A councilor from regional Western Australia has been captured on Russian television congratulating Vladimir Putin on his election victory.
Adrian McRae, who was elected to Port Hedland Council in March, praised the Russians for their “transparency” in a video published by Channel One State News.
“May I please convey my sincere congratulations to Mr. Vladimir Putin,” he said.
“In my lifetime, the world has never seen such a transparent and comprehensive victory as what we have seen here over the past three days.”
It is understood Mr McRae flew to Moscow as part of an international delegation to observe the election of the President of the Russian Federation.
The councilor said he had been invited by Russia’s ambassador to Australia, Aleksey Pavlovsky, as an “independent international observer.”
Adrian McRae, who was elected to Western Australia’s Port Hedland Council in March, was captured congratulating Vladimir Putin on Russian state television
Mr McRae received a badge of honor from Russian opposition candidate Sergey Baburin this month while participating in an election observation program in Moscow
The Russian embassy told the newspaper ABC that Mr McRae, along with many other foreigners, had participated in the election observation programme.
Notorious pro-Putin activist Simeon Boikov, also known as the ‘Aussie Cossack’, shared photos of Mr McRae receiving a badge of honor from Russian opposition candidate Sergey Baburin on the encrypted messaging service Telegram.
“(It) was the highest award of the International Slavic Academy – the Badge of Honor – for my work in strengthening the friendships between the people of Russia and Australia,” Mr McRae later wrote of the award.
The councilor later told local newspaper North West Telegraph about the “most ridiculously exaggerated transparency” he witnessed in the Russian election.
‘Having stood for election to both the Australian federal and local government, and also volunteered as an auditor for national elections and referenda, I was truly shocked by Russian transparency… It leaves the Australian system in its wake, ‘ he said. the publication from Moscow.
However, not everyone agreed with Mr McRae that Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong branded the election result an “affront to democracy”.
“The Russian presidential election was not free, fair, inclusive or credible. The absence of real candidates and Putin’s silencing of opposition voices, including Alexei Navalny, denied Russians any real choice,” Ms Wong wrote on X.
“We condemn Russia’s sham elections in Ukrainian territories, which have no validity under international law. We support Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity, and all those who fight for democracy and human rights in Russia.”
Putin was re-elected for his fifth term as president of Russia after elections in March
Foreign Minister Penny Wong called the Russian elections an “affront to democracy.”
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said the election – which saw Putin re-elected for his fifth term – was “not a democracy”, especially after Moscow tried to silence “any opposition to its illegal war” with Ukraine.
Carl Askew, CEO of Port Hedland Council, told the North West Telegraph that McRae had traveled to Moscow in his personal capacity.
“The city does not comment on the personal activities of elected members,” he said. “All elected members are subject to the city’s code of conduct.”
Mr McRae was due to be sworn in to Port Hedland Council on March 11, following a landslide victory in a by-election on March 8.
“Although I am currently overseas between Russia and the Middle East, I look forward to returning home to Hedland later this month to serve all the residents of Port Hedland until the end of my term,” he wrote on March 9 on Facebook.
Mr McRae’s business trip to Moscow is against travel advice from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
“Do not travel to Russia due to the security situation and the consequences of the military conflict with Ukraine,” the advice states.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr McRae and Port Hedland Council.