Victorian Premier Ben Carroll has been criticised by everyday Aussies for pandering to Indian immigrants ahead of next month’s state election.
Mr Carroll painted a red dot on his forehead and donned a Hindu Council of Australia-branded scarf at the Premier’s Diwali State Reception in Melbourne on Monday night, with Labor trailing the Coalition in the polls and just two points ahead of One Nation.
During the event he made a speech in which he said Indians should not feel like “outsiders” in Australia, and told SBS Hindi he wanted all Indian students to know they were welcome in Victoria.
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In the speech he referenced a letter of protest written by Indians in 1901 to Australia’s first prime minister, Edmund Barton, objecting to the White Australia Policy and asking “who has the right to call the Indian people outsiders?”
“I can answer that question. No one has the right to call you outsiders. Not then, not now, not ever, you have every right to belong, and as Premier it is my job to help you and your families succeed,” Mr Carroll told the audience.
“We want Indian students to come here, and my message to all international students in India, is ‘come to Melbourne, Victoria’, and to their parents ‘we will treat them as if they’re our own children, they will always be welcome in Victoria’,” he told the multicultural broadcaster.
But the speech and the SBS interview sparked anger on social media, with many accusing Mr Carroll of shamelessly trying to win over Indian voters, 85% of whom voted for Labor at the last federal election.
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“Collecting votes,” read one popular comment.
“In 1914 seventeen men in my family signed up and went to war. Seven died for Australia. That blood sacrifice gives me the right to call outsiders, outsiders,” another Aussie wrote.
“Why is the Australian Labor Party so besotted with India, and Indian migration. I don’t get it,” asked another.
Many others objected to the Premier’s statements, and said he did not speak for them.
“When he says ‘we’ he’s not talking about us is he? Because none of us want them here,” one said.
“Hey Ben, You don’t speak for us all, enough is enough,” said another.
Liberal leader Jess Wilson also spoke at the event while wearing a Hindu scarf.
According to a Roy Morgan poll published last month, 43% of Indian immigrant voters support Labor, 33% support the Coalition, 9% back the Greens, 8% intend to vote for One Nation, and another 7% support independents or other minor parties.
Header image: Left, right, Ben Carroll at the event (SBS Hindi).
