The Human Rights Commission (HRC) is investigating a complaint by a high-profile Chinese-Australian, who claims the New South Wales Liberal Party rejected his nomination to run in Saturday's state election on racial grounds.
In the complaint, five respondents are listed, including Premier Dominic Perrottet, and the issue has become a hot topic in the Chinese community, which may direct votes away from the Liberals in protest.
On October 23 last year, Andy Yin, 26, nominated to be the Liberal candidate for the Sydney seat of Strathfield, which has a Chinese population four times the state average.
Mr Yin — who was born and raised in Sydney's inner-west — has a long history of supporting the party and has interviewed former prime minister Tony Abbott and several New South Wales Liberal MPs, such as Anthony Roberts, Damien Tudehope and Geoff Lee for his social media talk show.
He's also donated tens of thousands of dollars to the Liberal Party over the past decade.
Mr Yin was interviewed in February 2023 by the party's nomination review committee, which vets potential candidates to assess whether they are of good character.
It is standard for the committee to check the applicant's prior business dealings, any criminal history, any bankruptcies or whether they have made any controversial public comments.
The committee later followed up with a series of written questions about Mr Yin's extensive business history, including his many shareholdings and directorships.
He was asked how he obtained funds to purchase a property at the age of 19 and if he could provide bank records of money transferred to him by his family between 2014 and 2017.
The committee also queried his involvement with the Australian Chinese Political Forum, the Greater Sydney Chinese Business Forum and the Australian International Investment Trade and Culture Association.
On March 2, Mr Yin was advised that his nomination had been rejected, with no reason provided.
Mr Yin is adamant the decision is related to his Chinese background.
"I was told by many persons close to the respondents that my candidature was rejected because I have been accused, variously, of being a 'Chinese spy' and/or a candidate of Chinese heritage was not to the benefit of the party in Strathfield," Mr Yin alleges in his complaint to the HRC.
He believes his vetting interview was "harsh" and the panel had a pre-determined idea of who he was.
"I could feel they were trying to match me with what they thought," he told the ABC.
"I believe they may have thought donations I made to the party were from the Chinese Communist Party and I was the middleman."
Yesterday, the Human Rights Commission notified Mr Yin that it has accepted his complaint, which means an initial assessment has taken place and there is sufficient reason to investigate.
Mr Yin has served his complaint to five respondents involved in his vetting interview — Mr Perrottet, minister for multiculturalism Mark Coure (who represented the premier), the state director of the Liberals Christopher Stone, party affairs manager Wilson Chessell and party president Maria Kovacic.
However, a party spokesperson said they had "not been informed of any complaints by the Australian Human Rights Commission".
"The Liberal Party stands by its rigorous and fair processes," they said.
The party has endorsed several candidates with diverse backgrounds for this state election, including Mohit Kumar in Riverstone, Gypshouna Paudel in Campbelltown and Samantha Talakola for Londonderry.
Following a recent interview that Mr Yin gave to local Chinese media, his knockback by the Liberals has become a hot topic in the community.
Greater Sydney Chinese Business Forum president Daniel Lin told the ABC Mr Yin's treatment by the Liberal Party would have "strong repercussions in the Chinese community and business circles".
"Especially at the moment, when the state election is approaching, the concerns caused by this incident will affect the final voting decisions of Chinese and other ethnic minority voters," he said.
"Everyone is eager to learn the full truth of the incident, and worried that, as a minority, they will suffer similar unfair treatment and discrimination in work and life."
Just days after Mr Yin's nomination was rejected, the Liberal Party endorsed John-Paul Baladi as the candidate for Strathfield.
Mr Baladi is of Sudanese descent and grew up in Strathfield. He most recently worked as a director for the Country Liberal Party in the Northern Territory.
Mr Baladi grew up in the area and most recently worked as a director for the Country Liberal Party in the Northern Territory.
Strathfield is a marginal Labor seat, held by Chinese-Australian Jason Yat-Sen Li, who is hoping to keep his hold over the area after Saturday.
During campaigning for last year's by-election, Mr Li called out racism allegedly directed towards him and his volunteers from political opponents, including comments that suggested he was a Chinese Communist Party sympathiser.
Last year former Young Liberal president Noel McCoy was excluded from running for preselection in the seat of Castle Hill by the party's nomination review committee.
Author Gail Morgan was also vetoed by the committee to run for the seat of Kiama.
