Climate 200 faces accusations of white privilege after rejecting former Tibetan refugee

Climate 200 is facing accusations of white privilege after the campaign funding group twice knocked back a Tibetan human rights advocate.

Tibetan human rights advocate Kyinzom Dhongdue was knocked back by Climate 200, which is supporting Allegra Spender and Monique Ryan. Picture: John Feder

Climate 200 is facing accusations of white privilege after the campaign funding group twice knocked back a Tibetan human rights advocate seeking support for the upcoming election.

Kyinzom Dhongdue, a refugee and former MP in the Dalai Lama’s Tibetan parliament-in-exile, is running on a platform ­advocating a hardline stance against Chinese interference and strong action on climate change in the Sydney seat of Bennelong.

Ms Dhongdue said she ­believed her repeated requests for endorsement were rejected in part because she did not fit the Climate 200 mould of a white, upper middle class candidate.

“If you look at Climate 200’s candidates they are a predominantly white, upper middle class cohort of candidates,” she said. “The knockback, it really exemplifies the lack of representation, which is primarily why I’m running, to promote representation and diversity.”

Liberal MP Dave Sharma, whose father is an Indian ­migrant, said he was not surprised Climate 200 turned down Ms Dhongdue. He believes the decision exposes the hypocrisy of a movement run by elites and bankrolled by millionaires.

“Climate 200 is the party of white privilege – just look at the candidates they are running, and their leader, Simon Holmes a Court – so the fact they turned down a candidate of diversity does not surprise me,” Mr ­Sharma said. “It also reveals the hypocrisy of a movement which claims to be ‘grassroots’. It is run by elites and for elites, with no ­interest in people who have done genuine community service.”

Mr Sharma is facing a challenge from independent Allegra Spender in the Sydney seat of Wentworth, which he holds on a margin of 1.3 per cent. He is the first MP of Indian-origin; Dave is short for his birth name Devanand, after popular Bollywood star Dev Anand.

Ms Spender comes from Liberal pedigree. She is the daughter of the late fashion designer Carla Zampatti and politician John Spender, who spent 10 years as the Liberal member for North Sydney. Sir Percy Spender, her grandfather, served as a cabinet minister under Robert Menzies and Arthur Fadden.

Allegra Spender. Picture: Renee Nowytarger

Monique Ryan.

Mr Holmes a Court, the Climate 200 founder, is the son of Australia’s first billionaire, Robert Holmes a Court. He is supporting more than a dozen candidates and hoping to raise a war chest of $20m.

While claiming not to be a formal political party, the group uses a centralised funding money and campaigns on similar policies, centred on climate and integrity.

Nearly all of its lower house candidates are women seeking to unseat Liberal men.

Monique Ryan is running against Josh Frydenberg in Kooyong; Zoe Daniel against Tim Wilson in Goldstein; Nicolette Boele against Paul Fletcher in Bradfield, Sophie Scamps against Jason Falinski in Mackellar; and Kylea Tink against Trent Zimmerman in North Sydney. Independents Zali Steggall, Andrew Wilkie and Rebekha Sharkie, from the Centre Alliance group formed by Nick Xenophon, are also receiving its support.

Ms Dhongdue said she was first knocked back by Climate 200 because she wanted to run for the Senate. However, Climate 200 is supporting David Pocock’s tilt to take Liberal Zed Selselja’s ACT Senate seat and the Tasmanian Senate campaign by Leanne Minshall of the Local Party.

Ms Dhongdue then decided to run as MP in Bennelong and ­approached Climate 200 again, but was told it was no longer supporting new candidates so close to the election. It has since confirmed another three candidates.

Ms Dhongdue has spent years in Canberra advocating for Tibet, and has built relationships across the political spectrum. When asked by The Weekend Australian, a number of politicians vouched for her character.

She is now running in Bennelong for the newly registered minor party Democratic ­Alliance. Headed by China critic Drew Pavlou, the Democratic ­Alliance’s other candidates include Hongkonger Max Mok and Uighur-Australian woman Intezar Elham.