Liberal senator sparks backlash among Chinese Australian voters over 'spies' claim

Chinese Australians have pushed back strongly against the Liberal Party during Saturday's federal election, after a video clip emerged of Liberal senator Jane Hume referring to alleged "Chinese spies" volunteering for Labor candidate Clare O'Neil.

The comment, aired on Channel 7's Sunrise program earlier this week, was widely shared on WeChat and RedNote, where Chinese voters responded with sarcasm and humour.

Several popular clips subtitled in simplified Chinese and seen by ABC's Chinese service circulated with captions like, "I wore my best spy outfit to vote," and "Mission complete: Chinese spy out to vote the Liberal Party out of parliament."

The backlash was especially evident in all electorates with large Chinese Australian communities — including Menzies, Bennelong, Reid and Chisholm — where voters swung significantly from the Liberal Party to Labor.

Earlier this week, Labor candidate for Hotham Clare O'Neil publicly denied any connection between her volunteers and the Chinese government.

The head of the Hubei Association of Victoria, Ji Jianmin, which reportedly provided 10 volunteers for Ms O'Neil's election day stall, also rejected the suggestion that the group was politically influenced by Beijing.

Former Liberal MP for Chisholm Gladys Liu told the ABC she felt "very disappointed" by Senator Hume's comment, and that she contacted Peter Dutton and the Coalition's campaign manager to request an apology to Chinese Australians.

"I was very upset with Jane's claim," Ms Liu said.

She added the remarks were unhelpful in winning back seats with large Chinese Australian populations, and may have contributed to the larger margins against the Liberals.

What Chinese Australians say about this election

Former Chinese diplomat Han Yang told the ABC that the viral "Chinese spies" video triggered large-scale resentment from the community.

"The Liberal Party's claim of 'Chinese spies' in the final week triggered discomfort and resentment among some Chinese voters," he said.

"Australia-China relations and unfair treatment of Chinese Australians are both key concerns for the community.

"The Coalition shouldn't follow Trump's hardline policies — they should aim to win more support from centrist voters."

Hao Luo, president of Reid Business Community, said: "We want to be treated as Australians."

"If politicians keep bringing up China as a scare tactic, it only makes us feel further away from the parties using those tactics."

In Melbourne's eastern suburbs, Chinese Australians voiced frustration at the suggestion that their loyalty to Australia should be questioned during election campaigns.

Ms Yang, a Menzies voter, told the ABC it was painful to see Chinese people becoming a target again.

"I found it a bit too much targeting Chinese Australians. There are over a million Chinese people in Australia," she said.

"If you only ask Chinese to show their loyalty, that's targeting."

Another 20-year-old Liberal voter in Menzies, who asked not to be named, said he "felt betrayed by the Liberal party".

"I showed up to vote and joked with my friend about whether I'd be called a spy just for being Chinese. That's how ridiculous it's gotten."

However, there are also voices supporting the Liberal Party, even though they disagreed with Senator Hume's comment.

Ms Xia, a voter living in Kooyong who only gave her first name, told the ABC that the community should "be proud of this country".

Though she wasn't sure about the spy allegation, she said her support for the Liberal Party was partly due to her unease with what she described as "overly uniform voices" in the media.

"If this country only has one voice, then it's not a democracy."

Labor senator Penny Wong also criticised Senator Hume and Mr Dutton, calling the "Chinese spies" allegation part of a recurring pattern in Liberal campaigns.

"A leopard cannot change his spots, after all," she said in Mandarin, referencing a well-known Chinese idiom.

"We have seen this before from the Liberal Party. Why does the Liberal Party continue to question the loyalty of Chinese Australians?" Senator Wong said.

"He doesn't care about the consequences for us, for our communities."

Why did this election stir such strong sentiment?

On Saturday night, Labor strengthened its position in all four key electorates with large Chinese Australian populations, while the number of MPs from Chinese backgrounds doubled to six.

In Menzies, a former Liberal stronghold, Labor's Gabriele Ng won the seat, ending the party's decades-long hold.

Chisholm, Bennelong and Reid were all retained by Labor with increased margins.

Dr Wilfred Wang, a media and communications expert from the University of Melbourne, said the result reflected growing disengagement from the Liberal Party among Chinese Australian voters.

He said the "spy" comment had a triggering effect on voters who remembered similar controversies from previous elections.

"People felt the Chinese community were singled out in every election and asked to pledge loyalty to Australia. That was never a request for another community," Dr Wang said.

He noted that Senator Hume co-authored the Liberal Party's 2022 election review, which recommended more engagement with Chinese communities.

"That's why I was shocked she was the person who said it," he said. 

"It's like the player puts the ball in his own goal at a critical time.

"I think it might be more of a strategy, otherwise it's a bit unreasonable."

Dr Wang said Chinese Australians were no longer satisfied with being passive participants in politics.

"They are watching closely and voting based on how they're spoken to and treated," he said.

"More representation means more accountability. Chinese Australians want to be part of the national conversation — not sidelined by suspicion."

The ABC has contacted the Liberal Party and Senator Jane Hume for comment.