Independent candidate 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 Australian Electoral Commission is investigating claims that Labor distributed misleading how-to-vote flyers on election day at some booths in the seat of Bean.
The count in Bean remains too close to call, although independent Jessie Price is closing in on Labor’s David Smith.
The ALP is a few hundred ballots ahead, but Ms Price’s vote remains too close for comfort for the incumbent MP.
As counting resumed on Tuesday, the Price team lodged a complaint with the AEC over a flyer it says Labor distributed on polling day (3 May) that was disguised to look like a Greens’ recommendation.
The flyer (pictured above) states that it is authorised by P. Erickson, Australian Labor Party in the ACT.
It is green and recommends Greens voters put Labor number two on their ballot paper, even though the Greens’ actual how-to-vote card placed Labor at the number three spot.
The independent candidate has called foul play over the flyer.
“Members of the public have brought to the attention of my campaign team that the Labor Party distributed a potentially misleading how-to-vote card in the seat of Bean on election day,” Ms Price said in a statement.
“The Labor Party used a green coloured flyer, instead of the party’s official red, urging Greens voters to give their second preference to the ALP.
“This is contrary to the official Greens Party how-to-vote guide, which recommended voters place the ALP third.
“We have received reports that this how-to-vote card was distributed at several booths across Bean.
“During months of listening to the community, the residents of Bean told me that integrity in government is important to them, and it is important to me. I might not win this seat, but it doesn’t matter. This is about integrity and ensuring voters are accurately informed.
“After such a positive campaign, it is really disappointing to discover this type of behaviour occurred.
“It is this type of behaviour that turns people away from the major parties.
“My campaign team has formally reported this to the Australian Electoral Commission as a potential breach of the Commonwealth Electoral Act.”
Ms Price is referring to Section 329 of the Act, regarding misleading or deceptive publications.
That section says: A person shall not, during the relevant period in relation to an election under this Act, print, publish or distribute, or cause, permit or authorise to be printed, published or distributed, any matter or thing that is likely to mislead or deceive an elector in relation to the casting of a vote.
“We are concerned, as are members of the public, that this green coloured and targeted how-to-vote card may well have misled or deceived voters, and we look forward to the AEC’s ruling,” Ms Price said
The AEC has confirmed to Region that it is examining the issue.
The Greens are also outraged by the flyer and are understood to be considering their own complaint to the AEC.
Some Greens volunteers on booths in Bean are reporting that some voters told them they had already been given a Greens’ how-to-vote card when in fact it was not the Greens’ card these voters had received.
Greens candidate for the seat of Bean, Sam Carter, *did not respond to Region’s request for comment.
Neither did Mr Smith nor anyone from Canberra Labor’s media team.
It remains only an allegation, but at this stage it cannot be confirmed who might have been distributing the flyers on election day.
The AEC will report its findings once its investigation is complete.
Region was the first and only media outlet to call Bean ahead of the election as a tight contest to watch.
* The Greens’ Sam Carter has subsequently responded to Region with this reply: “The Greens advice to our supporters as to how they should number their preferences was very clear.
“For Labor to misrepresent this by distributing contrary advice, under the guise of it being direct correspondence from the Greens, is disingenuous and extremely disappointing.
“The Greens try to do politics differently, and spreading misinformation on behalf of other parties is the exact behaviour that voters don’t want to see.
“We do intend to make a complaint to the AEC.”
