AEC Removes Corflutes Targeting Teal Candidate’s Climate 200 Donations

Partially authorised political signs with the potential to misrepresent voters at the Farrer by-election have been removed.

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has been permitted to remove several political corflutes at polling places in the New South Wales electorate under a last-minute interim injunction from the Federal Court.

The posters that feature the AEC’s logo at the top and a table labelled “AEC Transparency Register,” purporting to show independent teal candidate Michelle Milthorpe’s donations from the Regional Voices Fund, Climate 200, and GetUp.

The AEC said it became aware of one sign outside a Springdale Heights polling place before identifying further copies.

“This sign has an incomplete authorisation statement on it and has the potential to misrepresent the source of the corflute,” the AEC said in a statement.

The AEC said it was not the author of the sign.

“While it includes information from the AEC’s Transparency Register, the AEC did not erect or authorise the signage,” it said.

Election officials tried to contact the source of the signs but received no response, so the commission sought an urgent injunction.

The interim injunction prevents the source displaying copies of the sign and permits the AEC to remove it.

It comes as One Nation stands by its decision to erect corflutes featuring former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith at pre-poll stations.

The signs show a photo of the Victoria Cross recipient in his military uniform and the words: “He fought for us. One Nation stands with him.”

Roberts-Smith has been charged with five murder-related war crimes and denies all allegations.

One Nation is a vocal supporter of Roberts-Smith and wanted voters in Farrer to be aware of this, a party spokesperson said.

Australia’s electoral laws do not regulate information in political signs, only requiring a complete authorisation statement.

The Australian Defence Force has urged political parties to avoid using imagery of current or former personnel or military emblems in their campaigning material, with emblems protected under the Defence and Trade Marks acts.

By William Ton in Melbourne.