It's like campaigning in a Vietnamese town

WALKING through the centre of Cabramatta in Sydney's southwest, you could think you were in a small Vietnamese town.

WALKING through the civic centre of Cabramatta in Sydney's southwestern suburbs, you could be forgiven for thinking you were in a small Vietnamese town.

The streets are lined with Vietnamese bakeries, tailors, restaurants and cheap electronic stores, and Asian schoolkids, mothers and business owners dominate the ethnic mix.

The seat of Cabramatta contains the largest number of people born overseas living in any NSW electorate, with 32 per cent of residents made up of Southeast Asian immigrants and their Australian-born children.

This is why it could be seen as a wise move for the NSW Liberals to put forward Vietnamese-born Dai Le as its candidate. The 41-year-old moved to Australia with her mother and two sisters when she was 11, after three years in a Philippine refugee camp.

In a 2008 by-election, Ms Le won a 21.8 per cent swing in the traditional Labor seat. With pre-polling under way, she is confident she has nabbed some Labor voters from sitting MP Nick Lalich.

"Anglo-Celtic voters are coming in and voting for me, they're traditional Labor voters," she said.

But the Coalition's vote-snatching plan may not work out, as some Asian residents are hesitant to back the newcomer.

Shirtmaker and Vietnamese refugee Thi Duong has lived in the area for more than 20 years. "I'm voting for Nick Lalich," she said. "I know Dai Le is Vietnamese, but she's only new to the area."

Mr Lalich has been handing out pamphlets featuring pictures of Pauline Hanson, Ms Le and Chris Spence, a former One Nation member who is the Liberal candidate for The Entrance.

Liberal leader Barry O'Farrell yesterday condemned the move as designed to smear Ms Le.

But the Labor MP said he would not be withdrawing his campaign leaflets as they were factual.

Ms Le would not totally distance herself from the former One Nation leader. "I take my hat off to her for entering politics -- as a woman it can be hard," she said.