The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) is investigating after almost 50,000 illegal pamphlets targeting independent MP Allegra Spender were sent out ahead of next week’s federal election.
The AEC said more than 47,000 leaflets opposing the Wentworth MP were distributed, even though they didn’t contain any authorisation disclosing who created them.
“The Australian Electoral Commission has received complaints regarding the distribution of an unauthorised pamphlet opposing the member for Wentworth,” it said in a statement.
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“The AEC has determined that over 47,000 pamphlets have been distributed in the Wentworth area.
“These pamphlets lack any form of authorisation, meaning that voters have no way of identifying the source of the communication.
“The AEC takes these matters very seriously and has worked quickly to identify and make contact (with) the entity responsible for these pamphlets.”
The AEC said those behind the pamphlets could face court action and civil penalties.
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Spender said she was pleased the matter is being investigated, labelling the pamphlets a “negative and unlawful smear campaign”.
“This pamphlet spreads false, misleading and offensive claims about me and does so anonymously,” she said.
“This anonymous and misleading campaign is designed to undermine me and to benefit my political opponents… I (call on) all my political opponents to condemn this sort of behaviour.”
In a statement, Spender also claimed that “these campaigns are clearly designed to ensure a Liberal MP is elected in Wentworth”, although stopped short of blaming Liberal candidate Ro Knox or her party for the pamphlets. 9news.com.au does not suggest Knox or the Liberal Party has any involvement in the pamphlets.
9news.com.au has contacted Knox’s office and the Liberal Party for comment.
Spender was one of several teal independents to win traditionally Liberal-held seats at the last election, defeating Dave Sharma to claim the eastern Sydney electorate that was once held by former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.
The Liberals are seeking to win back the seat this election, but while Wentworth is officially listed as an ultra-marginal seat with just a 0.58 per cent margin, most election analysts have Spender’s actual buffer at a far safer 6-9 per cent.
Dozens of the MP’s corflutes were cut down overnight late last week, while some of the posters for her Liberal opponent Knox, have been vandalised.
Early voting in the federal election begins tomorrow.
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