Guarding our democracy from being corrupted
We live in a society where correct behaviour should be bleedingly obvious, writes Mike Smithson, but the reality has a far darker side.
A dark cloud of dodginess should be sounding alarm bells after two recent and prominent elections in our fair city.
Chinese influence has been at the centre of both incidents and seems to be part of a murky pattern causing concern for law-abiding voters.
As InDaily reported, District Court Judge Michael Burnett ruled last week there had been “illegal practices” in the election result for a key Adelaide City Council ward.
It was brought on by the defeat of prominent political identity former Cr Alex Hyde, who was defeated by 24 votes by new councillor Jing Li – who, by the way, is not the Jing Lee formerly of the state Liberal Party.
The case has been dragged through the Court of Disputed Returns since the 2022 council election.
The judge may order a by-election as a result, but I certainly won’t presume his decision due next month.
The other smelly affair involves last year’s important University of Adelaide student union election, which was deemed rife with corrupt voting practices, so obviously out of order that they’d be a joke if it was a laughing matter.
As also reported by InDaily, the voting result for control of the union body, which has been controversially rebranded YouX, was later declared void by an expert investigation panel.
Both incidents appear to be brazen attempts by Chinese affiliated groups to influence fair and proper results.
There was little attempt to conceal a practice to get their candidates into positions of influence and power.
I’m sure it’s not the first time it’s happened, and equally certain it won’t be the last.
On both occasions the perpetrators appear to be either international Chinese students or those closely associated with a wider working group.
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Manipulating democracy
Let’s dive a little deeper into the mire to see if this is a way of life and whether people were manipulated for all the wrong reasons?
In the ACC result the court identified, that on the balance of probability, there were more than two dozen people whose ballot papers were not filled in by them.
Hyde, a former Deputy Lord Mayor and now State Director of the SA Liberal Party, smelt a rat immediately.
As I’ve often discovered, not much gets past him in a political race to the finish line.
In other words, he’s a clever tactician who doesn’t take defeat lightly.
“They’ve realised that I’m like a dog with a bone,” he told me this week.
“This whole thing is a web,” he explained.
The Electoral Commissioner dropped his bombshell soon after the 2022 election that he was investigating ballot papers being collected by individuals who were not authorised to handle them.
Hyde then petitioned the court seeking justice.
It’s been a long, involved and painstaking process which few people would have had the stamina to see out, but he did.
Two men of Chinese appearance were caught red-handed distributing ballot papers at a student apartment building and at a nearby restaurant in Morphett Street in the CBD in October 2022.
Wrong, wrong, wrong.
Against that backdrop, Cr Li was elected and has taken his privileged role, voting on important council matters with a cloud still hanging over the matter.
Three other councillors elected in Li’s Central Ward are not part of any wrongdoing.
But to me, even one proven dodgy vote, requires an invalid result, a by-election and hefty penalties handed out to those involved.
His Honour may think the same way, or just disqualify Li, or decide it’s cost prohibitive, or take some other course of action.
So, would Hyde even want his old councillor position back?
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“I struggle to see how I would have the time to stand again,” he explained.
Student politics
The situation at the university was even more brazen.
Last October, a tribunal overturned the results of the entire YouX board ballot.
Once again it had an unsavoury flavour.
It followed five separate allegations that the Progress faction, an international student ticket, had taken other students’ phones and lodged votes without the owners’ consent.
A Chinese Students’ Association event was at the centre of alleged standover tactics.
A games and feasting event was used by certain individuals to seize the phones of others who were attending the social outing and lodge votes for the student Progress group.
A similar practice, verified by other witnesses giving testimony, was used during separate workshop activities.
Progress faction members later denied using any coercion, which was promptly dismissed by investigators.
Can you see a pattern emerging here and does it come as a surprise?
The majority of Chinese students are decent people wanting freedom, a safe democratic life and a better education which South Australia generously offers them.
But for the others, don’t come and live here with the assumption that you can treat this country with contempt and act in a lawless fashion.
Another brewing issue may also be a sign of these times.
Glenunga International High School, which also has a large Chinese Australian cohort, has been the subject of an ongoing police investigation and increased security after threatening emails were sent to the principal.
Barriers have been placed around Glenunga International High School after email threats were received. Photo: Mike Smithson
The Police Commissioner has confirmed they’re of concern.
Rumours abound about the source of the emails and what sort of threats were made.
What we do know is that the prestigious school is currently ringed by protective barriers.
I’ve contacted the school but had no reply.
We live in a society where correct behaviour should be bleedingly obvious, but the reality has a far darker side.
Mike Smithson is weekend presenter and political analyst for 7NEWS.
