GetUp put on notice over political links

Morrison government considers changes to polling booth rules in potential blow to GetUp.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton. Picture: AAP

GetUp could face curbs on its right to campaign in elections as the Morrison government considers introducing rules to restrict spruikers outside polling booths to volunteers who are attached to registered parties and independent candidates.

The proposal to place limits on campaign activity outside polling booths follows deep anger inside the Coalition about GetUp’s role in targeting a “hit list” of MPs it did not like with a multimillion-dollar campaign to “remove the hard Right’s grip on power”.

Leading calls for changes, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton claims GetUp’s conduct during the campaign and on election day was “deceptive”, “undemocratic” and “unrepresentative”.

The Australian understands senior government figures are looking at how to tackle GetUp’s perceived campaign power, which is currently outside controls, while the group professes to be issues-based and not aligned to any party or particular candidate.

GetUp claims it “tripled” efforts in the federal election compared with past efforts. The group is estimated to have spent more than $10 million in deploying 9000 volunteers who made phone calls, did home doorknocks and distributed how-to-vote cards as part of efforts to target Coalition MPs.

After Saturday’s election, GetUp national director Paul Oosting took credit for defeating Tony Abbott in Warringah. Although no other Coalition MP on GetUp’s “hit list” lost their seat, Mr Oosting claimed his group was influential in shaving back swings to Mr Dutton and other Coalition MPs. Any moves to limit workers outside polling booths to those ­attached to registered parties or independents would require legislative changes to Australian Electoral Commission rules, which now allow third parties to give out how-to-vote cards.

Government MPs are angered most about the conduct of GetUp — which they claim is a “front” for Labor or the Greens while pretending to be independent.

But any legal changes to federal laws on electioneering could also affect other third parties such as the ACTU and its union affiliates, which sent volunteers to polling booths on Saturday with anti-Coalition “change the rules” leaflets.

A key difference between GetUp and unions, however, is that unions are openly aligned with Labor as “associated entities” under the Electoral Act.

GetUp was on the defensive yesterday after comments reported in The Australian by Mr Dutton when he lashed the left-leaning group for its alleged “undemocratic” behaviour in the election.

Mr Oosting said he expected — “worryingly” — that the Coalition would “go even harder this time” after its previous failed attempts to place greater scrutiny on GetUp and end its professed independent status by having the AEC classify it as an “associated” political entity.

Speaking on ABC radio, Mr Oosting said GetUp regarded any move to limit its operations as “wholly undemocratic”.