Osmond Chiu is a research fellow at Per Capita,a progressive think tank.
I spoke to the committee about the underrepresentation of multicultural communities in Australian politics. Australia’s Parliament is significantly less representative of cultural diversity than Canada,the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
Instead of being asked about complex issues facing multicultural communities or how Australia could benefit from a more diverse Parliament,I was asked by Senator Eric Abetz to"unequivocally condemn"the Chinese Communist Party. Presumably,the association trying to be made was that,by virtue of my ethnicity,there was some likelihood of divided allegiances.
It felt like a gotcha loyalty test,an attempt to goad me,reducing me to a foreigner who needed to show which side I was on.
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I may have Chinese heritage but I’m Australian. I was born here and my family has been here for half a century. This is my home,the only home I have ever known.
I refused to answer that question,refusing to participate in a political game.
My refusal set off what could be best described as a tirade. I have appeared before Senate committees before but never have I experienced such behaviour from any senator from any party.