‘Don’t assume’: Albo given election warning

The Muslim community leader behind a political advocacy group gearing up to be a disrupting force in the next federal election has given a warning to the Labor: “You’ve always assumed our community will vote Labor, and we will show this election that that will change”. 

Ahead of the national campaign launch of Muslim Votes Matter (MVM) on Sunday in Melbourne’s northern suburb of Broadmeadow, it’s national representative Ghaith Krayem said communities were feeling “disillusioned”, and “disenfranchised” with the major parties over its handling of the conflict in Gaza.

“The message is the same to both sides. You need to stop assuming that the community will vote one particular way,” he said.

“That’s why the coalition doesn’t engage with our community because it feels after we will always vote Labor, and Labor has taken us for granted because it’s assumed we always vote Labor.”

He said he believed that “was going to change” in the yet-to-announced election.

Sunday’s event will share leanings from the UK election in July where five independent pro-Palestine candidates won seats held by UK Labour Party members, and a segment on the potential of a hung parliament.

While Mr Krayem stresses MVM is not running candidates but a body for political advocacy and education, he expects the group could mobilise up to 3000 volunteers to campaign and man polling booths on election day.

Currently that tally has nearly reached 1000, with interest increasing exponentially after every community event. 

“We believe that this is the best time for us to increase the political mobilisation of our community,” said Mr Krayem.

“There is a lot of feelings of disenfranchisement and disillusionment with all sides of politics, and we wouldn’t exist as a movement if that feeling wasn’t there.”

While the exact seats where MVM believe it could flip the incumbent are being kept top secret until Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calls the election, calculations are being done in the background. 

“As we get closer to the election, we will focus our campaigning to a much more targeted set of seats where we believe the number of Muslims, plus the candidate mix and the issues will give us the best opportunity to impact change come election day,” said Mr Krayem.

MVM have already identified 32 seats with high populations of Muslim-identifying voters.

They include electorates help by high-profile ministers like Education Minister Jason Clare’s southwestern Sydney seat of Blaxland and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke’s neighbouring seat of Watson.

Mr Bourke’s seat is already facing a challenge by local doctor Ziad Basyouny, who is running on a platform championing his high-migrant community, and greater Palestinian recognition.

He has not been endorsed by MVM, who say they will assess his credentials alongside other candidates once nominations close.

Until the election is called, MVM’s two priorities are awareness and education, and addressing voter apathy in the community. 

“We know that there is a significant portion of our community that doesn’t vote, and the second issue is informal votes,” he said.

“(We want our community) to understand the importance of their participation, so they’re ready for when the election is called, to make sure that they do participate and that their vote counts.”