Oh boy, George

What an extraordinary claim by George Christensen, who posted this on X:

@NationFirstAust
23 May
They didn’t win your heart. They imported new voters. Albanese flooded Australia with over a million migrants—then rushed thousands into citizenship just in time to enrol them. This wasn’t policy. It was a rigged election in slow motion. 1/12

The post claims that the Albanese government manipulated the 2025 Australian election by increasing immigration and fast-tracking citizenship for thousands of migrants to secure votes. However, there’s no evidence from credible sources that thousands of migrants were “rushed” into citizenship specifically to vote in the 2025 election.

Australian citizenship requires at least four years of residency, including one year as a permanent resident, and the process is rigorous, involving background checks and a citizenship test.

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) strictly enforces voter eligibility, requiring Australian citizenship and enrollment, with non-citizens barred from voting. The AEC’s manual vote counting and mandatory secondary counts further minimise fraud.

Christensen’s claim echoes sentiments from economist Leith van Onselen, who suggested that high immigration, particularly from India, bolstered Labor’s support, as some migrant communities celebrated Labor’s victory, perceiving the party as softer on immigration. However, van Onselen’s comments don’t substantiate a coordinated effort to rig the election through citizenship grants.

A similar claim appeared in a February 2025 Facebook post by Pauline Hanson, alleging Labor rushed 12,500 citizenships in Western Sydney to sway key seats, but no evidence confirms this scale or intent.

Christensen’s post lacks evidence for a “rigged election” and oversimplifies voter dynamics, ignoring broader electoral factors. It’s worth noting that such claims often fuel anti-immigration sentiment, as seen in critiques of Dutton’s campaign tactics.

George has history when it comes to conspiracy theories. Too many people will believe him.

 

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