Teals called slanted polls ‘an affront to democracy’. Climate 200 uses them

Climate 200 is using robocalls to spruik teal MPs and tarnish their opponents under the banner of conducting polling, despite independents backed by the funding group previously branding similar practices “an affront to democracy”.

Liberals running in several seats across NSW and Victoria have warned their constituents are being targeted by “push-polls”, with a recording from teal MP Zoe Daniel’s seat of Goldstein showing how the slanted surveys boost independents.

“Your independent member Zoe Daniel has advocated for long-term economic reform, protecting the environment for future generations and for there to be more compassion and integrity in politics,” the robocall states.

The call also asks for details about the receiver’s education, age and gender before asking whether the recipient would be more likely to vote for the Liberals if the party distanced itself from “the extreme agenda of its MPs like Barnaby Joyce and Matt Canavan, who oppose taking action on climate change and want to roll back abortion rights.”

The Coalition is committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2050 through its nuclear-led policy. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has also previously ruled out making changes to abortion laws, and rebuked Coalition MPs for bringing up the debate in November, saying “it costs us votes”.

A spokesman for Daniel said her campaign was not behind the poll obtained by this masthead. “We have not commissioned, or paid for, or put a poll in the field,” he said. “It’s not our poll.”

Goldstein MP Zoe Daniel’s campaign said it did not commission the poll.Credit: Joe Armao

Push-polling is considered to be a negative campaign tactic used to influence or manipulate voters under the guise of being an opinion poll. Opinion polling is conducted by most major media organisations, including this masthead, to gauge voter sentiment.

Another poll running in other teal seats, which is from the same pollster but was not commissioned by Climate 200, asks whether the receiver approves of the Coalition’s nuclear policy. If the receiver says they do, the audio states a talking point often made by teals or Labor.

“The CSIRO have estimated that it will cost $600 billion to build and roll out the Liberals’ nuclear plan of the following. How would you most like to see their nuclear plan paid for?”

Modelling released by the Coalition from Frontier Economics predicts its nuclear policy will be 44 per cent cheaper than Labor’s renewables-led plan over coming decades.

Last month, The Guardian reported a separate push-poll that criticised teals such as Daniel and Wentworth’s Allegra Spender.

That robocall asked if teal MPs receiving funding from Climate 200 made them less independent. Daniel at the time described the survey as “dirty tactics”. “I think it’s unethical, and I think it’s an affront to democracy, and I think it’s insulting to voters,” she said.

Teal sources familiar with the polls said Climate 200 was responsible. The organisation, which is funding dozens of teal campaigns including Daniel’s, declined to comment.

Push polls targeting voters in Liberal frontbencher Dan Tehan’s Victorian seat of Wannon and his colleague Julian Leeser’s Sydney seat of Berowra have previously been reported.

Coalition campaign spokesman James Paterson said Daniel’s supporters were “push polling” voters with misleading questions.

“That’s not just hypocrisy – it’s cynical, desperate politics from someone who claimed to be better than this,” Paterson said. “If Zoe Daniel wants to talk about integrity, she should start by practising it.”

Polling company uComms, which deployed the poll for Climate 200, defended its surveys.

“All uComms polls are composed in accordance with guidelines set down by the Australian Polling Council (APC), of which uComms is a founding member,” the chief executive of its parent company, Logan Leatch, said in an email. “Under the APC guidelines, demographic and voter intention questions must be asked first to avoid bias.

“UComms is dedicated to providing accurate results,” Leatch said.

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