Federal election 2022: Secret pay for ‘volunteers’ out to knife the Libs

Marketing company employees campaigning on behalf of the Simon Holmes a Court-linked Smart Energy Council in Liberal seats are told to conceal they are being paid.

A pamphlet handed out at St Stephen’s Church Hall in Brighton, Melbourne, on Thursday

Employees of a marketing company campaigning on behalf of the Simon Holmes a Court-linked Smart Energy Council in Josh Frydenberg and Tim Wilson’s seats have been instructed to conceal they are being paid.

Workers from Melbourne marketing company the Loco Group have been deployed to the Treasurer’s seat of Kooyong and the Assistant Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister’s seat of Goldstein to urge voters to “put the Liberals last” as part of the Smart Energy Council’s Smart Voting campaign.

Text messages sent to the employees and forwarded to The Australian instruct them not to mention who they are working for, or that they are getting paid.

“Hey Team, Just a little heads up about the Smart Voting shifts,” the text reads. “You may have some political parties try to come up and ask you questions about who you are and who you are working for. It is important that you do not mention you are working for Loco Group as we as a business do not take a political stand point (sic) on any issues.

“You can say that you are handing out flyers on behalf of Smart Voting and that you are there to encourage voters to vote.

“You do not need to mention you are getting paid. If anyone is persistent, keep your answers light and disposition friendly. You can always direct them to the Smart Voting website if they have further questions.”

A text message sent to Loco Group employees

Approached by The Australian at a Goldstein early voting centre at St Stephen’s Church Hall in Brighton, a man and woman handing out the Smart Voting campaign material said they were “not aligned with any political party” and were “just here to show you how to vote smart”. The pair, who were dressed in plain clothes, made no comment when asked whether they were volunteers.

The pamphlet they were handing out featured a picture of a child and Mr Wilson. It urged voters to “Put our kids first. Put Tim Wilson last. Stop the rorts. Fix the climate. Put them last.”

The other side of the flyer featured photographs of Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his deputy Barnaby Joyce holding lumps of coal, superimposed over a photograph of Mr Wilson with the headline: “How fake “moderate” Tim Wilson votes.

“Tim Wilson votes with Barnaby Joyce 99 per cent of the time. Tim Wilson voted consistently against a fast transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Tim Wilson voted against debating a bill to establish a national anti-corruption commission,” it says. The pamphlet is authorised by S. Blume, Smart Voting Pty Ltd. Deakin, ACT. Steve Blume is the president of renewable energy ­industry lobby group the Smart Energy Council.

Smart Voting is distributing similar material in Mr Frydenberg’s seat of Kooyong.

Teal independents Zoe Daniel in Goldstein and Monique Ryan in Kooyong are campaigning on policy platforms championing action on climate change and a federal anti-corruption commission, and both are the Liberals’ main ­rivals in their respective seats.

Loco Group director Felicity Young said she had “no comment” to make when phoned by The Australian after being sent written questions.

“I have no position as of now,” she said, before hanging up.

Asked whether it was appropriate for Smart Voting campaigners to be paid, director Wayne Smith said it was “entirely appropriate that Smart Voting Pty Ltd pays for all of the services that it contracts out”.

Mr Smith confirmed Smart Voting had contracted the Loco Group to provide campaigners “on a commercial basis”.

Asked whether it was appropriate for a marketing company which claims to be apolitical to be asked to be part of a political campaign, or for them to be asked to conceal that they are being paid, Mr Smith said “That is a matter for that company”.

“We required the company to only use staff who were comfortable with the campaign,” Mr Smith added.

A Smart Voting poster urging the public to consider the impacts of voting for Liberal Party member Tim Wilson.

Despite Ms Daniel and Dr Ryan’s campaigns being the key beneficiaries of Smart Voting’s efforts in Goldstein and Kooyong, Mr Smith said there was “no relationship between Smart Voting and the campaigns of Zoe Daniel and/or Monique Ryan”.

Mr Smith also claimed there was “no affiliation” between Smart Voting and the Smart Energy Council, despite Smart Voting’s campaign material being authorised by Smart Energy Council president Mr Blume.

Mr Smith did not respond when it was put to him that it was misleading to claim there was “no affiliation”.

A spokesman for Climate 200 said the organisation had “no commercial relationship with the Smart Energy Council”.

A spokeswoman for Ms Daniel’s campaign said there was “no relationship between Zoe Daniel’s campaign, the Smart Energy Council and Smart Voting”.

A spokesman for Dr Ryan’s campaign said the Smart Voting campaign had “no relationship with Dr Monique Ryan’s independent for Kooyong campaign”.

As the Smart Energy Council is prevented from continuing the Bin Sticker campaign, we are pleased to advise Smart Voting will take forward those elements of a federal election campaign - get them here https://t.co/[e-mail]/V931wcK6oj

— SmartEnergyCouncil (@SmartEnergyCncl) February 16, 2022