Daley: More NSW kids should learn Chinese or Mandarin

Labor leader Michael Daley has held another press conference exclusively for Chinese media, during which he said more NSW school children should learn Chinese or Mandarin as it would be “good for both our countries”.

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Labor leader Michael Daley has held another press conference exclusively for Chinese media, during which he said more NSW school children should learn Chinese or Mandarin as it would be “good for both our countries”.

During the private press conference on February 1 Mr Daley addressed the crowd in Mandarin and announced a language in schools policy in a deliberate move to woo the community and seize the cruical Chinese vote.

“Australia is very much in the Asian region. The success of the relationship between Australia and China is one built on mutual engagement, mutual respect, mutual trust and we know of course children that are born to Chinese parents will speak Mandarin or Cantonese. But I have four children and I’d love them to speak Mandarin or Cantonese,” he told the journalists.

‘Good for both out countries’....Michael Daley yesterday.

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“The more children that we can assist to speak Mandarin and Cantonese and other languages will be good for both of our countries.”

Mr Daley was flanked at the event by Shadow Roads Minister Jodi McKay and Shadow Education Minister Jihad Dib.

Special Minister of State Anthony Roberts seized on a video of the press conference and said Mr Daley “should come clean” on whether he had discussed foreign affairs.

The video of the press conference that has surfaced online cuts off before questions are asked.

“Last time Labor held a secret press conference for Chinese state media he refused to rule out signing up to the controversial One Belt One Road initiative. The video of this press conference ends after ten minutes I think Labor should come clean and tell the public what other foreign affairs issues he reflected on this time,” Mr Roberts said.

Michael Daley with coleagues at yesterday’s conference, exclusively for Chinese media.

The Daily Telegraph revealed in November that NSW Labor had ushered in a group of journalists representing Chinese publications for a private press conference in Parliament House to introduce Mr Daley as the party’s new leader.

At the time a spokesman for Mr Daley said the party was holding the private press conferences so they could “talk directly to the different communities” in NSW.

Yesterday the spokesman said since November Mr Daley had also held press conferences exclusively for Korean and Middle Eastern media.