GetUp, the thuggish political hit-squad co-founded by former Labor leader Bill Shorten, with seed money from militant unions and Soros-linked organisations, has enjoyed a virtually free run for its army of nosey-nannas and unemployable Marxists. Until now.
In an astounding display of bare-faced hypocrisy, even for the left, GetUp’s favoured candidate, so-called “independent”, Zali Steggall, is demanding a review of political advertising.
If she’s not careful, she might get what she is asking for.
Scott Morrison has labelled GetUp “bullies” and says the left-wing activist network’s campaign against Tony Abbott was one of the “grubbiest and most despicable things” he has seen in an election.
“[Zali Steggall] would be aware that the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters undertakes a review of all matters in relation to the conduct of the most recent election…the activities [of] GetUp in the most recent election and the actions they took against the former member for Warringah was some of the grubbiest and some of the most despicable actions I’ve seen.
The parliamentary committee is certain to closely scrutinise GetUp’s abominable tactics, as its army of “misguided retirees and age pensioners…disaffected old Lefties” engaged in a campaign of astonishing vitriol and intimidation.
The tactics of left-wing activist group GetUp in the last election campaign could be laid bare before a parliamentary committee with two Liberal backbenchers preparing to lodge complaints to an inquiry in the May 18 poll.
Liberal MP Nicolle Flint will join fellow Coalition backbencher Kevin Andrews in formally complaining about GetUp’s election tactics — a development which could see office bearers from the activist group hauled before parliament to explain their conduct.
Ms Flint says a joint campaign by GetUp and Labor nearly broke her.
theaustralian
“This was a campaign to destroy me personally, a concerted attack to destroy me mentally…They wanted to get me to a point where I could not function as a candidate, where I was afraid to go out. It was a campaign that has very serious ramifications for how we conduct politics in this country.“We regard ourselves as an open and civil society. Instead, I ended up feeling unsafe for much of the campaign. I credit both GetUp and the unions for creating an environment where abuse, harassment, intimidation, shouting people down and even stalking became the new normal…
Ms Flint is 41, single, and lives alone in her electorate, a fact she was willing to divulge to put her campaign experience in its context: “I was scared, and towards the end of the campaign I did have a moment with the egg attacks and vile graffiti and stalking when I wondered if it was worth it.”
theaustralian
Other candidates are coming forward with details of GetUp’s campaign of harassment and intimidation.
[Former Defense Minister Kevin] Andrews told The Australian earlier today that he was falsely accused of supporting gay conversion therapy, a topic he has never even discussed, with GetUp withdrawing the claim only after he threatened legal action.
He was also targeted by a multicultural group called Colour Code, which shared the same address as GetUp, and distributed material in Mandarin to Chinese-Australian voters in his Melbourne electorate of Menzies labelling him a racist.
theaustralian
Even some on the left of politics have had enough of this shadowy, but well-funded army of far-left goons. Former Labor powerbroker Graham Richardson is scathing.
Painted by its true believers as a bastion of truth and justice, GetUp has lost its allure to all but the starriest-eyed innocents….The tactics used by GetUp against Flint were disgraceful and Labor should be particularly wary about getting too close to the thuggish behaviour GetUp has often demonstrated that it is more than capable of dishing out…It pays to be wary of groups whose leadership is not easy to find. Paul Oosting is the public face but I wonder who is in the room when decisions are made about who to support and who to oppose.
theaustralian
That can be judged by the results: GetUp has only ever targeted Coalition politicians, and has only ever supported Labor and the Greens. Indeed, its former National Director quit to run (unsuccessfully) as a Greens candidate.
Another pertinent question might be exactly where and from whom GetUp is sourcing the millions it splashes on its bullying campaigns.