AustCham Shanghai Chairman, Peter Arkell raises the important question as to why thousands of Australians living abroad were ineligible to vote at the Australian federal election in September.

This recent Australian Federal election has given me cause for a personal beef. Many in the Australian community in China, and other international markets, are doing great service for our home country. The engagement of Australians in China’s business environment enables Australia to enjoy the benefits of this being our country’s number one trading partner. The contributions of all those Australians engaged in enterprises of all types add immeasurably to the success of the Australia-China trading and bilateral relationship.

So, why is it that Australians who are living abroad for an extended period of time are ineligible to vote in federal elections? I discovered this when I made enquiries about my enrolment prior to the last election. Because I had not been able to vote in the last State election, my name had been removed from the roll. I reapplied using the Australian Electoral Commission’s facility online, only to receive an email from my local electoral office to say that I am now ineligible because I have lived overseas for more than six years. I would not accept that ruling on face value, so I called my electoral office’s Returning Officer to see if there had been some mistake. Surely I was not being excluded from my right to vote just because I had been living abroad. But, while sympathetic, that is the cold reality.

How incredible, I thought. There are so many Australians in China who have spent a large slice of their life making a wonderful contribution to the bilateral relationship and this is how our country values that contribution. Moreover, it is the expertise, built up over years of residing in China that can provide our nation with the capability to prosper even more through this China relationship.

Perhaps in days long gone, when life abroad was more isolated from Australia, the logic was that people away for an extended period would have lost that connection with home. On that basis, the logic may have been that it might have been difficult to be well informed when making a voting choice. But that certainly is not the case now. The Australian business community in Shanghai and China generally, is remarkable for its collaboration with the broad market and with the Australian government agencies working here.

In my experience it is marked by a spirit of partnership with these government agencies. This cooperation feeds invaluable information back into the broad Australian dialogue on engagement with China. This is a dialogue that AustCham Shanghai is both encouraging of and proud of. Rarely does a month go by when the Chamber does not have a call from a senior government leader who is keen to hear impressions from those who are actively engaged in the China market. This is an important and valuable contribution that we can make to the understanding that Australia has of the realities of China, rather than the misinformation that is often presented as analysis of China from so-called experts resident in Australia.

For that reason, I found it so disappointing when I discovered that I am no longer eligible to vote in our national elections. And it made me wonder how many of our fellow Australians, many of whom have been here for a decade or much longer, making such a contribution to the amazing growth in Australia’s trade with China, and who are ineligible to vote. And beyond China, how many other expatriate Australians, living in other parts of the world, were also disenfranchised by this rule? We might have to take it up with our newly elected Prime Minister when he visits Shanghai.

In the meantime, business in AustCham Shanghai’s community continues to thrive. We will soon know what the business outlook is for the coming months, as we gather data in the AustCham/Austrade Business Perception Survey. All businesses here are encouraged to participate in the survey. Last year’s results were remarkable for the exceptionally bright outlook that Australian business expressed for their enterprises here. Be sure to respond when your are contacted for the Survey.

Congratulations to the winners of the Australia China Alumni Association Awards this year. We are very proud of all the alumni who achieve so much in this very competitive market and it is great to see these winners recognized. Finally, speaking of Awards, it will not be long before the AustCham Westpac Australia China Business Award nominations open. This year it is Shanghai’s turn to host the AustCham Westpac ACBA’s and you can be assured that they will be bigger and better than ever. Start thinking now about your nomination, we are looking forward to showcasing the best of Australian enterprise in China. ■

*Pictured: AustCham Shanghai Chairman, Peter Arkell with Queensland Premier Campbell Newman following an AustCham Shanghai Breakfast at which the Premier was a guest speaker.

For more information about AustCham Shanghai visit: www.austchamshanghai.com