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Tony Burke is facing intense criticism for holding mass citizenship ceremonies in Labor strongholds on the eve of the election, raising concerns about voter manipulation and election integrity in Australia.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has come under fire for presiding over a pre-election rush of citizenship ceremonies, with critics accusing him of using the process to boost Labor’s electoral prospects in key Western Sydney seats.

Over three days, Mr Burke’s department will oversee mass citizenship ceremonies at Sydney Olympic Park, where as many as 6,000 new Australians will be sworn in — granting them the right to vote in electorates that could determine the outcome of the upcoming federal election.

By March 4, a total of 12,500 people are expected to receive citizenship in a series of 25 ceremonies.

According to The Daily Telegraph, which broke the story, “Multiple people familiar with citizenship ceremonies said it was unprecedented for the department to step in and hold industrial-scale citizenship ceremonies, and for the Minister personally involved.”

The ceremonies are usually organised by local councils, the outlet reported.

Tony Burke Accused of Stacking Marginal Seats

The unprecedented move has drawn criticism from local officials and opposition figures.

Fairfield Mayor Frank Carbone condemned the move, suggesting it was an attempt to manipulate voter numbers in marginal seats.

“You would have to assume that the only reason why they’re doing this is to do a photo op and to try and give people as many citizenships as possible, trying to influence their vote,” he said.

“Citizenship is about pledging allegiance to Australia and its people, not allegiance to a political party, or Minister, because they turn up a few weeks before an election, for a photo shoot.”

Liverpool Mayor Ned Mannoun echoed these concerns, noting that Mr Burke personally handed out certificates “one by one” at a recent ceremony and highlighting an unusual surge in approvals for specific electorates.

“They have gone and rushed through citizenship applications for 700 people in Liverpool,” Mr Mannoun explained. “Why have they approved 700 citizenship applications for the seat of Werriwa while people living all over Sydney are still waiting in line?”

“They are stacking marginal seats better than Woolworths stacks shelves.”

The Coalition has also weighed in, with Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Paterson accusing Mr Burke of using a “rushed and unorthodox process” for political gain.

“Tony Burke should be transparent about why, on the eve of an election and at his direction, the Home Affairs Department has taken over citizenship ceremonies from local councils in Western Sydney in a rushed and unorthodox process,” he told The Daily Telegraph.

“If this was just about conferring citizenship, why didn’t he do so last year?” he added.

“Why has Western Sydney been prioritised over other communities? The process of awarding citizenship should never be politicised for partisan advantage.”

Tony Burke Denies Political Motivation

Mr Burke has defended the citizenship blitz, insisting it is necessary to clear a queue of applicants.

Speaking to Sky News, he said, “I was meeting people who have been waiting for nine, ten, twelve months, longer than that over recent days, and I want them to stand up and make a pledge of commitment to Australia.”

He also blamed delays on local councils, claiming they had failed to hold enough ceremonies.

“I’m not fast-tracking it,” he told Sky News. “What we’ve had is a huge backlog of people who are entitled to have these citizenship ceremonies and different councils weren’t having enough ceremonies. I just say to the people who are complaining: have a bit of patriotism about this.”

The Home Affairs Minister likewise denied he was specifically targeting Labor strongholds in Sydney’s west and south-west.

“I don’t care what seat people are from. I don’t care which way people are going to vote. But I do care about people who want to make a pledge of commitment to Australia, who have the legal right to do so, getting that chance as soon as possible,” he claimed.

While Mr Burke maintains that the timing of the ceremonies is unrelated to the upcoming election, the unprecedented scale and targeted locations of the events have raised serious questions about the politicisation of the citizenship process.

The History of Voter Irregularities in Australia

Mr Burke’s citizenship blitz intensifies broader concerns about Australia’s electoral integrity.

Critics have argued that vulnerabilities in Australia’s voting system could allow fraud to sway elections, particularly in marginal seats like those in Western Sydney.

A 2015 University of Sydney study ranked Australia 34th out of 139 nations for election integrity, trailing behind nations like New Zealand and Canada.

Historical cases of voter fraud, such as 18,000 multiple votes in the 2013 and 2016 federal elections, and over a thousand missing ballots in the 2013 Western Australia Senate re-run, have only fuelled such suspicions.

Lex Stewart, former President of Vote Australia, has documented numerous other instances, including 200 missing ballots in John Howard’s 2007 loss, and discrepancies like 139,898 extra names on the NSW electoral roll in 2015.

Stewart warns of systemic flaws, including false enrolments and inadequate oversight by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC).

While official reviews have recommended solutions like stronger voter ID laws, a digital electoral roll, and a major cleanup of false enrolments — estimated at 200,000 — inaction persists at the AEC.

Whether the timing of Mr Burke’s citizenship push is purely administrative or politically calculated remains contested.

However, in an electoral system already burdened by concerns over false enrolments and multiple voting, the rapid addition of thousands of new voters in key battlegrounds is certain to intensify debate over the fairness and security of Australia’s democratic process.

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