ALP bulk orders anti-Dutton signs as corflutes flood Sydney

The Labor Party is understood to have bought 1,200 rolls of bunting with a photo of Peter Dutton and the words ‘he cuts, you pay’ flooding polling booths ahead of today’s election.

Sydney has been flooded by a new wave of political messaging overnight as the final push to win voters begins on election day.

Both Labor and Liberal parties have attached kilometres of advertising bunting to the fences at local schools, community halls and near religious institutions in the past 24 hours.

Labor has mass-produced a black and white image of opposition leader Peter Dutton next to the words - “he cuts, you pay” which has already been spotted at dozens of booths. It’s understood the ALP ordered 1,200 rolls of this image alone.

For the Liberals, they have blanketed seats with a generic blue banner with no photo, offering four simple dot points: “strong economy, low inflation, affordable homes, safer communities.”

Security guards were keeping watch at certain polling booths overnight and a range of hired workers and volunteers were also making their way between locations to ensure their expensive signage wasn’t destroyed.

The two most prominent political banners seen in Sydney - the top for the Liberal Party - the bottom for the ALP. There are kilometres of this ons school fences, community halls and near religious institutions

In Bennelong - where the margin is an astonishing 0.04% - Liberal candidate Scott Yung’s face is on the side of a huge truck parked directly the front of the Eastwood Community Centre.

Mr Yung has also been seen on a giant movie-sized billboard on Lane Cove Road. Other booths in this electorate around Gladesville and Putney are surrounded by linked Liberal tape. Current Labor MP Jerome Laxale also has a strong presence - while some ALP ads in Chinese writing read: “if Morrison disappointed you - Dutton will only get worse. Support Scott Yung… support Dutton.”

Based on inside mail from both camps, Mr Yung is now favourite to win this seat, despite having to deal with a number of negative stories during this campaign.

Anti-Scott Yung signs in Bennelong, written in Chinese which warn: “if Morrison disappointed you - Dutton will only get worse. Support Scott Yung... support Dutton.”

In Reid, with a 5.2% Labor margin, the front entrance to Homebush Public School was impossible to miss. Corflutes and posters are almost spilling onto the footpath, spruiking ALP MP Sally Sitou and the Liberal challenger Grange Chung.

Scattered between them are pictures of the Prime Minister with the words “building Australia’s future.”

A well-placed sign directly to the right of this simply reads: “another Labor lie.” Party insiders believe Ms Sitou will hold on for a second term in parliament.

The front entrance to Homebush Public School with signs for Sally Sitou and Grange Chung.

There would have to be at least 500 metres of political wrapping around public schools in the seat of Parramatta alone - including Dundas and Yates Avenue.

A never-ending line of Liberal “Let’s Get Australia Back on Track” at eye level and “he cuts, you pay” ALP attacks below. Labor MP Andrew Charlton has a 3.7% margin over the challenger Katie Mullens. ALP insiders are confident of holding onto this seat.

Labor MP Andrew Charlton has a 3.7% margin over the challenger Katie Mullens.

At Fairfield Public School - signs read “we’re backing Bowen” in support of the local MP for McMahon. Chris Bowen’s margin is a comfortable 10.5%. Other Labor corflutes here are in green with the words “Save Medicare - vote Labor.”

There are other corflutes for Independent Matthew Camenzuli, who at the very least has caused the Energy Minister a few headaches during this campaign.

Corflutes and posters in Chris Bowen’s seat of McMahon - attacking Peter Dutton and warning about the need to “save Medicare.”

In Fowler - we get a glimpse into a thrilling contest on election night. The ALP has decked out booths, brought in volunteers from other parts of Sydney and clearly spent a small fortune printing signs of their candidate Tu Le, along with more ads attacking Peter Dutton.

There are enormous red patches in booths including places like Canley Vale. The popular current independent Dai Le is holding on by a 1.1% margin, but does not have the resources of a major party available. Watch this space.

Strong Labor support for Tu Le in Fowler - currently held by independent Dai Le.

And yes, even the most environmentally-conscious political campaigners are printing corflutes like crazy. The Greens were seen to have hundreds of signs at booths around Balmain, Annandale and the CBD which read “wind and solar not coal and nuclear”, “Sanction Israel” and also spruiking their star Senator, Mehreen Faruqi.

In Jason Clare’s seat of Blaxland - which is considered “very safe” - a stream of orange signs represent Ahmed Ouf, a local pharmacist running for the The Muslim Vote. 31% of Blaxland is Islamic according to the last Census.

Election contests are always brutal but the last few weeks has felt particularly fierce, and the last-minute splurge is proof of that.

The sheer cost of this political messaging in just a handful of hotly-contested seats is understood to be millions of dollars.

And despite the major parties claiming this is not the case, sadly much of what we will see when we go to vote ends up in landfill.

Originally published as ALP bulk orders anti-Dutton signs as corflutes flood Sydney