Churches, schools, film festivals: The millions in election dollars promised to Sydney communities

Labor is promising nearly $85 million in election sweeteners to various ethnic communities in Sydney, opening a potentially pivotal battleground with the Coalition, which has made $64 million in similar pledges.

The announcements come as Labor seeks to consolidate gains from the last election and reinforce its grip on seats with large migrant populations, and as the party faces threats from the Coalition and independents.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton in the electorate of Fowler for the Assyrian New Year celebrations at Fairfield Showgrounds.Credit: James Brickwood

And with the campaigns reaching their conclusions on Saturday, both major parties have pledged funding in the hopes of luring voters from a wide variety of religious and ethnic backgrounds.

The announcements also show the seats parties are prioritising, with groups in Werriwa and Parramatta seeing matching promises of $8.5 million to build the country’s first Hindu school and $2 million towards Our Lady of Lebanon Church.

Labor went a step further in both seats, promising $7 million to the Sydney Murugan Temple and $2 million to the Jain community in Parramatta, as well as $5 million each to Assyrian and Maronite churches in Werriwa. Both seats are marginally held by Labor.

The Coalition has meanwhile promised $50,000 to the Macedonian Church and $225,000 to the Sabian Mandaean Church in Werriwa. It has also pledged $500,000 for an Afghan women’s hub in Chifley and $250,000 towards the building of a multicultural hub in Greenway.

Labor has also promised funds in Reid and Bennelong, two seats won off the Coalition in 2022, and both with more than 60 per cent of residents with both parents born overseas, compared to the statewide average of 39.4 per cent.

The largest single funding announcement was $10 million promised by Labor to United Muslims of Australia (UMA), to build a “community centre precinct” that “integrates sports, education and social services all into one”.

That promise comes amid challenges to Labor’s grip on south-western Sydney seats, Watson and Blaxland, from independent candidates backed by grassroots Muslim political organisations like The Muslim Vote.

The Labor cabinet ministers who represent both seats, Tony Burke and Jason Clare respectively, have made a string of similar promises to other communities.

Labor’s Andrew Charlton announces a $7 million commitment to the Murugan Temple.Credit: @drandrewcharlton

Clare promised $3.5 million to the St Elias Melkite Parish in Guildford as well as a $3.35 million funding boost to Gallipoli Home Aged Care in Auburn.

In addition to his promises to the UMA, Burke made a $4.5 million commitment to the Greek Orthodox community and an $8 million commitment to the Lebanese Maronite Order for upgrades to Saint Charbel’s Monastery and Parish in Punchbowl, which the Coalition is matching.

A spokesperson for the Coalition said it was “proud to support Australia’s migrant communities”, and that the $64 million it had pledged went towards “festivals, community hubs, and upgrades to churches, parishes, mosques and other projects”.

A Labor spokesperson said the investments were to provide “culturally safe and appropriate spaces” to “enhance community connectivity and belonging”.

“These investments reflect Labor’s commitment to supporting communities across Australia in a range of ways.”

Dr Sukhmani Khorana, an expert on migrant and refugee communities from UNSW, said the investment pledges were part of a broader plan aimed at shoring up Labor support in communities it could once rely on.

“These are attempts to get these communities’ attention, but I am not sure how effective this is as a strategy. The idea that communities would change their votes based on funding for a faith-based centre is questionable.”

“And since Labor lost to an independent in Fowler, and with the emergence of Muslim independents, there is a growing perception in different migrant communities that their votes have been taken for granted.”

Khorana said she was surprised by the sheer number and scale of promises, adding that they seem “panicked”.

“Labor clearly needs all the votes it can get, but there is a good section of these communities that will eye these announcements with scepticism.”

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