Clampdown on election campaign sign looms ahead of federal election

A crackdown on corflutes may be on the cards before the next federal election as the South Australia government backs laws that would ban them from public infrastructure.

A crackdown on corflutes could be on the cards ahead of the next federal election, as South Australia moves to ban the signs from power and light poles.

Any changes will not affect the ability of candidates to poster their faces around Dunkley ahead of Saturday’s by-election.

But supporters in the seat caught with more than one political campaign sign in their yard are being threatened with legal action by the Frankston City Council.

It come as the SA government backed laws that would ban election corflutes from public infrastructure.

However, they could still be placed on private property.

Victoria, however, is unlikely to follow suit, with a Department of Premier and Cabinet spokesperson advising that strict electoral rules were already in place.

“Victorian electoral laws already have restrictions on electoral material and signage, limiting the size and number of signs candidates can display near a voting centre entrance,” she said.

“The Electoral Matters Committee of Parliament is conducting a review into the conduct of the 2022 State Election and is due to report in May 2024.”

Campaign signage in Franskton ahead of the Dunkley bu-election. Picture David Geraghty

Victorian Opposition Leader John Pesutto, who also noted that the state had tough rules in place already, said “as an overarching principle campaign material should not be placed on public property”.

A spokeswoman from the office of the Special Minister of State said the federal government was acting on the recommendations of the parliament’s bipartisan committee on electoral matters.

“Possible amendments to the way federal elections are conducted will be considered as the government introduces electoral reform legislation this year,” she said.

A Frankston land owner with three corflutes promoting Libertarian candidate Chrysten Abraham was warned by Frankston Council that if one of the signs was not removed they would be subject to “enforcement action” that could include a “criminal conviction and severe financial penalties”.

The landowner was given three days to remove two of the signs.

Instead, they combined the smaller signs to create a single large sign that met the 5 sqm size limit allowed under the council’s local laws.

A crackdown on corflutes could be on the cards ahead of the next federal election. Picture David Geraghty

Ms Abraham said sending an inspector to “repeatedly verify the compliance of a few plastic signs” was not in the community’s best interests or an “efficient use of ratepayer resources”.

“Every day, the people of Frankston are burdened with navigating through a labyrinth of government regulations,” she said.

Since February 2, the council has received 22 complaints about signs promoting election candidates.

On Monday afternoon, 14 of the complaints had been finalised by the council, with no action required for 10 signs which were found to be compliant.

Meanwhile, Labor candidate Jodie Belyea has had the signage on her electorate office defaced, with a man photographed sticking an advertisement for Liberal candidate Nathan Conroy over Ms Belyea’s picture.

New YouGov polling released on Monday shows that the Liberals have a narrow lead going into the final days of the by-election campaign.

The poll of 394 voters in Dunkley, which had a 6.1 per cent margin of error, showed the Liberals lead 51-49 on two party preferred vote.

Mr Conroy had a 40 per cent primary vote, while Ms Belyea sat at 33 per cent.

Experts say the absence of candidates from Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party and Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party, which received about 10 per cent of the votes at the 2022 election, was an opportunity for the Liberals to increase their primary vote.