‘Political stunt’: Tony Burke slammed for pre-election western Sydney citizenship blitz
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke will churn through three days of citizenship ceremonies from Friday, giving thousands of new citizens the right to vote in crucial western Sydney seats which could decide the outcome of the impending election.
NSW
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Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has been accused of “rushing through” citizenship applications in marginal seats and politicising citizenship for “partisan advantage” by launching an unprecedented three-day blitz of ceremonies to welcome thousands of new Australians in electorates Labor is desperate to hold.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal that Mr Burke’s department has gone on an industrial-scale citizenship extravaganza to give 12,500 new Australians their papers in time to vote in the election.
Of those, 6000 citizenships will be given to new Australians at Sydney Olympic Park over three days from Friday, angering the area’s mayors because the ceremonies have been taken out of their hands.
Liverpool Mayor Ned Mannoun accused Mr Burke of “rushing through” citizenship in marginal seats, with council documents showing a spike in new citizenship approvals in the area in December.
Mr Mannoun said he had a conversation with Mr Burke at a citizenship ceremony in his council area on Wednesday, during which the minister told him that new citizens “should be able to have the opportunity to vote’’.
“They have gone and rushed through citizenship applications for 700 people in Liverpool,” Mr Mannoun said.
“This is bullshit.
“They are stacking marginal seats better than Woolworths stacks shelves.”
Opposition Home Affairs spokesman James Patterson accused Mr Burke of using a “rushed and unorthodox process” to politicise citizenship for “partisan advantage”.
“Tony Burke should be transparent about why, on the eve of an election and at his direction, the Home Affairs Department has taken over citizenship ceremonies from local councils in western Sydney in a rushed and unorthodox process,” he said.
“The process of awarding citizenship should never be politicised for partisan advantage.”
With the federal election imminent, Mr Burke will, in coming weeks, personally hand citizenship certificates to thousands of new Australians living in key electorates including Parramatta, Werriwa and Fowler.
Following The Daily Telegraph’s revelations, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said it was “remarkable” that Mr Burke was “putting thousands of people through an express citizenship process so they can vote in the election”.
“I just question whether there has been any slackening of the process, any compromise on the security checks,” he told Sky News.
Migrants must have lived in Australia for at least four years to become a citizen.
Multiple people familiar with citizenship ceremonies said it was unprecedented for the department to step in and hold industrial-scale citizenship ceremonies, and for the minister to be personally involved. Ceremonies are usually organised by local councils.
Mayors said it appeared Mr Burke was adding more voters in key seats in western Sydney.
“You would have to assume that the only reason why they’re doing this is to do a photo op and to try and give people as many citizenships as possible, trying to influence their vote,” Fairfield Mayor Frank Carbone said.
“Citizenship is about pledging allegiance to Australia and its people, not allegiance to a political party, or minister, because they turn up a few weeks before an election, for a photo shoot.”
The citizenship drive organised by Home Affairs comes after Mr Burke attended multiple citizenship ceremonies in western Sydney, including one at Canterbury-Bankstown Council, on Tuesday.
A councillor present said Australian Electoral Commission officials were also at the ceremony and that Labor mayor Bilal El-Hayek told new citizens: “Don’t forget to speak with the AEC about enrolling before you leave.”
In response to the criticism, Mr Burke said it was “outrageous to suggest” people eligible for citizenship should have to wait for their ceremonies.
“Nothing makes me happier as Minister for Home Affairs than seeing people make their public commitment to Australia. I’m excited to attend ceremonies around the country over the next few weeks,” he said. “Our government believes anyone who has satisfied all the requirements should make their Pledge of Commitment as soon as possible.”
Home Affairs ceremonies will also take place in Hobart, Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Toowoomba.
A Home Affairs department spokesman said this was being done to “supplement the effort of local councils in hosting ceremonies’‘.
Originally published as ‘Political stunt’: Tony Burke slammed for pre-election western Sydney citizenship blitz
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