There’s an easy test to determine whether a local candidate is in fact a GetUp candidate: is GetUp engaged in actively working against the candidate’s Coalition opponent?
GetUp are issuing detailed how-to-vote cards against the Coalition. They have already released HTVs in 18 seats they are targeting. According to their website, GetUp will hand out 800,000 HTVs in 29 electorates at 335 booths on polling day.
Those 29 electorates include: Dawson, Dickson, Moncrieff, Menzies, Flinders, Fremantle, Kooyong, Corio, Cook, Hughes, Robertson, Warringah, Cowper, Hume, Wentworth, Cunningham, Macquarie, Newcastle, Page, Canning, Pearce, Canberra, Bean, Fenner, Boothby, Grey, Mayo, Clark and Franklin.
Far from being local campaigns, GetUp are deploying their 70-strong paid workforce into these seats to run and orchestrate negative campaigns.
What’s more, GetUp are actually planning to bus in people on election day who don’t live in these electorates to tell locals how they should vote. So much for a grassroots movement!
(Source: GetUp website: “Live a long way from the action? In some areas, we have buses providing transport to target electorates.” )
Here’s a quick run down on just 10 of the candidates that GetUp are helping – their absolute “Dream Team” candidates.
Warringah
Zali Steggall
- Tony Abbott is GetUp’s public enemy no.1 – they spent $1.1 million in personal attack ads against the then opposition Leader in 2010, and have had a Warringah Action Group mobilised for over a year.
- Zali is their anointed successor. Her Campaign manager Louise Hislop was among 52 members of GetUp’s official “Warringah Action Group” list, which shares information via an encrypted messenger app.
- Recent reports suggest GetUp has about 600 workers in Warringah – many of them paid staff, all of them focused on getting Zali Steggall elected.
Wentworth
Kerryn Phelps
- At the by-election last year, GetUp has organised an army of phone banking volunteers to call more than 85,000 of Wentworth’s 103,000 registered voters in support of Kerryn Phelps.
- GetUp has an operational Wentworth Action group making more calls and taking on-the-ground action in Wentworth during this campaign
Dickson
Ali France
- Ms France is the leading contender against Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton. GetUp targeted Mr Dutton in the 2016 election and admit they have over a quarter of a million dollars they are using against him this time.
- The campaign against Mr Dutton has been extremely personal and has included death threats – with his family forced to live under 24 hour police guard.
Flinders
Julia Banks
- Former Liberal Julia Banks is GetUp’s star choice against Health Minister Greg Hunt, despite abandoning her seat of Chisolm to stand in the electorate she doesn’t live in. She features first on GetUp’s how-to-vote, and she’s exchanging preferences with Labor and the Greens.
- GetUp are reportedly “pouring resources” into Bank’s campaign.
Kooyong
Oliver Yates & Julian Burnside
- Either candidate will do in Kooyong where the campaign against Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has turned particularly nasty.
- In addition to anti-Semitic vandalism of Frydenberg’s signs, it’s been revealed that GetUp were telling lies in their campaign calls against him.
- Former GetUp media director Adrian Dodd is advising co-called “Independent” Oliver Yates
- Greens candidate Julian Burnside has been a prominent supporter of GetUp and has promoted their campaigns online
Indi
Helen Haines
- Indi was the seat that started it all for GetUp, as far as direct targeting of Coalition MPs goes. GetUp was instrumental in ousting Sophie Mirabella from the seat and getting so-called Independent Cathy McGowan elected in 2013.
- Voices for Indi were schooled by GetUp and will be heavily backed again as Cathy’s anointed successor stands.
Boothby
Nadia Clancy
- GetUp are targeting first-term member for Boothby Nicole Flint simply because her views don’t align with theirs. With no false independent in the making, Labor’s Nadia Clancy is the beneficiary of GetUp support.
- Once again, there’s an Action Group with calling parties, and GetUp and the Unions have orchestrated protests and rallies outside Ms Flint’s office.
Pearce
Kim Travers
- GetUp’s first foray in the West is to organise against Attorney-General Christian Porter, with their HTVs favouring Labor and the Greens.
- Once again, there’s a Pearce Action Group, although the lack of action on the ground suggests that GetUp will mainly be pouring financial resources into unseating Porter and backing the Unions who will target Pearce because it’s a marginal seat.
Canning
Mellisa Teede
- Liberal MP Andrew Hastie has long been a figure of hate and ridicule for the left. His polite advocacy in favour of traditional marriage drew the ire of GetUp and many of their allies. It’s little wonder then that GetUp is actively working to unseat the popular local MP.
- Labor’s candidate is set to benefit from GetUp campaigning, with their HTV favouring Labor and the Greens
GetUp claim they aren’t supporting any candidates at this election. That’s just not true.