Territory Labor is facing public backlash for a late election mass text message campaign in which certain voters were targeted with unsolicited anti-CLP messages, with political insiders calling the tactic a sign Labor is in trouble and fearing for its political future three days out from the election.
At least two different text messages from Territory Labor were sent to select Territorians Tuesday afternoon, with one circulated in the Top End claiming the CLP would “cut nurses, teachers and other jobs” to pay for their proposed payroll tax cut, while another text message was sent to people in Central Australia claiming Labor’s pledged 2,700 “bush homes” would “go away” if the CLP are elected on Saturday.
The messages were criticised as an overreach by Territorians on social media and local radio Wednesday afternoon, while questions over how the party obtained the mobile numbers and why those particular people were targeted remain unanswered.
Two former Territory Labor insiders who worked on multiple campaigns told the NT Independent the text message tactic this late in an election campaign was “desperate” and indicative of a party feeling the swing is on against them.
“The ALP is clearly in panic mode,” one said. “The party folk are deserting them.”
Another former Labor political operative said the late text messages amounted to a “scare campaign borne of desperation”.
“The party is sensing it will lose the election,” they said. “It’s a desperate, last-minute ploy.”
Despite the public’s outrage they were sent messages they had not signed up for, NT Electoral Commissioner Kirsten Kelly said the messages “comply with [election] authorisation rules as they contain a link to a website with a complete authorisation statement”.
There was no option provided in the message to opt out of receiving further texts.
As for whether the claims distributed in the text messages were false, Ms Kelly said the NTEC does not enforce truth in political advertising and that it was the “responsibility of electors to assess the truth of statements” made by political parties.
“Only South Australia and the ACT have truth in political advertising laws that regulate political content,” she said.
Ms Kelly added while the NTEC provides parties with the voter roll, “this information does not include telephone numbers”.
“Electoral commissions are aware that the major political parties maintain extensive databases from multiple sources, which may include third parties,” she said.
Territory Labor secretary Karlee Dalton did not say how the party obtained the mobile phone numbers or why certain numbers were targeted by the party both in the Greater Darwin area and in Central Australia. She also would not say if more are coming.
She defended the statements in the text messages as true and said it was “a modern method of communication”.
“Communicating with voters is part of the election process,” she said. “In the last week, the CLP has sent unsolicited emails to voters based on geo-targeting and unsolicited mail to voters.
“Text messaging to the general public, which is what has occurred here, is a modern method of communication. Labor is communicating areas of policy difference between it and the CLP and encouraging electors to vote for policies that they prefer.”
CLP campaign manager Alyson Hannam said Labor was running a “scare campaign” days out from the final voting day.
“Labor have no record to stand on so resort to scare campaigns,” she said. “This is typical Labor and straight from their playbook of campaign tricks.”
More than 50,000 Territorians have already voted at early election centres across the Territory, with another 8,239 postal ballots issued as of the end of Tuesday. That means more than a third of all eligible voters have already cast their ballot, with some electorates seeing 50 per cent of voters casting their ballots early.
‘Panic mode’ will describe the current and soon to be former Labour MLA’s walking the streets of Darwin.
Their is no parliamentary protection or guards separating them from a very pissed off Public!!
Territorians are not shy of having “a open and transparent chat” in the middle of a Shopping Centre!
I suggest some of the Labour MLA’s will all move south as they wont want to live in the jurisdiction they created!!
The rest will be parachuted into CDU like Claire Martin and Qualified Fitter and Turner Paul Henderson was.
I also suggest the new administration look at the hundreds of NTG funded boards which Labour has parachuted their ugly friends and weird family members into.
Labor
NT Election Commission (NTEC) are another organisation colluding with NTG ALP as this behaviour should be investigated for a breach or privacy, or harassment for sending unsolicited text messages without the ability to unsubscribe. Did ALP purchase databases with their campaign money? Like all NTG corruption it will be ignored. Vote independent for frank & fearless debate.
Hi Jane – May I respectfully disagree with the views you have expressed about the Northern Territory Electoral Commission. Australian electoral administrators are recognised nationally and internationally
for their professionalism, integrity, knowledge of electoral law, policy and practice – and above all their impartiality. The NT Electoral Commissioner and team (some of whom I know personally) are no exception. Best wishes for Saturday. Charlie
The heavy weight Chief Minister Eva Lawler is a lightweight when it comes to honesty in government.
I received the text, shows Labor are not too smart. Wasted their money on me!
Lia will be a breath of fresh air.
The leaders debate showed that Labor is quite happy to use personal attack when they have no other argument. I received one of those texts and flagged it as spam and blocked the number.
As for leadership Lawler looked rattled in the first couple of minutes.
Labor are known for scare tactics and lies. Labor can’t be trusted. They have no policies and a very poor record over the past 8 years. They have to resort to scare tactics as it is all they have.
The NT Electoral Commission is about as effective as the ICAC, who ever gets power should look at closing both of them.
$52 million they say……towards fixing the $11 billion debt that Labor created – with interest damned near $2 million every day.
This week I heard Labor shout promises of $500,000 green footy ovals for desert communities. Debt, not an issue to Labor!!!
I also received a phone call from Eva Lawlers office asking if I had already voted and when I said yes, they asked who I voted for.
Many long-term Labor voters in Alice Springs have ditched them in favour of The Greens nominating their own preferences away from Labor (Independents).
This was an election that Labor will lose rather than the CLP will win. Tacky tactics in a last-ditch effort to scare people is just plain stupid.
I’ll listen intently to the ABC 783 ‘Leaders Debate’ in about 15 minutes.
Good debate…with limited time, it wasn’t easy to cover so many questions left unasked or unanswered e.g. would a CLP government continue to build the national Aboriginal art gallery on Anzac Oval or build it somewhere else?
Great job Lara Stimpson and Stuart Brash for your moderation.
I think Lia won it.
Happy voting, folks.
Who holds Labor accountable for blatant lies? I believe Lia came out early and said they will not cut jobs. But seriously, who in their right mind would believe they’d cut nursing staff? Or teachers? We’re short on both!