Labor heavyweight Tony Burke has brushed off accusations he was campaigning at Sydney Airport to welcome newly arrived Palestinian families, insisting his presence was a pure coincidence.
Burke, whose electorate of Watson is already stacked with what locals politely call “community engagement through vote buying,” was reportedly spotted at the arrivals gate with a tray of fresh baklava and a handful of “How To Vote Labor” cards tucked under his arm.
The Immigration Department confirmed Burke had attended multiple recent citizenship ceremonies, often failing to alert other political parties — a move described by one Liberal staffer as “like hosting a wedding but forgetting to tell the groom.”
When pressed, Burke said he “had no idea” the arrivals were even happening. “I was simply leaving an Eyes Wide Shut–style gathering at the Qantas Chairman’s Lounge and happened to have some spare baklava on me. As one does,” Burke explained.
Burke maintains he was merely offering a “warm welcome in the spirit of multiculturalism,” denying suggestions the pastries were part of a subtle Labor membership drive. “If people want to interpret filo pastry as political persuasion, that’s on them, not me,” he added.
Opposition MPs are now demanding an inquiry into whether the baklava contained Labor Party membership forms, or worse — Albanese’s handwritten recipe for hummus.