Rejection of Chinese-Australian’s election nomination sparks racism probe

Australia’s Liberal Party has been accused of racially discriminating against a prominent Chinese politician after his candidature for a seat in Saturday’s New South Wales state election was rejected.

The party last year picked Andy Yin to contest in Strathfield, a Sydney suburb home to a large Chinese community. It interviewed him in February as part of its nominee-vetting process to check Yin’s antecedents, including his character and business interests.

The 26-year-old said the nomination review committee deeply scrutinised his commercial dealings and asked how he got funds to buy a property at the age of 19. The panel also questioned his links with multiple Chinese-Australian trade groups such as the Greater Sydney Chinese Business Forum.

Yin said the task force dismissed his nomination earlier this month without giving a reason. The party later announced John-Paul Baladi, a politician of Sudanese descent, as its face in Strathfield.

The Sydney-born Liberal member claimed race played a role in his party’s decision, which he has taken up with the country’s Human Rights Commission (HRC), national broadcaster ABC reported.

“I was told by many persons close to the respondents that my candidature was rejected because I have been accused, variously, of being a ‘Chinese spy’ and/or a candidate of Chinese heritage was not to the benefit of the party in Strathfield,” Yin said in his complaint to the HRC.