CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
A local swing-voter who loves Australia and doesn’t want a cent from the government has this week finally spoken up about the rare situation he finds himself in politically.
As a fiscally conservative small-business owner from a faith-based community who doesn’t really care much about any form of socially progressive policy, Ali Awan (54) cannot figure out why the Federal Opposition is so determined to sacrifice his vote to appeal to rednecks who were going to vote for them anyway.
“I am willing to look past the casual bigotry and constant attacks on my religion. I understand that a suburban multimillionaire from Queensland might have a rather narrow view of the world” says Ali.
“All I am asking is they stop blaming me for every single problem this country has. They were in power for ten years and I’ll admit that I voted for them twice. But don’t throw that back in my face by saying that me and people who look like me are to blame for a decade of political inaction”
Like many Subcontinental and East Asian migrants, Ali has never worked for anyone but himself. He’s also never once received any form of welfare. In theory, he is a ready-made Liberal member who respects traditional family values – and part of an increasingly large demographic of voters who will likely decide the next election.
But the party that is supposed to represent people like Ali are not making it very easy for him to give them his vote.
This comes after Peter Dutton once again descends into the low-effort politics of subtle xenophobia, using his response to the Federal Budget as an opportunity to stoke racial division – an old-fashioned brand of right-wing politics which will keep Labor in power by isolating the 30% of Australians who were born overseas, as well as the 75% of Australians who were born to someone from overseas.
“I am a small business owner. I’m not taking anyone’s jobs” says Ali.
“I live in a flat above my shop with my family. We are not contributing to this housing crisis in any way”
“My oldest son is a doctor in a public hospital and my daughter is a schoolteacher in the public system. We sent them to private schools. We aren’t wasting resources. We are the resources.”
When asked what the Liberals could do to win back his vote, Ali says it would help to stop accusing him of harbouring the same dangerous foreign ideologies his family fled from. But first and foremost, he wouldn’t mind being able to attend a local branch meeting without being stared at like he’s just walked out of a UFO.
“And maybe stop conflating my family with the Deliveroo cyclists on temporary student visas”
“Who are mostly French and English by the way”
