GetUp slams conservative rival as ‘front for dirty coal, tax breaks for rich’

A conservative rival to GetUp would be “a front” for coal producers, rich Australians, and religious schools, GetUp says.

Labor leader Bill Shorten surrounded by members of GetUp when he made an election day visit to Winmalee in 2016.

A conservative rival to GetUp would be “a front” for coal producers, wealthy Australians, and religious schools, GetUp says.

The Australian revealed today that a number of prominent centre-right Australians were setting up Advance Australia, a grassroots conservative organisation which aims to fight GetUp on hot-button issues and defend at-risk conservative MPs at the next election.

GetUp election campaign director Henny Smith said it would not be deterred by a conservative rival.

“You can’t buy people power. Everyday people want to live in on a healthy planet, in a more fair and just world, they don’t want fear and division,” she said in a statement.

“That’s why more than 400 everyday people are congregating in Manly tonight, to learn how to make calls and doorknock against hard right figure head Tony Abbott in his once safe seat of Warringah.

“Advance Australia is a front for throwing money behind the MPs who want dirty coal over renewables, want tax breaks for our wealthiest, and think religious schools have the right to discriminate.”

 

Former ABC chairman Maurice Newman, Australian ­Jewish Association president David Adler and storage king Sam Kennard are among the members of Advance Australia’s advisory board.

Its first major campaign will be against Labor’s plan to scrap ­imputation dividend refunds, the so-called retiree tax, as it will build up a grassroots movement to keep Australia Day unchanged.

“We are in the position of the battle of Stalingrad … we (conservatives) have retreated to such an extent we need to hold our ground somewhere and start to push back,” Mr Newman told The Australian today.

“We have to put our hand up and say we believe in this country. People like GetUp are so well funded.”

Head of Advance Australia Gerard Benedet. Picture: Glenn Hunt