CLP ceases coffee giveaway following AEC intervention

A political party serving free coffee at a Top End polling booth has caused a stir, with the AEC saying it did not ‘pass the pub test’. Read the details.

The CLP quickly removed the coffee van after the AEC requested them to do so. Picture: Supplied

The Australian Electoral Commission was forced to intervene after a major party was accused of “inducing” votes through free coffee.

Labor party officials complained to the AEC after Country Liberal Party volunteers were observed handing out free coffees with their how-to-vote cards at the Eaton pre-poll booth last week.

An AEC spokeswoman confirmed the independent electoral authority had received a complaint about the free coffee.

“The AEC received a complaint that the Country Liberal Party had set up a coffee van at the Eaton pre-poll voting centre and were providing free coffee alongside issuing how to vote card to voters,” the spokeswoman said.

Australian Electoral Commission staff sorting through the votes for the 2022 Federal Election at the Darwin pre-poll centre, at Osgood Dr, Eaton. generic: voting, AEC

The spokeswoman said the offer was not a breach of the Electoral Act, noting the CLP’s quick response in removing the van.

“The AEC contacted the Country Liberal Party and advised against providing free coffee alongside how-to-vote cards as it could be interpreted as a breach of the Electoral Act, and requested that the van be removed from the Eaton site,” she said.

“The Country Liberal Party responded quickly and removed the van.

Geoff Bloom is the Australian Electoral Officer for the Northern Territory. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“A party or candidate handing out free coffee to voters along with a how to vote card isn’t necessarily illegal, but the AEC doesn’t believe it would pass the ‘pub test’ with many voters.”

Territory Labor campaign manager Shlok Sharma described the coffee freebie as “bizarre”, taking a snipe at the CLP’s history with Darwin Port. 

“We are not surprised that the CLP are flogging coffees the way they flogged off our port a decade ago,” Mr Sharma said.

CLP candidate Lisa Bayliss and CLP president Natasha Griggs were both contacted for comment, but did not respond by time of publication.

Originally published as CLP ceases coffee giveaway following AEC intervention