Herbert election 2025: Darryn Casson, Felicity Cole signs defaced with googley eyes

Vile racial slurs and smeared excrement on campaign signs have blighted Federal Election campaigning but Townsville is facing an entirely separate beast altogether.

Googley eyes have been added to election signs in Townsville.

Vile racial slurs and even the smearing of excrement on campaign signs have blighted the lead up to the federal election but Townsville is facing an entirely separate beast altogether – googly eyes.

Katter’s Australian Party candidate for Herbert Darryn Casson, a mild-mannered criminal defence lawyer, and Felicity Cole, also running for Herbert for the KAP-aligned People First Party, have both fallen victim to the hate campaign.

The Australian Electoral Commission was asked whether the gross misuse of googly eyes was a traditional method of defacing campaign signage in Townsville or represented a sad new low.

“Campaign signage is not something that is regulated in electoral law, save for the requirement that campaign signs cannot be placed within six metres of the entrance to a polling place,” an AEC spokesperson said.

“Questions about signage are generally a matter for local council.”

The Townsville City Council has its own problems to deal with but Queensland Police Service said it was not aware of any official complaints about defaced election campaign signage or criminal charges laid in relation to googly-eyed bedazzled corflute signage.

“Jobs of this nature are usually logged as ‘wilful damage or vandalism’ – so it would mean a manual search of all wilful damage complaints in Townsville and our database doesn’t go via electoral boundary either,” a QPS spokeswoman said.

“Unfortunately, without a specific incident, location or QPrime number we can’t assist in this instance.”

KAP deputy leader Nick Dametto, in the dog house for enjoying a beer over Easter, said some individuals believed they had the right to mess with political campaign materials.

“Sometimes it is malicious, sometimes it’s just done out of mindless fun,” he said.

“I’m not sure of the motives behind those who have played with the current KAP federal candidates’ signage but I am sure this kind of behaviour does nothing to sway a vote.”

The Hinchinbrook MP said googly eyes may hold a “deep symbolic meaning” or something else entirely.

“Maybe someone is adding googly eyes to campaign signage to jazz up what has been a definitely boring campaign from both major parties,” he said.

“Either way, I think the googly eye look quite cool: I can only imagine how much those cost from the local craft store.”

You can get 500 pairs for $3 on Temu.

Mr Dametto, from a party known for its hard-line stance on crime, said campaign signage was costly and usually paid for by candidates and donors.

“Any destruction or vandalism of campaign signage can be classified as an offence although it is rarely prosecuted,” he said.

“During the state election campaign, I had so many corflute signs stolen or destroyed, it took me about two hours to pick up what was left out of an original 400 signs.”

The AEC reminded all candidates and campaigners “of the importance of civility while campaigning”.

Originally published as Herbert election 2025: Darryn Casson, Felicity Cole signs defaced with googley eyes