Last-ditch pitch: LNP, Labor blow up Brisbane resident phones in final bid for votes

Residents across Brisbane are being bombarded with cold calls and text messages urging them to vote for LNP and Labor candidates ahead of tomorrow’s council elections.

Brisbane residents are being bombarded with cold calls and text messages urging them to vote for LNP and Labor candidates at tomorrow's local council elections.

Political parties this week entered the final stretch of a long two-month campaign and are driving their final message home to voters through text messages and calls, some as late as 9pm.

LNP drop calls, a strategy where a caller cancels a call and leaves a voicemail with an automated campaign message, have ramped up, with Labor also blasting electors with text messages telling them to vote for mayoral candidate Tracey Price.

The campaign strategy is not new, but has been increasingly noticed by voters over the past week as political parties scramble for attention ahead of election day on March 16.

The LNP have been calling electors and quickly hanging up to leave an automated voicemail asking them to vote for Adrian Schrinner and LNP ward councillors.

Calls made to voters by the LNP first address them by name, before playing an automated message saying:

“Hi [name] Adrian Schrinner here. This election will be close and your vote matters. I’m asking for your support to back Adam Allan is your local councillor. He’s part of my team to keep Brisbane moving. The alternative is a Green Labor coalition with radical activist Jonathan Sri (Sriranganathan) calling the shots in city hall. They’ll cut road funding and stop a Northside tunnel, leaving you stuck in traffic for longer. We can’t afford for Brisbane to stall or go backwards. To keep Brisbane moving, I need your support. I’m Adrian Schrinner. Thank you. Authorise B Riley 281 Sandgate Rd, Albion, 4010.”

Similarly, text messages sent by the Labor Party to voters state:

“Brisbane City Council election tomorrow. Send LNP Council a message. Vote 1 Tracey Price and Labor a positive plan for Brisbane and stop Schrinner’s cuts.”

An example of text message campaigning by the Labor Party, urging Brisbane residents to vote for Tracey Price.

LNP campaign spokeswoman for Adrian Schrinner, Fiona Cunningham said Team Schrinner were asking residents to vote for him at “every opportunity”.

“This election is a race between our team and two opponents who are working together after doing a dodgy preferencing deal,” she said.

“To keep Brisbane moving, we need every vote we can, which is why we are asking people to just vote 1 for Team Schrinner at every opportunity we can.”

Labor said their main strategy for connecting with voters was door knocking and phone calling.

“Tracey Price and all our Labor candidates have been knocking on doors and making phone calls for months,” a Labor spokeswoman said.

“Our campaign has been very much about a grassroots effort from our candidates and volunteers.

“We have sent one text message to some voters we had mobile numbers for from Tracey today to share more on Tracey’s policies and as a reminder to vote.

“Our campaign has been based on a positive message of change, not lies and misleading advertising by the LNP which has been disappointing to see.”