‘I’ve had better days’: Michael Daley reeling in Asian immigration fallout

The NSW Opposition leader’s admission comes as the fallout over his Asian immigration comments dominates the election campaign.

NSW Opposition Leader Michael Daley. Picture: AAP

NSW Opposition leader Michael Daley has conceded to experiencing “better days” as lingering fallout over comments he made about Asian immigration dominates the final stretch of the state election campaign.

“I’ve had better days and I take responsibility,” Mr Daley said today.

Asked if he was worried about the impact on Saturday’s election of his reported comments about Asians “taking the jobs” of young Australians, Mr Daley said polls showing the Labor and the Coalition were neck and neck made him worried about all seats.

“All I can do is be genuine … and that’s what I’m doing,” he said.

The NSW Labor leader said he had apologised without qualification for his comments, which were recorded on video last September and aired on YouTube this week.

“I’ve apologised,” he said. “I’m hoping that people will see that my comments were not intended to come out the way they did.

“I misspoke, I could have chosen my words more carefully and I’ve issued an unqualified apology.”

Mr Daley said he was “not involved” with a decision by the NSW ALP to run front page advertisements in Chinese newspapers published in Australia.

The ads show Mr Daley photographed with his family and read: “Michael Daley and Labor. Put education and health before stadium revamp. Put people first”.

Mr Daley speaks to the media during an event with Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore and President of LGNSW Linda Scott. Picture: AAP

The Australian reported earlier today it was understood the Liberal Party had planned for two months to drop damaging video of Mr Daley in the last week of the election campaign in which he suggested during a Blue Mountains politics in the pub event last September that young Australians were “fleeing” Sydney and being replaced “by young people typically from Asia with PhDs”.

While admitting his words were poorly chosen, Mr Daley says he was attempting to canvas housing affordability problems in Sydney.

A joint media conference Mr Daley held with Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore today to announce a NSW government partnership with local councils if Labor is elected was overshadowed by the Asian immigration issue.

Mr Daley said he had not spoken to Asian community leaders since his reported comments because none had asked to speak to him.

Nor had he spoken to the Chinese consulate in Sydney, given the importance of trade relations links between NSW and Beijing.

But Mr Daley said he would speak to Chinese community leaders as one of his first acts as premier if Labor was elected. He would also speak to the Chinese consul general in Sydney.

Mr Daley confirmed he had spoken overnight to NSW Labor frontbencher Chris Minns, who has especially close relations with Sydney’s Chinese community and many Chinese-born voters in his seat in the city’s south west.

Mr Minns, who ran against Mr Daley for the leadership in November when Luke Foley stepped down, said on WeChat in English and Mandarin that Mr Daley had said he had “made a mistake” in talking about Asian immigration as he did, and had apologised.

He also took the opportunity to express his “love” for his local community “because of its wonderful Chinese character and heritage, not despite it”.

Mr Daley said his conversation with Mr Minns was “amicable”. He confirmed he had spoken to several other Labor MPs about the issue, but refused to name them.

Premier ‘personally offended’

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has escalated her response to Michael Daley’s comments on Asian immigration, telling reporters she was “personally offended” by the remarks and thought the community deserved an apology.

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian visits Bankstown Central mall. Picture: Dylan Robinson

Campaigning in the Labor stronghold of Bankstown this morning, Ms Berejiklian took another hit at Mr Daley’s “white flight” gaffe, which was captured on video last year and became public on Monday. She told reporters the premier-hopeful still had a lot of apologising to do.

“First and foremost I feel, how can I put this, empathetic to anyone who is hurt by those comments,” Ms Berejiklian said. “They were offensive and what this shows is how two-faced the leader of the opposition is”.

“He says one thing to one group, another thing to another group but when you single-out one section of the community you offend all of us.

“I think the community deserves to hear an honest apology from him but he also needs to apologise for being dishonest.”

The premier — who is of Armenian descent — said Mr Daley had “crossed the line” with his comments.