Bill Shorten turns WeChat into electoral battleground in live chat

Bill Shorten turns WeChat into an electoral battleground in a live Q&A with Chinese Australians after the NSW election disaster.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten at a Chinese New Year celebration. Picture: Lawrence Pinder

Bill Shorten will today turn the Chinese social media app WeChat into an electoral battleground ahead of the federal poll, when he live chats with the Chinese Australian community in the wake of NSW Labor’s comprehensive defeat on Saturday.

After Labor saw a swing against the party in some seats with large Asian populations, Mr Shorten yesterday invited members of the community to join a newly established chat group to “discuss matters” in a live dialogue, to be held at 2.30pm AEDT today.

“He wishes to share Labor’s plan, which is also his vision to give everyone a fair go,” Mr Shorten’s official WeChat account posted in Mandarin, also encouraging people to post questions which Mr Shorten will answer during the live session.

The online catch-up with the Chinese community was announced after Labor leader Michael Daley’s comments on Asian immigration that rattled key ethnic constituencies ahead of the NSW poll. Labor frontbencher Chris Minns saw a four per cent swing against him in his seat of Kogarah and there are potential federal risks to the Labor in marginal federal seats, such as Reid and Banks.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Box Hill for Lunar New Year celebrations with Opposition leader Bill Shorten. Picture: Lawrence Pinder

Ahead of the live dialogue which is expected to be joined by up to 500 Chinese Australians, a WeChat user posted a question asking Mr Shorten to comment on Mr Daley’s comments about Asians taking jobs from young Australians and how the remarks will affect the state and federal Labor Party.

Another user has asked the Opposition Leader why his party lost the NSW election, wondering: “Is the federal election winnable?”

Others posted questions and propositions ranging from “Stop the One Nation”, “explain Labor’s refugee policy” and “how Scott Morrison disposed Malcolm Turnbull”, to the East Coast High Speed Rail plan, and Labor’s stance on a regional visa scheme.

Michael Daley.

Mr Shorten will be the second Labor politician to conduct a WeChat Live dialogue with Chinese Australians after Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen first used it to spruik Labor’s FutureAsia policy in 2017.

Both Mr Shorten and the Prime Minister have been using the popular social app to promote party policies and initiatives, share cultural festive greetings and address the community’s concerns, including a backlash over remarks made by Nationals Senator Barry O’Sullivan in February. Senator O’Sullivan was widely condemned, including by Beijing, for saying Australia should “start with the Chinaman” when addressing risks to agriculture and food safety.

Johnny Zhang, who lives in Wantirna South, Victoria, has been following Mr Shorten’s and the PM’s WeChat accounts and said it will be his first time to join a WeChat Live by an Australian politician.

“I believe it is a good way to engage the Chinese community in the federal election and give the community a say on issues that matter to us,” the 29-year-old Melbourne-based migration consultant told The Australian.