The hotly-contested Prahran byelection has been tense on the booths during pre-polling across the last week and a half. So much so that independent candidate Buzz Billman said he has decided to pull his volunteers off the voting centres today.
Right-wing lobby group Advance is backing an anti-Greens campaign in the electorate, claiming the minor party has become an extremist organisation.
Candidates have for a week complained of tensions on the early voting booths and Billman yesterday announced he was pulling his volunteers off, alleging Advance volunteers had been verbally abusive.
Independent candidate Buzz Billman said he would pull his volunteers from booths.
Advance disputes this, claiming the only appalling behaviour seen at pre-poll was from Greens volunteers.
The Greens have accused Advance of being a disinformation group with Trump-style tactics.
Billman said he had reported alleged aggressive behaviour to electoral officers at the voting booth and would be making a formal complaint to the Victorian Electoral Commission.
“I have run a small, independent, and progressive campaign at short, sharp notice. Many of my booths were to be staffed with single volunteers throughout the day,” Billman said in a statement.
“Safety is paramount, so in light of the concerns raised by my volunteers, I have decided to remove my volunteers from polling booths this Saturday.
“We have a proud history of democratic participation in elections safe from fear. This style of outright negative and intimidatory campaigning needs to be called out at every opportunity.”
A spokesman for Advance said the claims against its volunteers were untrue.
“The only appalling behaviour we have seen at pre-poll is from Greens volunteers,” he said. “Their behaviour is disgusting and offensive and has no place in Australia’s democratic discourse.”
Volunteers outside a voting booth in Prahran electorate on Saturday.Credit: Nine
Di Camillo this morning told reporters there had been a lot of negativity and “dirty politics”.
The Victorian Electoral Commission has been contacted for comment.
Greens candidate Angelica Di Camillo is fighting to retain the seat for the minor party after Sam Hibbins resigned following an affair with a staffer. Liberal candidate Rachel Westaway has a genuine chance of flipping the seat after exchanging preferences with ex-Labor MP turned independent candidate Tony Lupton.
Eleven candidates are contesting the byelection, including Di Camillo, Westaway, Lupton and Billman, as well as independents Janine Hendry, Nathan Chisholm and Alan Menadue; Family First’s Geneviève Gilbert; Libertarian Mark Dessau; Sustainable Australia’s Dennis Bilic; and Faith Fuhrer from the Animal Justice Party.
Voting closes at 6pm today.
