A copy of Andrew Charlton’s 2023 book "Australia’s Pivot to India" has attracted fresh attention after appearing on a prominent shelf in a recent official photograph of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s office, as debates about migration and the political influence of Indian-Australian voters have intensified.
The book, written by the prime minister’s Cabinet secretary, argues that deepening ties between Australia and India is a "national imperative," highlighting the economic, cultural and political influence of a rapidly growing Indian diaspora in Australia. Charlton wrote that the Indian-Australian community now numbers more than one million — "nearly one in twenty-five Australians has Indian heritage" — and described the diaspora as "making an enormous contribution to Australia."
The appearance of the book has coincided with heightened public debate over migration policy after nationwide "March for Australia" rallies last weekend, which drew thousands of protesters in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart and regional centres. Organisers said the demonstrations targeted record migration levels; police and community leaders reported that the events in some locations were marred by the presence of extremist participants and by flyers and slogans that singled out Indian migrants.
Anne Aly, the federal minister for multicultural affairs, said she had spoken with members of the Indian-Australian community after the rallies, and quoted community members as saying they "did not feel safe and they did not feel secure." She told parliament, "I want to say to Indian Australians, this is our message: you do not have to justify your belonging in this country. We know you, we value you, we thank you for everything you have contributed to Australia."
The broader discussion has been fuelled by comments from Territory senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, who suggested publicly that the federal Labor party was favouring migrants from particular countries in order to secure votes. Price later issued a clarification saying Australia maintains a "longstanding and bipartisan non-discriminatory migration policy," but then reiterated aspects of her earlier remarks in subsequent interviews, saying she was pointing to perceived concerns about "Labor's mass migration agenda." The remarks prompted criticism that they had damaged the Coalition's relationship with sections of the Indian community.
Charlton, a former investment banker who sold an advisory firm to Accenture in 2020, endorsed his book at its launch and appeared alongside Albanese at the event. The book examines voting patterns among migrants and cites, among other research, a Carnegie Endowment survey finding that 43% of Indian-Australian respondents identified with Labor while 26% identified with the Coalition. Charlton wrote that modern Australia "provides more space for migrants to integrate without assimilation," and that more "authentic hyphenated identities" are emerging.
The Albanese government has taken a series of steps aimed at deepening ties with India, including a migration and mobility agreement intended to increase labour and student flows, moves to improve mutual recognition of qualifications and a recent announcement to raise next year’s intake of international students by 25,000. Indians are already the second-largest cohort of international students in Australia, a factor cited by migration agents and student groups as boosting demand.
Commentators and analysts disagree on the electoral implications of increased migration from India. RedBridge pollster Kos Samaras and some polling cited in media coverage have suggested strong support for Labor among Indian-Australian voters; one figure widely circulated in commentary said as much as 85% of the community voted Labor at the last federal election. Other analysts caution that migrant voting is not a monolith and that support can shift over generations. MacroBusiness chief economist Leith van Onselen and others have argued that Labor could benefit politically from higher migration, while those figures have also been used by critics to allege partisanship in migration policy.
Opposition leaders have sought to distance the wider party from Price’s remarks while maintaining criticism of government migration settings. Sussan Ley, the Coalition leader, has been attempting to present her party as an alternative for 'aspiring Australians' amid the debate.
Members of the Indian-Australian community responded with concern to the tone of some protest messaging. Divesh Sareen, an entrepreneur who has lived in Australia since 2008, told media outlets he was surprised and dismayed by the hostility he saw during the protests and that the events made him question whether he belonged.
Migration from India to Australia has increased for decades and accelerated well before the current government. Charlton noted in his book that the surge began in the 1990s and that the Indian-born population increased by 48% between 2016 and 2021, a period that included Coalition governments. There is no publicly available evidence that the Albanese government has deliberately used immigration policy to secure electoral support.
The spotlight on Charlton’s book reflects a broader debate about integration, voter behaviour and how migration policy intersects with domestic politics. The Daily Mail, which first reported the photograph, said it had contacted Charlton and Samaras for comment.
The photograph and the discussion around it come as Australia continues to navigate competing pressures: industry and higher education demand for skilled migrants and international students, political scrutiny of migration numbers, and concerns from migrant communities about safety and social cohesion. Policymakers, party leaders and community representatives have signalled ongoing engagement on those issues in the weeks ahead.