The AEC Is Investigating A Bunch Of Unauthorised Posters About Independent Candidates

The Australian Electoral Commission is investigating after a number of “teal” independents were targeted with doctored posters that branded them with the Greens logo.

Independents Zali Steggall, Sophie Scamps, Georgia Steele, and Penny Ackery have all been targeted by the fake posters in their electorate over the weekend. However, it’s unclear who designed and authorised the signs as none of them displays the mandatory authorisation statement required on any political advertisement.

Stegall took to Twitter to condemn the attack, asserting that it “was an organised & expensive tactic across many electorates”.

‼️SPOT THE DIFFERENCE‼️ Misleading & unauthorised posters put up around Warringah. This was an organised & expensive tactic across many electorates. I’m committed to cleaning up political advertising & will re-introduce my “Stop the Lies” Bill to the next Parliament.#auspol pic.twitter.com/iI8axibJZY

— ? Zali Steggall MP (@zalisteggall) May 6, 2022

“So the dirty tricks begin! With just two weeks to go until polling day, my opponents are going low – very low – with fake posters appearing around Warringah suggesting I am somehow both an Independent and a member of the Greens. If the matter weren’t so serious it would be a joke,” Steggall told Junkee in a statement.

“I have sought and received confirmation from the Greens that they had no involvement in the posters. We understand that this is a coordinated attack campaign targeting Independents, with almost identical corflutes appearing in other electorates overnight in Hughes targeting Georgia Steele, and in Mackellar targeting Dr Sophie Scamps.

“Dr Monique Ryan in Kooyong has been targeted by a similar misinformation campaign overnight, but with a suggestion she is aligned with the ALP rather than The Greens.

“We are awaiting confirmation as to whether other Independents have been targeted.”

Steggall noted that the attacks have strengthened her desire to reform political advertising laws in Australia.

“All of this strengthens my resolve to prohibit misleading or deceptive political advertising, as I attempted to do in my ‘Stop the Lies’ Bill, released last year,” said Steggall. “The Special Minister of State, the Hon. Ben Morton MP has written to me arguing that “it would not be appropriate for the Electoral Act to seek to define truth in electoral advertising”, showing the Morrison Govt is again at odds with community expectations and standards, with more than 87% of my constituents agreeing that truth in political advertising laws should be passed.”

AEC Wants More Information

The AEC has called for more information regarding the signs, noting that they are in breach of electoral laws.

“These signs are in breach of commonwealth electoral laws as they do not contain an authorisation statement, a requirement of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 to ensure voters know who is communicating with them,” the AEC said in a statement.

“The signs depict a range of election candidates in a style that would suggest they have been produced by the candidates depicted. They also feature names and/or logos of political parties that have not formally endorsed the candidates in question – party names that will not feature next to those particular candidates names on ballot papers.”

The leader of the Greens, Adam Bandt, also condemned the attack on independents in a statement provided to Junkee, noting that it is also an attack on the Greens.

“We’re extremely concerned about these doctored corflutes that seem to have no other purpose other than to mislead voters. We have referred this matter to the AEC, but there’s a good chance that whoever is behind this has also committed a criminal act. If it’s confirmed that this was done by someone on the conservative side of politics, it speaks volumes about how desperate they’re getting – that their only hope for winning seats is to mislead people about who they’re voting for,” Bandt told Junkee.

“This requires a full investigation by the AEC, and the AFP to determine whether a crime has been committed under s 329(1) of the Electoral Act. This also highlights the black hole in our nations’ electoral law – that we still have no legal duty ensuring truth in political advertising. If you lie when selling a car, you face the consequences. If you lie when promoting a political candidate, you can escape punishment. Voters need to be able to make informed judgments, and it’s vital that Australia pass truth in political advertising laws to ensure this can’t happen again.

“Between this attack on the Greens independence, and the destruction of some of David Shoebridge’s campaign materials by people dressed in Liberal campaign gear, it’s clear that elements of the conservative campaign are getting desperate and resorting to dodgy, likely illegal, Trump-like tactics.”

This isn’t the first time Steggall has been targeted, with Advance Australia previously releasing billboards condemning her support for trans women in sport. However, the aforementioned billboards were correctly authorised and Advance Australia has denied being responsible for the unauthorised attack.

“All material produced by Advance is clearly authorised and strictly complies with AEC rules,” a spokesperson told the ABC.

There is no suggestion that any of the independents targeted by these attacks are affiliated with the Greens, or any other political party in any way. Anyone with information regarding the posters — which appear to have been professionally printed — is urged to contact the AEC or the police.