Coalition accuses Teal election candidates of using ‘dubious political tactics’
The Coalition has fired shots at their Teal political rivals calling out a number of missteps and controversies by candidates backed by the Climate 200 funding juggernaut.
The Coalition has launched a pre-election day salvo at the Teals, accusing them of “dubious political tactics” throughout the five-week long campaign.
Liberal Senator and Coalition campaign spokesman James Paterson fired the volley at their political rivals ahead of the crucial final days before the election, and after numerous missteps and controversies chalked up by candidates backed by the Climate 200 funding juggernaut.
This includes Kooyong MP Monique Ryan’s husband having to apologise after tearing down Liberal signage, Bradfield candidate Nicolette Boele’s volunteers illegally strapping corflutes to power poles, and multiple members being backed by players who made their fortunes in fossil fuels — something opposed in parliament by the Teals.
“Voters across Australia are waking up to the Teal political scam,” Coalition spokesman Mr Paterson said.
“In this campaign they’ve been exposed sexually harassing apprentice hairdressers, stealing opponents signs, using dodgy push polling, taking donations from oil and gas investors and abandoning their Jewish constituents during an antisemitism crisis.
“No amount of money from their rich Climate 200 backers or dubious political tactics can cover up their record of betraying their electorates.”
The attack comes as Opposition leader Peter Dutton makes a last-minute assault on a number of Teal seats, in a bid to reverse the losses the Liberals had inflected on them by the independent movement in 2022.
On Sunday, Mr Dutton visited Mackellar, on Sydney’s northern beaches, followed by Kooyong in Melbourne Wednesday.
It’s been a rocky campaign for the Teals backed by Simon Holmes A Court’s Climate 200 funding movement.
Mr Homes A Court himself has appealed directly to cashed up donors to keep tipping millions into the movement.
Climate 200 spokesman claimed their multimillion-dollar campaign had been built on “honesty”.
“The hallmark of the community independents grassroots campaigns was honesty in contrast to the torrent of misinformation and abuse directed at them by their opponents and Coalition surrogates like Advance and Australians for Prosperity,” he said.
But even before the election was called, Kooyong MP Monique Ryan and her husband had to apologise after tearing down signage of Dr Ryan’s Liberal opponent.
Dr Ryan has also in recent days had a video involving her volunteers referred to the election watchdog, after volunteers were captured on footage saying they were directed to vote for her by groups linked to the Chinese Communist Party.
“[The volunteers in the video are] people who attended a dinner where a community leader … said that he supported me, and he supported my values, and thought that I’ve been very supportive of the community in recent years, and for that reason, he thought people should support me now,” Dr Ryan told Sky News on Tuesday, adding no one had been compelled to vote for her.
“I’m not sure about the interpretation of that video, you know, whether it’s accurate …”
Teal Bradfield candidate Nicolette Boele also had to apologise after making sexual comments to a hair dresser, while she also doubled down on paying men to strap signs to power poles on the Pacific Highway despite it being warned against by Ausgrid.
Meanwhile, a volunteer for a Climate 200-backed candidate in country NSW, Kate Hook, was captured on video vandalising a rival candidate’s campaign materials.
A spokesman for Ms Hook confirmed the involvement of the unnamed volunteer in a statement to The Daily Telegraph.
“We’ve been made aware overnight that an individual supporter of our campaign did the wrong thing,” the spokesman said.
“Our campaign has counselled that individual and they have agreed to cease volunteering.
“The Kate Hook campaign urges all candidates and volunteers to engage in a respectful and positive campaign.”
Dr Ryan and Ms Boele were contacted for comment.
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Originally published as Coalition accuses Teal election candidates of using ‘dubious political tactics’
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