Long-distance call
Race relations in Australia were tense in the late 1990s; racist politicians found a home in Pauline Hanson's One Nation party and spiteful rhetoric was hitting the airwaves. In opposition, a new wave of politicians emerged - and among them was Hong Kong-born Ernest Wong Kwok-chung.
Wong left the city in 1979 to study in Australia, having just finished secondary school at the Wah Yan College, in Kowloon. 'I love the way that Hong Kong people try to do things,' he says. 'They work all the time and give a very quick response - but I think Hong Kong is sometimes just too busy. People are dragged on by their lifestyle, rather than having control over their lives.'
After studying medicine in Australia, Wong became a research scientist before taking on his political role in 2000. 'I was quite active in starting up the Unity Party [in response to the rise of Hanson],' he says. 'I was involved in the organisation [but] I wasn't going to run [for office]. Then someone pulled out two weeks before the nomination for Burwood Council.'
Thus his political life began. He has since been the deputy mayor and mayor of Burwood, a suburb of Sydney, and he remains a councillor as well as an adviser to the New South Wales premier's office on ethnic relations. Professionally, he made a switch to law, becoming a solicitor six years ago. Wong is also an advocate for Chinese-style nursing homes and care centres for children with disabilities.
Nine years in public office has given Wong the experience to help other migrants adapt to Australian life. 'We can showcase how Chinese migrants are able to integrate into the mainstream culture,' he says. 'The people from Hong Kong, they are not very political; they are more into business. Migrants from the mainland tend to be more political. They are not involved in politics yet but they want to get things to happen. The interest is definitely there but they need more training in how to get the attention of the government.'
Wong, who will lead Australia's first delegation to Beijing's China Flower Expo later this month, has embraced life in 'the only [Western] country that really gives you space, both mentally and physically'.
'Australian people really respect freedom. There is space for people to have privacy.'
Not that he has severed his ties to Hong Kong - or those of his two children, who, thanks to videos, cable television and karaoke, are well-versed in the pop culture of the city.
Promoting Chinese culture of a higher order, Wong, as convener of the Australian Chinese National Day Celebration Organising Committee, has been co-ordinating festivities to be held in the courtyard of the Sydney Opera House today to mark the 60th anniversary of Communist Party rule on the mainland.
'This will be the first time all the community groups [will be] joining together. [The event will] feature 60 new lions dancing.'
