By GREG ROBERTS
Sydney Morning Herald, 14th October 1999
Taiwanese Australians are behind an ALP-style ethnic branch stacking push in the Liberal Party, which threatens the political future of the Minister for Defence, Mr Moore.
They are using his performance on East Timor to argue that he be dumped as the MP for the Brisbane seat of Ryan in favour of a Chinese Australian solicitor, Mr Michael Johnson.
In the past eight months, about 600 Chinese Australians have signed up as party members in Ryan and another Federal Brisbane seat, Moreton, held by a Liberal, Mr Gary Hardgrave. Mr Johnson angered some party powerbrokers by holding a function last month to launch his preselection bid. He is understood to have the votes of a third of Ryan's Liberal members and continues to recruit.
Mr Moore is known to be concerned. "He is aware of a surge in party membership that is focused in areas of the Ryan electorate," his spokesman said. "It is a free and open party. If anyone else should want to have a go, then may the best man win." A key figure in the push is Professor C.L. Chiou, of the University of Queensland's Government Department.
A Taiwanese Australian, he said the Liberals were targeted rather than Labor because it was easier for Chinese Australians without longstanding party loyalties to be preselected.
"There is also concern in the Taiwanese community about support in the Labor Party for communist China," he said.
A Taiwanese Australian restaurateur and solicitor, Mr David Lin, has signed up many of the new Liberals in Moreton.
"We have to create our own opportunities, and in politics we are so weak," he said. "It is time for more Chinese to stand up."
The Liberals' Queensland president, Mr Con Galtos, said: "Everything has been done strictly in accordance with the constitution. How could that be branch stacking?"
And Mr Hardgrave said Chinese Australians joining in Moreton were doing so in support of his stand against One Nation.