Get Up lobby group members plan to campaign on Easter

It was a rule for all major parties on Easter Sunday — no campaigning. But voters should not be surprised if they receive “persuasive” phone calls from members of a certain left-wing lobby group.

• What could tax Labor in key SA marginals
• Time to get rid of election posters - Ellis & Pyne

Voters should not rule out receiving “persuasive” phone calls from members of left-wing lobby group GetUp on Easter Sunday.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition leader Bill Shorten have agreed to no political advertising on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

However, on GetUp’s website on Thursday night, “calling parties” were still scheduled across four states for the Sunday afternoon.

It comes after Australian Greens leader Richard Di Natale said he was “proud” to be campaigning against coal at a Stop Adani convoy on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he hoped that the agreement not to have campaign advertising on both public holidays would be respected “not just the major parties but the activist groups, or the unions and others”.

“I’d just ask — just respect the Easter long weekend,” Mr Morrison said.

“Give Australians the opportunity to just go and enjoy the weekend, this weekend together.”

A GetUp spokeswoman said the group “won’t be doing any campaigning on Good Friday and Easter Sunday”, and that five events across the country, brought to the group’s attention, were just “members chatting to one another”.

PODCAST: ELLIS AND PYNE: EPISODE 1

But The Advertiser can reveal some members still plan to make phone calls on Easter Sunday, some even considering doing it by themselves and not at an official event, in order to our the “hard-right” at the May 18 election.

Three of the “calling party” hosts spoken to by The Advertiser said the group had “suggested” they cancel their events, which were now no longer going ahead.

Labor, however, has failed to take a strong stance on the issue.

A Labor campaign spokeswoman said: “what lobby groups do is a matter for them”.

“We have already stated that we will not be campaigning on Good Friday and Easter Sunday,” she said.

But Coalition Campaign spokesman Simon Birmingham has called on Bill Shorten to pull GetUp into line.

“He should respectfully ask that they don’t hold this rally on Easter Sunday,” Mr Birmingham said.

“Until he does this, his commitment not to campaign on Sunday is utterly meaningless.”