Conservative activist group Advance campaigns in Dunkley by-election

The brains behind the successful No campaign in the Voice referendum are turning their fire on Anthony Albanese by urging voters in next month’s by-election to put Labor last.

The brains behind the successful No campaign in the Voice referendum are turning their fire on Anthony Albanese by urging voters in next month’s by-election in Victoria to put Labor last.

Conservative activist group Advance, whose staff powered the Australians for Unity campaign that defeated the push for the Voice last October, have begun blitzing the outer-suburban Melbourne seat of Dunkley ahead of the March poll caused by the death of Labor MP Peta Murphy.

The group, formerly Advance Australia, was founded in 2018 with the intention of being a conservative version of the left-wing advocacy group GetUp!

According to information released by the AEC last week, it raised $5.1m in donations last year and plans to spend $200,000 in the by-election.

Just as GetUp! does not directly advocate a vote for Labor but instead works against the Liberals, Advance will not spruik for the Liberal candidate Nathan Conroy. It will instead urge voters to put the Labor candidate Jodie Belyea last.

One of the campaign ads from conservative advocacy group Advance for the upcoming Dunkley by-election. Picture: Supplied

Voters will be targeted with material saying “its time to send Albo” a message about cost-of-living pain.

Advance also will target voters with messages blaming Labor for releasing foreign-born criminals in the wake of the High Court decision banning their indefinite detention.

Former MP for Dunkley Peta Murphy died in December following a lengthy battle with cancer. Picture: Gary Ramage

Dunkley in Melbourne’s southeast, which includes the well-to-do area Mount Eliza as well as mortgage-stressed suburbs of Carrum Downs, Langwarrin and Frankston, is held by Labor on a margin 6.3 per cent.

Advance will target voters using digital ads, letterbox drops, mobile billboards on ad trucks and live calls to voters.

The group has flagged it will have a large presence at polling booths on election day.

A source in the organisation said Advance’s campaign message had not been informed by Liberal Party polling, but by information it had gleaned from its own research.

Advance director Matthew Sheahan said it planned to have a big impact in Dunkley.

“Advance will absolutely be getting involved in the Dunkley by election,” he said.

“Australians have had enough – they have been smashed by Labor and the cost-of-living crisis.

“The by-election won’t change the government but it can send a message and we will be encouraging all voters to send the PM and a Labor a message by putting Labor last.”

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