As these Labor Party supporters on election night show, the ALP’s colour is red, not green. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
On the face of things, it would appear the Australian Labor Party believed it had to step in and fill the void being left by its barely recognised incumbent MP in Bean and try to do something to retain the seat.
On the face of it, it looks like the party resorted to dirty tactics, albeit legal ones.
That’s a shame when so much of the campaign in Bean was about integrity in government.
Bean remains too close to call, but a surge in votes for independent Jessie Price placed her a few hundred ahead of Labor’s David Smith on Tuesday night (6 May), following a day of highs and lows for both candidates as counting continued.
As reported, the Price team (and perhaps by now the Greens also) lodged an official complaint with the Australian Electoral Commission over an election day how-to-vote flyer that looks like it was from the Greens but appears to be authorised by the ALP.
It recommended to Green voters (on green paper) that they give Labor their second preference, whereas the actual Greens how-to-vote card had placed Labor at number three, behind Ms Price.
While the AEC has confirmed it is examining the issue, a spokesman said, in general terms, such tactics are not usually deemed to be against the Commonwealth Electoral Act.
“Political parties and candidates often have a specific colour as part of their established branding,” they said.
“However, on occasion, a political party or candidate may choose to use another colour – this could include a colour that resembles the branding of another party or candidate, the purple colour commonly associated with the AEC or something else.
“Such occurrences have led to enquiries and complaints in previous federal elections and referendums.
“Is it legal? Yes.
“While there are strong associations for certain political parties or candidates with particular colours, no one individual or entity can legally own a colour.”
Independent for Bean Jessie Price has lodged a complaint over this flyer, which appears to be from the Greens, but claims to be authorised by the ALP. Photo: Supplied.
The AEC goes on to explain that the onus is on voters to discern the intent of flyers they receive and to check authorisations.
The flyer in question clearly states in small writing at the bottom that it was authorised by P. Erickson of the Australian Labor Party, although this has not been confirmed.
Paul Erickson is the national secretary of the ALP and in that capacity was Labor’s national campaign director for the federal election.
Without wanting to pre-empt anything the AEC might have to say following its examination, it appears, again on face value, that nothing illegal likely occurred in the production and distribution of these flyers.
So all good then, right? Well, no, not really.
If Labor did produce this flyer, it is a taint on their convincing national victory and puts a dent in the Prime Minister’s talk of respect and dignity.
Labor didn’t need to resort to dirty tactics in Bean; it just needed a candidate who had worked the electorate and delivered for it over the past term.
MPs and candidates often hide behind the excuse of election tactics being the domain of campaign directors.
They plead ignorance, but they always – always – know what is being done in their electorate, in their name and on their behalf when an election comes around.
