Heavenly hate mail and the Lindsay pamphlet scandal

I got the hate mail because I was the authoriser, the person required under the Commonwealth Electoral Act to vouch for the material – the person who arranged for its production and distribution.

It’s one of the best features of the archaic old Act. It makes you think twice before you stick your name and address on the material. I have refused to authorise local material, including one where the local campaign wanted to distribute copies of negative media stories surrounding a Liberal MPs boyfriend. It’s a good principle that if you are going to make controversial claims you have to put your name to it.
 
This brings me to the ongoing saga of the Lindsay pamphlet scandal. What Jackie Kelly, the then Federal MP for Lindsay called a “Chaser-style prank” involving that well known comedy team from the hard right wing of the Liberal Party – including her husband Gary Clarke and Jeff Egan, a member of the NSW Liberal Party Executive.
 
You remember – that hilarious satire with the claims about the fake organisation the Islamic Australia Federation, the support for the Bali bombers, the phony mosque to be built in St Marys and that rib tickling punchline - “Ala Akba”.
 
Last month Gary Clarke was found guilty of breaching the Act and fined $1100 plus costs.  Jeff Egan was found not guilty as the court found that he was unaware of the nature of the material he admitted to distributing in the dark of night in the suburbs of Lindsay, a week before the election.
 
I’ve never met a political operative who hasn’t taken an interest in the material they are asked to hand out or letterbox. Most like to critique it, usually with an eye for what they could have done better.
 
Whoever did cook up the Lindsay pamphlet not only knew what they were doing - they’d either done it before or learnt it from someone who did.

Labor’s Jenny MacAllister lost in 2001 in the NSW Nth Coast seat of Richmond after pamphlets were circulated accusing her of supporting the relocation of refugees into local caravan parks - although at least in this case the local Nat campaign director had the guts to authorise it, even if it was in the smallest font known to humanity.
 
More famously, Ed Husic (the son of Bosnian Muslim parents) was subject to election flyers claiming he was the preferred Muslim candidate (“Ed Husic is a devout Muslim. Ed is working hard to get a better deal for Islam in Greenway” to be precise) and featuring the ALP logo. This was the prototype for Lindsay developed in the heartland of the right wing of the NSW Libs.
 
Two of Labor’s best and brightest from my generation lost their best chance to serve their party and their country.  In both cases it was because of fraud and dirty tricks. I hope they persevere with politics. They deserve much better than this.
 
Following President Obama’s appeal to moderate Muslims, we should also reflect on the enormous damage this practice could do to our national interest and our reputation with our Muslim neighbours in the region.
 
That’s what the Lindsay court case should have been about. Not the failure to authorise (the political equivalent of nabbing Al Capone on tax) but outright fraud, misrepresentation and the damage that this would have on relations with moderate Australian Muslims.
 
It’s time for a revamp of the rusty old electoral act to move away from the system of polite warning letters from the AEC and the $1100 slap on the wrist to some real penalties.

Let’s give the AFP and the Commonwealth DPP the means to go after electoral fraudsters and the associated politicians who benefit from their tactics – those who use race, religion and anonymity to cheat their way into office.
 
In the meantime, Jeff Egan continues with a civil assault action against those who uncovered this slimy little operation. “Ala Akba” indeed.

- Tim Gartrell is the CEO of Auspoll and the former National Secretary of the ALP.