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Dio Wang, the diplomatic senator left to clean up PUP's mess Dio Wang, the diplomatic senator left to clean up PUP's mess
(2 days later)
WA senator Dio Wang has been writing a lot of letters this week, answering the many Chinese community groups who were horrified at his leader Clive Palmer’s comments. Western Australia Senator Dio Wang has been writing a lot of letters, answering the many Chinese community groups who were horrified at his leader Clive Palmer’s comments.
When the Palmer United leader described Chinese “mongrels” who shoot their own people, all eyes turned to Wang, who stayed notably quiet. In a party known for bluster, Dio Wang is an exception. It is not his style to come out guns blazing.When the Palmer United leader described Chinese “mongrels” who shoot their own people, all eyes turned to Wang, who stayed notably quiet. In a party known for bluster, Dio Wang is an exception. It is not his style to come out guns blazing.
It was telling that Palmer flew to Perth to meet his Chinese-born senator as the storm unfolded. Palmer regretted the remark and Wang released a statement. It said Palmer had been provoked by persistent questioning from Q&A host Tony Jones over a personal legal matter and his remarks were taken out of context.It was telling that Palmer flew to Perth to meet his Chinese-born senator as the storm unfolded. Palmer regretted the remark and Wang released a statement. It said Palmer had been provoked by persistent questioning from Q&A host Tony Jones over a personal legal matter and his remarks were taken out of context.
As Wang sits down for his first wide-ranging interview four days after the comments, he says simply that it was not a “wise” comment. Unlike his leader, this senator is much more circumspect.As Wang sits down for his first wide-ranging interview four days after the comments, he says simply that it was not a “wise” comment. Unlike his leader, this senator is much more circumspect.
“I don’t think it was a wise comment, I knew where he was coming from but for the greater audience, they don’t understand what it really meant and they felt offended and rightly so,” said Wang.“I don’t think it was a wise comment, I knew where he was coming from but for the greater audience, they don’t understand what it really meant and they felt offended and rightly so,” said Wang.
“The mistake has been made and the damage has been done. I have received a lot of letters from the Chinese communities expressing their concern and anger and I feel for them and I have apologised to every single one of them.“The mistake has been made and the damage has been done. I have received a lot of letters from the Chinese communities expressing their concern and anger and I feel for them and I have apologised to every single one of them.
“But politics is for the long term, if you have have a long term view, short term difficulties are not so much of a problem.“But politics is for the long term, if you have have a long term view, short term difficulties are not so much of a problem.
“I just have to accept that on certain issues it is very hard for me to explain, especially given the legal reasons behind it.”“I just have to accept that on certain issues it is very hard for me to explain, especially given the legal reasons behind it.”
It is an explanation that will not satisfy many people but Wang says it is important for a diverse party such as PUP to keep talking both internally and with the Australian public.It is an explanation that will not satisfy many people but Wang says it is important for a diverse party such as PUP to keep talking both internally and with the Australian public.
“The party is very diverse internally and I think that is a good thing,” he said. “It encourages any debate any senator wants to do. I tell them what I think.”“The party is very diverse internally and I think that is a good thing,” he said. “It encourages any debate any senator wants to do. I tell them what I think.”
Certainly his experience is a world away from not only his party colleagues but the parliament generally. Wang grew up in Nanjing, the son of working class parents. His luck was being born in 1981, three years after Deng Xiaoping came to power and began to open up China’s closed economy.Certainly his experience is a world away from not only his party colleagues but the parliament generally. Wang grew up in Nanjing, the son of working class parents. His luck was being born in 1981, three years after Deng Xiaoping came to power and began to open up China’s closed economy.
His parents were forced to leave school to work in a factory, building forklifts. In typical understatement, he says there was a “social movement” that preferred students to work in factories.His parents were forced to leave school to work in a factory, building forklifts. In typical understatement, he says there was a “social movement” that preferred students to work in factories.
One of Wang’s first memories is the household shift when the factory started offering bonuses to increase productivity as a result of Deng’s reforms. It allowed his parents to bring home four to five times their salaries.One of Wang’s first memories is the household shift when the factory started offering bonuses to increase productivity as a result of Deng’s reforms. It allowed his parents to bring home four to five times their salaries.
“They started coming home from work bringing half a roast duck, some barbecue pork, getting decent meat on the table,” he said. “It hadn’t happened before so I have seen how important it is for people to be motivated.“They started coming home from work bringing half a roast duck, some barbecue pork, getting decent meat on the table,” he said. “It hadn’t happened before so I have seen how important it is for people to be motivated.
“I grew up in a good era of Chinese history. I have seen hundreds and millions of Chinese people lifted out of poverty, with rapid economic growth.”“I grew up in a good era of Chinese history. I have seen hundreds and millions of Chinese people lifted out of poverty, with rapid economic growth.”
While his parents were denied a tertiary education, Wang got into university in Nanjing and finished his engineering degree. When his parents’ factory employer closed, his father worked as a chef and his mother took a job at a supermarket, working her way up to become general manager. She then studied law but never practised. Wang said she instilled the importance of working his way up the ladder.While his parents were denied a tertiary education, Wang got into university in Nanjing and finished his engineering degree. When his parents’ factory employer closed, his father worked as a chef and his mother took a job at a supermarket, working her way up to become general manager. She then studied law but never practised. Wang said she instilled the importance of working his way up the ladder.
“In general, every Chinese knows education is the key to the future,” he said. “My parents often thought if they got an education early, they would have done better.”“In general, every Chinese knows education is the key to the future,” he said. “My parents often thought if they got an education early, they would have done better.”
But rather than get a job straight out of university, Wang decided to see the world and choose Australia because it was an “obvious choice” because of the country’s reputation in China as friendly and laid back.But rather than get a job straight out of university, Wang decided to see the world and choose Australia because it was an “obvious choice” because of the country’s reputation in China as friendly and laid back.
He studied a postgraduate qualification in urban planning at University of Melbourne, followed by a masters in engineering. He met his Beijing-born wife in those classes and they moved to Perth to take up the job at Australasian Resources. The company was soon after taken over by Palmer and Wang worked his way to become chief executive officer, taking a similar path up the ladder as it mother had.He studied a postgraduate qualification in urban planning at University of Melbourne, followed by a masters in engineering. He met his Beijing-born wife in those classes and they moved to Perth to take up the job at Australasian Resources. The company was soon after taken over by Palmer and Wang worked his way to become chief executive officer, taking a similar path up the ladder as it mother had.
When Australasian decided to expand into mining, Wang started researching politics in order to understand how policies were going to affect the business.When Australasian decided to expand into mining, Wang started researching politics in order to understand how policies were going to affect the business.
“I heard ‘no carbon tax under the government I lead’ and saw the mining tax and I was against those two taxes in principle because they hurt the mining industry,” he said.“I heard ‘no carbon tax under the government I lead’ and saw the mining tax and I was against those two taxes in principle because they hurt the mining industry,” he said.
State royalties is the way to distribute the wealth from Australian resources, according to Wang.State royalties is the way to distribute the wealth from Australian resources, according to Wang.
“We should be looking at how we facilitate wealth in that area instead of how we tax them.”“We should be looking at how we facilitate wealth in that area instead of how we tax them.”
Now that he has a Senate berth, Wang names mining and agriculture as key interests, including the mental health issues amongst two of his key constituent groups, the Indigenous community and Fly In Fly Out (Fifo) workers.Now that he has a Senate berth, Wang names mining and agriculture as key interests, including the mental health issues amongst two of his key constituent groups, the Indigenous community and Fly In Fly Out (Fifo) workers.
While opposition to a (fixed) carbon tax drove him into politics, he fully supports the recent Palmer policy incarnation of a zero-rated carbon emissions trading scheme. Like his leader, he says it is an economic policy, not a environmental policy.While opposition to a (fixed) carbon tax drove him into politics, he fully supports the recent Palmer policy incarnation of a zero-rated carbon emissions trading scheme. Like his leader, he says it is an economic policy, not a environmental policy.
He points to the ETS trials in China and admires the Chinese government’s capacity for longer term policy solutions.He points to the ETS trials in China and admires the Chinese government’s capacity for longer term policy solutions.
Judging by his interests, Wang is well aware of his role in Western Australia. But the reality for non-Anglo politicians is they also become unofficial representatives of their ethnic group. In Canberra after the second senators “school” for new representatives, Wang is meeting three Chinese representative groups, though he has yet to have any contact with the embassy. Particularly this week.Judging by his interests, Wang is well aware of his role in Western Australia. But the reality for non-Anglo politicians is they also become unofficial representatives of their ethnic group. In Canberra after the second senators “school” for new representatives, Wang is meeting three Chinese representative groups, though he has yet to have any contact with the embassy. Particularly this week.
“I think [what the Chinese community] expect of me is to do a fair job and not screw it up to give others in the Chinese community a chance at politics. It’s only fair that I try my best to represent them but in the end I am here to represent WA.”“I think [what the Chinese community] expect of me is to do a fair job and not screw it up to give others in the Chinese community a chance at politics. It’s only fair that I try my best to represent them but in the end I am here to represent WA.”