Jittery Gladys Liu imposes no-go on gifts

Chisholm MP Gladys Liu is so worried about being seen as an agent of influence that she’s refusing gifts. Picture: Gary Ramage

Don’t mention the C word! China, obviously.

After news the Communist Party planned to plant a spy deep within the cold Canberra bubble, it’s no surprise that Gladys Liu, Australia’s first elected Chinese-born MP, is jumping at shadows. And possibly Chinese whispers.

One Coalition MP joked that if the government really wanted to get to the bottom of all this China business — which Labor MP Joel Fitzgibbon hopes “is not just coming from someone who has watched too many spy movies” — it should send in Alexander “007” Downer. Anyone know a quiet gin bar in Beijing?

But back to Liu. The Liberal member for Chisholm — coincidentally (or is it?) the seat targeted by the Red Flag Republic — is so worried about being seen as an agent of influence that she’s refusing gifts.

Anson Hong, chairman of the Australian National Liaison Council of Chinese Australians, was part of a delegation that travelled to Canberra to meet Liu in the lead-up to her first speech in July. The group was treated to a tipple in the government partyroom and mingled with fellow Victorian Liberals Alan Tudge, Michael Sukkar, Tony Smith, Rowan Ramsey and Katie Allen.

Hong brought with him a present for Scott Morrison — a “unique” framed artwork of two dragons given to him by a Vietnamese friend that he said “symbolise the chosen ones in Chinese traditional culture” and “also represents that PM Morrison can be like the dragons to advance Australia and build a stronger Australia … This is also what we, as all Chinese Australians, deeply hope for.”

The framed artwork of two dragons that ‘symbolise the chosen ones in Chinese traditional culture’ was meant for the Prime Minister but was rejected by Liberal staffers.

But Hong — an ethnic Chinese refugee who migrated from Vietnam in the late 1980s — wasn’t allowed to hand it over, after intervention from Liberal staffers. “Initially, we just thought it was worth celebrating for the PM to win the election,” he informed us via WeChat. “But then we … (were) told by staff that it is not convenient … for politicians to accept gifts as people might misunderstand.”

Hong was disappointed his “meaningful” painting was rejected. “We only want to give a gift to express our congratulations and respect (on behalf of the Chinese community), nothing else.”

Liu’s new spinner wouldn’t answer our curious questions, adding only that “no gift was received” and therefore nothing had to be declared.

This isn’t comrade Liu’s first tango with transparency. She raised eyebrows during pollie school when repeatedly asking how to declare an object she had been given but was unable to articulate what it was. Eventually it was listed as an “ornament of unknown price from a fengshui master” and remains the only gift she has claimed.

Liu also asked former top spy Duncan Lewis whether ASIO could run background checks on anyone requesting face-to-face meetings with her. He said no. Instead, he advised all new MPs they would receive a tap on the shoulder after­wards if they met anyone deemed a security risk.

Don’t worry, this story has a happy ending. Hong has re-gifted the painting to someone else — outside politics — who we hope was more gracious.