those of us who are disillusioned in life for one thing or the other – or simply fatigued of watching perennial rallies for conflicts happening far away from us and over which, Australia really does not have much control over, other than symbolic statements from time to time.
While there are no easy answers in sight for a layman, it is the job of the leadership at such junctures, to rise to the occasion, show leadership, and convince countrymen and women to do the right thing by Australia. If they cannot shut down legitimate Australian businesses exporting equipment to Isreal which Palestinian Australians believe, is indirectly helping Isreal’s war against Hamas, pollies must articulate it and take those protestors with them.
Sadly, our leaders have chosen – ‘to allow both sides’ to continue (to protest). In other words, show themselves to be completely bereft of leadership and allow fellow Australians (in this case – two different ancestries, but none Indian) to fight like tribals on the streets of our cities.
And when the August 31 rallies made the news, I believe, it was a sigh of relief for them. Finally, there were some Aussies, who would fight to restore Australian weekends in Australia. In other words, do our politicians’ job.
But there being no central leadership among organizers, some random, ill-informed protester carried a placard which claimed ‘More Indians in 5 years, than Greeks and Italians in 100 years’.
And the panicked federal opposition did the rest – connected the dots – (85% voting Labor) – Labor vote bank – in each Australian electorate and complete doom and gloom for the Liberal and National parties in Australia for as long as they could see.
That set the scene for the hero of the episode – Senator Jacinta Price to enter the stage with her interview with the ABC.
Although Senator Price has now blamed the ABC, but her comments in response to the idea put to her – that Labor was bringing Indian migrants into Australia to boost its electoral chances, have been interpreted as “anti-Indian” migrants.
Perhaps completely swayed by what was being said on Social media, the Northern Territory senator had said that sections of the Australian community were concerned at “the core number, or the type, of migrants that are coming in”.
“I think Labor like to be able to ensure that they’re going to allow those in that would ultimately support their policies, their views, and vote for them as well,” she said.
“This is Labor. Basically, it’s power at any cost. And we see that occur all over the place in terms of the way they conduct themselves.”
Senator Price had completely fallen for the 85% furphy which is completely without foundation and has never translated into 85% Indians voting for Labor and NEVER will, except in some small pocket of some odd electorate, which will be inconsequential, as it would have been, if the isolated anecdotal yarn actually had any truth in it.
Official numbers
According to the 2021 Australian Census, the Indian-born population in Australia jumped from 455,389 people in 2016 to 673,352 in 2021, a 48 per cent increase in just five years. This makes Indians the second-largest group of overseas-born residents in (overtaking China in 2019) Australia, after those born in England.
According to the report titled Understanding Australia Indian Communities – A Statistical Snapshot published by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, between 2019 and 2024, the Australian Indian-born population increased from approximately 665,400 to 916,330 people, which makes it an increase of about 250,930 people or roughly 37.7% growth over this five-year period.
Clearly, if the 85% furphy was true, the election results in 2016 and 2019 should have gone the Labor way. That was not the case. This is not the place to discuss my analysis of the 2022 election result, but the Indian vote was not responsible for voting in Anthony Albanese. If at all, it was responsible for increasing the margins in some safe seats which Labor would never lose even if it put up a wooden stick as its candidate.
Indian diaspora growth – between 2011 and 2021
The growth in the Indian diaspora over the past decade has not been uniformly distributed, with the most rapid growth occurring outside the major capital cities (Figure 14). The population of Indian-born migrants increased almost five-fold in Greater Hobart (379 per cent) between 2011 and 2021, from 850 to 4,074 people. The Rest of Tasmania and Rest of Victoria also both experienced more than 200 per cent growth in the diasporic population.
In contrast, growth in the major east coast capital cities was still high but more moderate, with Melbourne growing by 128 per cent, Greater Sydney by 114 per cent and Greater Brisbane by 134 per cent.
In the year leading up to the 2016 Census, an estimated 107,875 Indian-born migrants (of all visa types) either settled in, or relocated to, regional Australia.
The question is – how many seats in those areas have delivered unconventional results? The answer is NONE.
These Indian diaspora growth and concentration figures show the 85% furphy is a figment of a crafty story teller, perhaps who himself/herself was fooled or blindsided by a small, rowdy pocket of dye-hard Labor fans.
Looking at these figures, matched with the election outcomes in those electorates in the 2016 and 2019 elections, Senator Price’s comments particularly – “this is Labor. Basically, it’s power at any cost” is too large a spin in political commentary.
What is more ironic is that her leaders in the party completely lost it. While Sussan Ley and her Shadow Minister for the portfolio Paul Scarr took the trouble of visiting Sydney’s Harris Park – to reassure the ‘distressed’ Indian Australians, other Coalition senators including Nationals’ Bridget McKenzie, Matt Canavan and Ross Cadell, as well as Liberals Sarah Henderson and Alex Antic, broke with their colleagues to support a One Nation proposal for an inquiry on immigration levels which was defeated 37 votes to 9.
Their conduct makes it clear to any decent Indian heritage Australian that the Coalition believed the 85% furphy and thus subscribed to the “power at any cost” theory of Labor and declared them guilty as accomplices in the Labor conspiracy.
And yet, at the same time, they went into overdrive, to soothe and console the “distressed” Indians.
Distancing herself from Senator Price’s comments, the opposition leader, Sussan Ley, called the Indian Australian community “amazing”.
“We know how hard you work, your family values, and the contribution you make across this country. And as opposition leader, I value that incredibly,” she told Sky News.
Anne Aly, the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, told question time she had spoken with Indian community members, who she claimed told her that they did not feel safe or secure after the weekend rallies.
Really? I am disappointed that they did not question where she had been all this time.
“As long as we treat people with gritted-teeth tolerance instead of mutual respect, our social cohesion will remain fragile,” Minister Aly said.
Then came the patronizing line, the icing on the cake:
“I want to say to Indian Australians, this is our message. You do not have to justify your belonging in this country. We stand with you as we always have.”
Reporting on the comments made by Sussan Ley on the issue, The Guardian said that Ley also matched comments from Anthony Albanese, agreeing “good people” joined the marches.
“I know many from my own electorate who marched close by,” she told the ABC.
Politicians did what they always do, put their taxpayer spin doctors to prepare statements for them. But the question is – where were Indian leaders in Australia to take up the argument that Australians with Indian heritage are NO LESS Australians. It was left to a 3rd year Law student, Aarushi Malhotra, an Australian by birth to Indian Australians, to defend the Indian community in Australia. She was interviewed on the Drive program of the Brisbane based 4BC where she very eloquently put that all Australians of whatever heritage are EQUAL and NO LESS than anyone.
Calling for burning or disrespecting the Australian flag to be criminalized, she said we must preserve and respect our national identity and symbols. She said her Indian heritage did not make her any less Australian because ‘her heritage was her pride and not competitor to or substitute for her patriotism; she said she did not have to prove her Australianness to anyone and added, “to any claimants of White Australia, I say hands off my country”.
Well done girl!