Frydenberg, Liu concede wrong translations on Chinese-language signs

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and backbencher Gladys Liu have conceded that controversial Chinese-language signs they put up at voting booths on the day of the federal election had the wrong translations.

In filings made in the Federal Court on Wednesday, Mr Frydenberg and Ms Liu said that the signs “intended the following translation: to make your vote count, put a one next to the Liberal Party candidate”. But the signs, which were in Australian Electoral Commission colours, told voters that "the correct voting method" was to put a one next to the Liberal candidate.

The signs outside a polling booth in the seat of Chisholm.Credit: Luke Hilakari

Mr Frydenberg's election is being challenged by Oliver Yates, who ran against him in the seat of Kooyong. Mr Frydenberg won the seat easily, winning 11,289 more votes than his nearest competitor.

Ms Liu’s tight election win is being challenged by a voter in the seat of Chisholm, Vanessa Garbett, who has previously been involved in the union movement.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Gladys Liu and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg in Parliament last month.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Had 546 voters cast their ballot for Labor instead of Ms Liu she would not have won the seat, AEC results show.

About 20 per cent of the people living in the electorate where the Chinese-language signs appeared spoke either Mandarin or Cantonese at home, according to the 2016 Census.

The signs appeared in front of at least 29 booths on polling day in Chisholm. At some booths, the Liberal Party signs appeared next to official AEC signs.

The AEC is part of the Federal Court case but has previously ruled out taking action against either politician because the signs were authorised and there were no rules regarding the use of colours in campaign signs.

Oliver Yates, who ran against Josh Frydenberg in Kooyong, is challenging the use of Chinese-language signs at polling booths in the electorate.Credit: Eddie Jim

Both Mr Frydenberg and Ms Liu said the signs were unlikely to have misled electors and noted that the acting Victorian state director of the Liberal Party at the time, Simon Frost, had “not set out to mislead any voter”.

“Rather, Mr Frost sought to explain to voters who could read Chinese and who were considering voting for the Liberal party how to do so in a valid way, and also to encourage voters who had not yet made up their mind to vote for the Liberal party,” the court filings said.

Ms Garbett accused Ms Liu of having told journalists on election day that they were “good signs” and that they had “been approved and authorised by the state director of the Liberal Party”.

Ms Liu said she did not admit saying this to a journalist but conceded she did not take any action to remove the signs after receiving complaints about them.

Ms Liu last month faced separate allegations she had close connections to a Chinese Communist Party linked organisation. She has also faced close scrutiny of her political fundraising activities, which have raised more than $1 million for the Liberals.

She was forced to cancel an $80-a-head fundraiser last month, which had promoted former Victorian premier Ted Baillieu as a special guest, with party sources saying "the optics were just wrong".

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has stridently defended the Victorian MP and hit out at Labor for the "grubby overtones" behind the attacks.

The trial over the results in the seats continues in the Federal Court next week.

CLARIFICATION: An earlier version said Ms Liu and Mr Frydenberg blamed Liberal director Simon Frost for the translation. This was not the case.