Close Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Read Our Newspapers Online
    • Read the Latest Western Port News
    • Read the Latest Mornington News
    • Read the Latest Southern Peninsula News
    • Read the Latest Frankston Times
    • Read the Latest Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News
  • Competition
  • Home New
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Sunday, May 18
Facebook X (Twitter)
MPNEWSMPNEWS
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Home New
Breaking News
MPNEWSMPNEWS
Home»News»GetUp sees ‘Labor arm’ claim as a set up
News

GetUp sees ‘Labor arm’ claim as a set up

By Keith PlattSeptember 2, 2019Updated:September 4, 2019No Comments4 Mins Read
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

FLINDERS MP Greg Hunt says the left-leaning activist GetUp was “completely and utterly engaged with the Labor Party” in his electorate during the lead-up to the May federal election.

“You could see them working with them, talking with them, handing out for each other,” Mr Hunt told his audience at the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday 14 August.

In Flinders, GetUp distributed three how-to-vote cards, one with former Liberal MP Julia Banks in the number one position, one with Labor’s Joshua Sinclair first and the other headed by The Greens (Vic) Nathan Lesslie. GetUp placed Mr Hunt seventh in the nine-way contest.

Mr Sinclair has denied working “in any way” with GetUp, saying it was “laughable” to suggest anything else (“Set up by GetUp” Letters 20/8/19).

“They even gave me an amber light rating for my environmental record. Golly gosh, with friends like GetUp, who needs enemies?”

Mr Hunt was comfortably re-elected to the seat he has held since 2001, despite a 3.8 per cent swing against him on primary votes; Labor’s primary vote dropped nearly 3 per cent.

GetUp’s national director Paul Oosting said the organisation’s how-to-vote cards were about issues.

“They’re unique because, unlike [those of] the parties and candidates, ours show voters at least two – and up to four – ways to vote on a particular issue like climate change, not for just one candidate.”

Three days after Mr Hunt’s appearance at the press club, the Prime Minister Scott Morrison accused GetUp of making “vile personal attacks” on Liberal candidates during the most recent election campaign.

Mr Morrison suggested holding a parliamentary inquiry, which would then present its findings to the Australian Electoral Commission in a fourth attempt to have GetUp recognised as an arm of Labor or the Greens.

Mr Oosting said the AEC ruling in February “confirmed the independence of our 2016 election how-to-vote campaign, highlighting that our voting guides emphasise issues, rate candidates on issues, and feature multiple candidates”.

“Forcing the AEC to once again investigate GetUp’s independence is a political stitch-up and a waste of public money.

“GetUp members are teachers and nurses, mums and dads, students and pensioners. They spent this election campaign having heart to heart conversations with voters about the issues they care about.”

Mr Oosting said the “false and misleading attacks” against GetUp by Mr Morrison and Mr Hunt had led to a “surge in support and fundraising”.

GetUp is no stranger to Mr Hunt, having organised demonstrations

against him when he was environment minister over preserving the Great Barrier Reef and the Adani coal mine. Colourful demonstrations, not always involving GetUp, saw people dressed as reef fish and even angels climbing onto the roof of his Hastings office.

In answer to question from The Australian’s Olivia Caisley, Mr Hunt told the press club that he would not comment on what the AEC “may do as an independent body” if it again investigated GetUp.

“I’ll just make it absolutely clear that my experience is that GetUp was completely and utterly engaged with the Labor Party on the ground in our electorate. You could see them working with them, talking with them, handing out for each other,” he said.

“They obviously cooperate, they obviously act as if they are a part of the Labor Party.”

Mr Hunt said the “common-sense observation … is that GetUp is effectively the campaigning arm of the Labor Party”.

He predicted that people who had joined GetUp “thinking they were just a simple community movement, will increasingly find themselves concerned about what is an extreme and an aggressive and an American-style political action unit here in Australia”.

First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 3 September 2019

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Related Posts

Man fined more than $6000 for illegal dumping

May 15, 2025

Action needed on childcare road – MP

May 14, 2025

Rye transformation takes shape

May 13, 2025

Winners and losers in budget shakeup

May 13, 2025
Add A Comment

Comments are closed.

Peninsula Essence Magazine – Click to Read
Peninsula Kids Magazine – Click to Read
Letters to the Editor
Property of the Week

21 Knott Street, Safety Beach

May 12, 2025
Council Watch

Council adopts ‘fresh vision’ with ‘stronger community ties’

May 6, 2025

Council hubs to stay open despite $389 per visit

April 30, 2025
100 Years Ago This Week

Strong action necessary to secure Frankston High School building

May 12, 2025
Interview

Firefighter shows skills from sea to snow

February 5, 2024
Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Home New
About

Established in 2006, Mornington Peninsula News Group (MPNG) is a locally owned and operated, independent media company.

MPNG publishes five weekly community newspapers: the Western Port News, Mornington News, Southern Peninsula News, Frankston Times and Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News.

MPNG also publishes two glossy magazines: Peninsula Essence and Peninsula Kids.

Facebook X (Twitter)
© 2025 Mornington Peninsula News Group.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.