ALP call police and accuse Greens of dirty tricks after Northcote candidate’s signs defaced

POLICE have been called to investigate the defacing of political campaign material in Northcote, almost two months before the state election.

POLICE have been called to investigate the defacing of political campaign material in Northcote, almost two months before the state election.
Labor candidate Kat Theophanous has accused the Greens of dirty tricks, after her corflutes promoting the Andrews Government’s Treaty process with Aboriginal Victorians were covered in graffiti shortly after being attacked online.

But the Greens said there was “zero evidence” their members were responsible for the act of vandalism, and returned fire by accusing the ALP of political pointscoring.

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The signs were attached to the Aborigines Advancement League, which had given Ms Theophanous permission to tie campaign material to its fences.

The election material that was defaced. Picture: Facebook

The Victorian Young Greens slammed the material online during the weekend, saying the ALP shouldn’t be promoting a Treaty when “running to throw Victoria’s only Aboriginal MP out of parliament” — Greens MP Lidia Thorpe.

Later, the material was covered in graffiti including one message that claimed Labor was “racist”.

Ms Theophanous said the matter had been referred to police and accused the Greens of “trying to intimidate anyone who disagrees with them”.

“The theft and defacing of Labor campaign material is criminal and deeply disappointing,” she said.

“I’m proud that Victoria is the first state in the country to deliver legislation for formal treaty negotiations with Aboriginal people under the Andrews Labor Government.”

The Herald Sun has seen a letter from Aborigines Advancement League Victoria chief executive Esme Bamblett to the ALP giving permission for election material to be displayed on fences surrounding the property.

Northcote MP Lidia Thorpe at a NAIDOC march in Melbourne. Picture: David Caird

Victorian Greens Member for Northcote Lidia Thorpe speaks in the Legislative Assembly. Picture: AAP

Greens state director Clare Quinn said the political signs were “pretty off” but there was “zero evidence that Greens members were involved in taking Labor corflutes down”.

“If Labor has such evidence, I challenge them to produce it,” she said.

Ms Thorpe — a Gunnai-Gunditjmara woman — won a by-election last year to secure the seat of Northcote for the Greens.

The by-election was sparked by the death of sitting Labor MP and Minister for Women, Fiona Richardson, and was the first time the ALP has lost the seat since it was created in 1927.

Ms Quinn said the Treaty process was important to the Greens and accused Labor of putting up signs that were “cheap political point scoring”.

The matter was reported to Victoria Police on Monday.

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