The Australian Electoral Commission says it has identified the person who sent thousands ofunauthorised campaign pamphletsthreatening to “expose” the independent MPAllegra Spender, the Australian Associated Press reports.
The commission set up an investigation after more than 47,000 flyers without authorisation were distributed in the eastern Sydney electorate of Wentworth.
The pamphlets claim to be “produced by the people of Wentworth, for the people of Wentworth”, but a lack of official authorisation means voters do not know where its information is sourced from – putting the pamphlets in breach of Australia’s main election law.
Following the investigation, the electoral commission said it had identified the person behind the campaign, who has no link to political parties or candidates contesting the seat of Wentworth.
“To date, our investigation has only identified evidence that this individual has acted alone, and the individual concerned has confirmed this is the case,” the commission said last night.
The commission said the person behind the campaign had pledged to not distribute the flyers or any other unauthorised material.
“The AEC will not be providing the name of this person at this time,” it said.
“Voters are reminded to stop and consider the source of all messages relating to the 2025 federal election.”
Once considered a blue-ribbon Liberal seat, Wentworth was taken off the Coalition at the 2022 election by Spender, making it a tightly contested electorate at the May 3 poll.
The pamphlets claimed Spender had “misled the electorate on her positions”.
The independent MP said its contents were “false, misleading and offensive”.
Crossbench urges next government to increase income support
More than 70 independent and minor party candidates have signed an open letter calling on the next government to substantially increase income support.
The joint statement, signed with theAustralian Council of Social Service, says the current rate of jobseeker ($56 a day) and youth allowance ($48 a day) sit “well below all measures of adequacy”.
It noted that the current rate of jobseeker is just 43.5% of the minimum wage and “well below the poverty line”, and that people on jobseeker are 14 times more likely to go without a substantial meal a day.
The joint letter also pointed to research showing there are no affordable rentals for someone receiving either of the payments, and that many people skip medication and healthcare “just to keep a roof over their head.”
74 independent and minor party candidates have signed the letter, includingZali Steggall,Monique Ryan,Andrew Wilkie,David Pocock,Jacqui Lambie,Allegra Spender,Kate Chaney,Lidia Thorpe,Fatima Payman, and Greens representatives and candidates.
Wilkie said in a statement it was time the major parties “acknowledge the mountains of evidence, report after report, and the lived experience of anyone struggling to get by on an income support payment.”
Ryan said that increasing the rate would help people rejoin the workforce, students complete their studies, and single parents raise the next generation. Pocock said raising the rate above the poverty line and increasing the rate of commonwealth rent assistance was “the most powerful thing we can do to end chronic intergenerational disadvantage in our community”.
A swing against the Coalition in the opinion polls has encouragedAnthony Albanesetotarget Liberal-held seatspreviously considered out of reach, according to theSydney Morning Herald.
These include the usually rock-solid Coalition seats of Menzies and Deakin in Melbourne where the prime minister has visited during the campaign.
The paper also notes thatPeter Duttonhas been avoiding teal-held inner-city such as Wentworth (once a reliably Liberal hold) and has not even even been to Labor-held marginals such as such as Bennelong in Sydney or Chisholm in Melbourne, suggesting he doesn’t think he can win.
Instead he has concentrated on outer suburbs where, the piece notes, Labor strategists recognise that the party could still be vulnerable over concerns about the cost of living.
A $32m investment from Labor would see more support for men’s health and help to break down the barriers that often prevent men getting the healthcare they need.
A re-elected Labor government would invest $11.3m in the men’s health charity Movember to provide training to over 60,000 doctors and nurses, as well as to develop a campaign to encourage men to visit the doctor.
The training would be based on Movember’s existingMen in Mind programcurrently offered to mental health workers. The evidence-based program provides an examination of men’s gender socialisation, asthe internalisation of masculine ideals often sees them avoid being open about health problems.
The health minister,Mark Butler, said “this investment by Labor into Movember’s training will mean doctors and nurses have the right tools to support men”.
Labor would also provide $20.7m for grassroots initiatives that support men’s mental health and wellbeing in community settings, including $8.3m to support two years of Men’s Shed Initiatives grants in the community and for the organisation to deliver new health promotion and prevention programs.
The government would also invest $7.4m to Movember to expand the Ahead of the Game program, delivered in partnership with the AFL, which teaches young men in sporting environments to seek help when they need it, as well as $3m for the Plus Paternal Initiative, which helps men prepare for fatherhood.
The Black Dog Institute would also receive $2m to research men’s mental health and suicide prevention.
Michelle Terry, the chief executive officer of Movember, said “Australian boys and men are slipping through the cracks of our healthcare system at an alarming rate, and without targeted support, too many are missing out on the care they need”.
The Australian Electoral Commission says it has identified the person who sent thousands ofunauthorised campaign pamphletsthreatening to “expose” the independent MPAllegra Spender, the Australian Associated Press reports.
The commission set up an investigation after more than 47,000 flyers without authorisation were distributed in the eastern Sydney electorate of Wentworth.
The pamphlets claim to be “produced by the people of Wentworth, for the people of Wentworth”, but a lack of official authorisation means voters do not know where its information is sourced from – putting the pamphlets in breach of Australia’s main election law.
Following the investigation, the electoral commission said it had identified the person behind the campaign, who has no link to political parties or candidates contesting the seat of Wentworth.
“To date, our investigation has only identified evidence that this individual has acted alone, and the individual concerned has confirmed this is the case,” the commission said last night.
The commission said the person behind the campaign had pledged to not distribute the flyers or any other unauthorised material.
“The AEC will not be providing the name of this person at this time,” it said.
“Voters are reminded to stop and consider the source of all messages relating to the 2025 federal election.”
Once considered a blue-ribbon Liberal seat, Wentworth was taken off the Coalition at the 2022 election by Spender, making it a tightly contested electorate at the May 3 poll.
The pamphlets claimed Spender had “misled the electorate on her positions”.
The independent MP said its contents were “false, misleading and offensive”.
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’mMartin Farrerwith the top overnight stories and then it’ll beKrishani Dhanjiwith the main action.
We have an exclusive story this morning reporting thatIndonesia’s ambassador met senior Australian diplomatson Tuesday – and on the same dayAnthony AlbaneseaccusedPeter Duttonof damaging the bilateral relationship over claims Russia was seeking a military presence in the region.
After spruiking his plans to boost defence spending yesterday, Peter Dutton turns to the problem of domestic violence today as heannounces a suite of policiesto tackle the scourge. He will say that a Coalition government would criminalise the use of mobile phones to threaten and track partners and create a national register to allow police to share information about violence offenders.
Today Labor is pushing its policies to improve men’s health with a $32m investment boost – more on that soon. And the AEC has identified the person who sent thousands ofunauthorised campaign pamphletsthreatening to “expose” the independent MPAllegra Spenderand “what she stands for”. More on that too coming up.
Labor has outspent the Coalition on television advertising,figures out today reveal, butClive Palmer’sTrumpet of Patriots party has spent more than everyone on YouTube, where he has forked out more than $4m. The Gaza war will be a factor in many federal election contests such as Tony Burke’s south-west Sydney seat of Watson whereMuslim voters “sick of being ignored”are expected to make their anger felt.