WTF election special: Darcy dumped and message shortened, Marles ignored, council collusion

With the federal election run and won for another three years, this week’s WTF takes a look at some of the more colourful events we came across.

WTF

With the federal election run and won for another three years, this week’s WTF takes a look at some of the more colourful events we came across.

TRADIE. SOLDIER. DAD. DUMPED.

Signs promoting Liberal candidate for Corangamite Darcy Dunstan were strewn on the grass out the front of the Barwon Heads Bowls Club. Picture: Supplied.

Politics is a tough game.

One minute your signs are seemingly on every second property in the region, next minute they’re dumped on the grass waiting to be collected by council’s hard rubbish team.

A regular WTF spy snapped this picture on Monday morning of Darcy Dunstan’s deserted signs mere metres from where his election night event was held at Barwon Heads Bowls Club.

A hasty exit must have been made from an event that had all the atmosphere of a funeral given the signs appeared to be scattered in a way that suggested time was of the essence.

There were few people and no smiles at the Liberal election night event in Barwon Heads. Picture: Alan Barber.

Perhaps whoever was responsible could no longer bear the rolling updates that very early in the night made it clear that the Coalition was in for a drubbing.

But credit where it’s due, Dunstan was gracious in defeat and once all the early votes are counted, he will likely have achieved a small swing towards him.

A notable absentee from the Liberal event was Barwon Heads resident and Victorian senator Sarah Henderson, who opted instead to join Sky News’ election panel alongside Coalition colleague Barnaby Joyce.

“Once you’ve voted to get Australia back on track, tune in for the night’s best coverage,” she posted on social media.

SHORTENING THE MESSAGE

Darcy Dunstan’s face was everywhere during the campaign.

One voter identified a potential pitfall of Dunstan’s campaign, believing the length of his “Soldier. Tradie. Dad.” slogan was slightly too long, so they took it upon themself to abbreviate it.

One of his blue corflutes, located on the corner of Horseshoe Bend and South Beach roads, was amended to a “Drill. Shoot. Root.” message that certainly cut through, but which would have struggled to get the required authorisation from campaign headquarters.

HUMPHREY, SIT!

Richard Marles and Humphrey celebrate the election win. Picture: Phil Yeo.

Richard Marles might be one of the most powerful people in Australia, but that doesn’t mean everyone follows his orders.

That was certainly the case on Sunday when Marles brought his almost one-year-old Airedale terrier Humphrey to the Geelong waterfront for a chat and photo with the Addy.

Humphrey, one of three Airedales owned by Marles and wife, Rachel Schutze, was clearly keen to do his own thing, rather than take instructions.

“Humphrey, sit,” Marles said repeatedly as his four-legged friend tried to interact with the plethora of dogs that passed.

Several onlookers stopped to observe the scene, some pulling their phone out to capture the moment the country’s second most senior politician was led on a merry dance by his furry friend.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his deputy Richard Marles. Picture: NewsWire / Monique Harmer.

Later in the day, Marles, having made his way to Sydney, was again posing for the cameras with a dog, only this time it was Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s cavoodle Toto.

COST OF DEMOCRACY

Richard Marles at the Ryrie St pre-poll centre. Picture: Alison Wynd.

When one of our WTF scribes visited the Ryrie St pre-poll voting hub in Geelong’s CBD last week to exercise their democratic right, one policy dominated discussion.

Far from being an issue Canberra had control over, punters were furious they had to pay for parking while they ducked in to vote.

“They’re all in collusion,” one conspiracy theorist was overheard telling anyone who wanted to listen.

We surmise the said cynic was drawing a long bow of the Australian Electoral Commission choosing the location to boost City Hall’s coffers (to the tune of $3.60 an hour for each car).

Considering council’s debt is nearing $200m, our rudimentary maths show almost 56 million hours of parking would be needed to wipe the slate clean.

Originally published as WTF election special: Darcy dumped and message shortened, Marles ignored, council collusion