Staffer at taxpayer-funded migrant centre tied to ‘red shirts’ scandal
An organiser at the Migrant Workers Centre hit the streets with other employees at government-funded centre to hand out anti-Liberal material, just months after he was named in a damning Ombudsman’s report that admonished Labor over the “red shirts” rort.
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A key player in a taxpayer-funded support service accused of campaigning on behalf of the Labor Party was involved in the ALP’s infamous “red shirts rort” scandal.
Wallace Huang was an organiser at the Migrant Workers Centre in 2018 when employees campaigned to help secure a Labor victory ahead of that year’s state election.
He hit the streets with other employees of the government-funded centre to hand out anti-Liberal material, just months after he was named in a damning Ombudsman’s report that admonished Labor over the “red shirts” rort.
Mr Huang worked as an electorate officer for Labor MP Lee Tarlamis, when the ALP used almost $388,000 in taxpayer-funded money to part-pay electorate staff to campaign ahead of the 2014 election. The revelation comes as State Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien on Thursday called for an investigation into the Migrant Workers Centre.
A whistleblower has claimed staff, who were meant to be supporting exploited workers, campaigned for the Labor Party.
Workers allegedly distributed anti-Liberal material ahead of the election, including “Lucky Lobsters” cards — referencing former Liberal leader Matthew Guy’s controversial seafood dinner with alleged mafia boss Tony Madafferi.
Mr O’Brien said the investigation should form part of the IBAC probe into the branch-stacking corruption scandal.
“What does this government not understand? It is not their right to use taxpayers’ money to support the Labor Party, but they do it time and time again,” he said. “We’ve seen it with red shirts, we’ve seen it with the use of ministerial resources to facilitate branch stacking and now we see more taxpayer money being used to go and set up some migrant worker rights centre, which is really just a front for supporting the Labor Party.”
The Migrant Workers’ Centre was opened ahead of the 2018 state election by then multicultural affairs minister Robin Scott with a $2.3 million government grant.
“It is corruption to use taxpayer money through a front to force people to campaign for the re-election of the government. That’s exactly what this government has done,” Mr O’Brien said.
Premier Daniel Andrews said any group that received funding was required to prove it had expended any grant or funding appropriately.
Migrant Workers Centre director Matt Kunkel said Mr Huang was employed to advocate for improved industrial outcomes and workplace rights. “At no time has the centre campaigned for the Labor Party or distributed ALP material. The MWC does publicly campaign to improve the lives of migrant workers,” he said.
Mr Huang declined to comment.
MIGRANT CENTRE STAFF CAMPAIGNED FOR ALP
Staff at a taxpayer-funded centre for migrant workers were “ordered” to campaign to secure a Labor Party victory in the lead-up to the 2018 state election, it has been claimed.
As the branch-stacking rorts crisis deepened within the Victorian Labor Party, a whistleblower claimed staff of the Migrant Workers’ Centre, who were meant to be supporting exploited workers, were told to campaign against the Liberal Party.
According to the whistleblower, workers distributed anti-Libs material ahead of the election, including “Lucky Lobsters” cards — referencing former Liberal leader Matthew Guy’s controversial dinner with alleged mafia boss Tony Madafferi at bayside seafood restaurant The Lobster Cave.
Migrant Workers’ Centre director Matt Kunkel on Wednesday admitted employees campaigned on particular issues, but denied it was on behalf of the ALP. The whistleblower claimed the campaigning efforts extended to the 2019 federal election. The alleged scheme is reminiscent of Labor’s infamous “Red Shirts” rort that saw almost $388,000 in taxpayers’ money spent on part-paying electorate staff to campaign for the 2014 election.
Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass admonished Labor, which repaid the money, for wrongly using electoral officers to campaign.
Her report was released just months before the migrant centre employees were allegedly sent campaigning. The Herald Sun can also reveal about 5300 of Labor’s 16,000 Victorian memberships, including almost half in Mr Andrews’ own seat, were paid for in cash.
Labor is facing calls to stamp out untraceable cash payments common in branch-stacking operations.
On Wednesday, Premier Daniel Andrews said — after Victorian Labor members were stripped of any power in light of the sacking of Adem Somyurek and resignations of his Cabinet colleagues Marlene Kairouz and Robin Scott — that he was “not particularly fussed” whether the move was popular.
According to the whistleblower, staffers at the Migrant Workers’ Centre said they were asked to organise booth kits, doorknock to solicit petition signatures and distribute political pamphlets. Some of the campaign material was authorised by Victorian Trades Hall Council secretary Luke Hilakari, credited with playing a key role in helping Mr Andrews win the 2014 election.
The government has been forced to defend the work of Mr Hilakari’s brother Mat, a convener of Mr Andrews’ Socialist Left faction, amid suggestions he spent his days on party matters. He works for Mental Health Minister Martin Foley and as an adviser to federal MPs Julian Hill in Bruce and Peta Murphy in Dunkley. Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien said the claims represented further evidence that the government would “stop at nothing to ensure it tightens its control over Victorians”.
“The Andrews Labor government uses taxpayers’ money to target multicultural groups, the LGBTI community and others to carry out Labor’s dirty work,” Mr O’Brien said.
“The only way to clean up political corruption in Victoria is to clean out the Andrews Labor government at the next election.”
The Migrant Workers’ Centre was opened ahead of the 2018 state election by then multicultural affairs minister Robin Scott with a $2.3 million government grant. It advocates for the rights of migrant workers and international students at risk of being exploited.
“This new centre will better protect and support migrant workers and international students, who are more vulnerable to exploitation at work,” Mr Scott said at the time.
A government spokesperson said: “All government funding is administered appropriately.”
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