Torched, defaced, smeared: have Australia’s corflute wars gone too far?

More than 100 campaign posters for Wentworth MP Allegra Spender have been ripped from telegraph poles and were found on the side of the road in Sydney’s eastern suburbs on Tuesday morning, in what a spokesperson says is an “organised campaign to cut down our corflutes in the dead of night”.

It follows similar incidents involving posters belonging to Spender’s Liberal opponent in Wentworth, Ro Knox, whose campaign shared photographic evidence of corflutes which had been burned, defaced with antisemitic graffiti, and smeared with animal excrement – an example seen by this masthead.

Damaged corflutes which the Allegra Spender campaign says were removed.Credit: Sam Mooy

“We’ve seen a record number of Ro Knox’s posters vandalised, graffitied, set fire [to] or stolen – this is disappointing and unacceptable,” a spokesperson said. Spender’s campaign also shared a video showing campaign signs being removed or vandalised during daylight hours.

While unauthorised corflute displays and damage to signs are not new, the high volume of reports from candidates in marginal seats has prompted candidates to remind volunteers about the standard of conduct expected when they’re out on the hustings.

So where have incidents of corflute vandalism taken place? And what are the rules protecting election signage during the campaign?

First, the controversies

The Wentworth vandalism comes after an incident in the marginal east Melbourne seat of Kooyong. Teal MP Monique Ryan came under fire after her husband Peter Jordan was filmed removing a sign backing Liberal candidate Amelia Hamer. Jordan and Ryan have both apologised.

A spokesperson for Ryan’s campaign said more than 200 of the 2200 corflutes it had printed had been replaced after signs were torn down, stolen or damaged, with three incidents under criminal investigation. Hamer’s campaign shared images with this masthead of corflutes which had been graffitied or vandalised with violent and offensive language.

In another marginal seat held by a teal, footage emerged in March of three women defacing a corflute of Warringah MP Zali Steggall, writing the word “pig” in red lipstick on her sign. NSW Police issued a 76-year-old woman an official warning over the incident.

Among the other candidates that have encountered corflute vandalism is Greens MP Elizabeth Watson-Brown, who took the Brisbane seat of Ryan from Liberal hands in 2022. One incident saw the word “scum” spray-painted on her posters.

In Tony Burke’s western Sydney electorate of Watson, this masthead photographed corflutes which were defaced with a red liquid on Monday. The moment was just one in a spate of incidents in Watson, including an unauthorised flyer which accused him of being a “racist immigration minister”.

But wait, what are corflutes?

Political signs are common throughout the world, but they’re only known as corflutes in Australia, where corflute has been a registered trademark of Corex, a Melbourne-based plastics manufacturer, since 1970. Although other manufacturers’ signs are often called corflutes, the original corrugated plastic sheeting for the 600 millimetres x 900 millimetres boards used by many candidates is produced – and recycled – at Corex’s Dandenong factory.

Spender’s campaign said it spent $20,000 on corflutes – $10 each for 2000 signs – it had printed in Sydney (Ryan’s were printed in Melbourne). The major parties can buy and print their signs more cheaply in bulk.

What are the rules?

According to federal electoral laws, which are overseen by the Australian Electoral Commission, corflutes must contain an authorisation message, so voters understand who is responsible for the sign.

There are no specific restrictions preventing parties or candidates from using particular colours, including those of other parties, although electoral laws protect against the misleading of voters through political advertising and branding. Purple in particular is discouraged as it is deemed too similar to the AEC’s branding, and can be a criminal offence.

Former treasurer and Kooyong MP Josh Frydenberg’s corflutes are recycled by Corex after the 2022 federal election.Credit: Corex

The monitoring of where election signs are placed before election day isn’t covered by the AEC, instead falling to local councils.

Councils generally allow corflutes on private land, including homes and businesses, but often restrict the size and quantity of signs to preserve the amenity of an area.

Corflutes in public places, such as parks, telegraph poles and train stations, aren’t always allowed, though this depends on the instructions of the local council. For example, corflutes can only be placed on private premises in Ku-ring-gai, Willoughby, Hunters Hill and Lane Cove councils in Sydney, and in Boroondara, Darebin and Mornington councils, among others in greater Melbourne.

Signs can be displayed in the lead-up to an election, and those who erect the signs are asked to remove them within one week after the poll takes place. Restrictions also apply for the use of vehicles, including trailers and bikes, to display corflutes.

Who can remove corflutes?

Councils are authorised to remove signs that don’t comply with the rules or present a safety risk, while police and electoral officials can also remove illegal signs.

The City of Boroondara, in the electorate of Kooyong, has received 100 complaints about corflute placements. In Sydney, the City of Ryde in the electorate of Bennelong, has received 41 complaints about corflute placements, compared to just three in the City of Sydney.

What will happen on election day?

Election signage will face greater scrutiny on polling day, when the placement of advertising outside polling stations is monitored by the AEC. For example, electoral laws ban the placement of election signs within six metres of polling entrances.

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