OpenAustralia relaunches site to monitor election leaflets ahead of poll
Government accountability group OpenAustralia has relaunched its website electionleaflets.org.au ahead of the September federal election.
Since its launch in 2010, the site was used at the federal election and various state elections to monitor the leaflets being distributed by various political parties.
“At the last federal election we had eight weeks of intense leafletting and there were 650 odd leaflets in that time but while we are still a long way away from the election we are already getting a number of them,” Matthew Landauer, director and co-founder of OpenAustralia.
The website allows users to upload the election advertising they receive and shows in which states and electorates particular material is being distributed. In the last five days the site has already received a numerous of leaflets from the various major parties and also minor parties such the Greens, Democrats and Climate Sceptics.
“Candidates who are leafletting themselves will often upload the material to the site themselves just as another way of getting their message out,” said Landauer.
“As a voter you have the opportunity to look at what is being distributed in your area and also in nearby areas. We also want to expose dirty tricks and make them less likely.”
“At the last Federal Election there were a bunch of stories that came out of leaflets directly uploaded to our site and we would expect that to happen again this election.”
In the 2007 election the Coalition was rocked by a scandal in the seat of Lindsay after Liberal Party volunteers distributed fake election pamphlets, which purported to be from an Islamic organisation did not exist.
Landauer set up his site in the wake of that scandal but says it is not just dirty tricks the site is targeting. He argues that one of the key benefits of the site is that voters and journalists can compare what the major parties are promising in different areas.
“You can look at how leaflets from one party are different in different geographical areas and that can be quite interesting. In the past we have seen parties make promises to people in one area and then promise something contradictory to another area,” he said.
“In the past you would never have known about that. Our hope is to keep everyone honest, keep it straightforward and make sure what’s out there is visible.”
Nic Christensen
I know this is completely un PC but they’re right, the massive cost of boat refugees is a disgrace. And now they want to plough out 20 billion from schools, health and universities and still pay for these freeloaders. Good riddance Gillard…..
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@brian
Its also un-christian, un-democratic, un-humanitarian, un-compassionate, un-wise, and ill informed.
Save money by NOT warehousing/imprisoning refugees, simple.
And if you think we will get flooded, we rank 47th for intakes per population.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L.....population
Would take an impossible amount of refugees to see us flooded.
These are the facts no need to be scared buddy 🙂
Oh and they are not ‘freeloaders’ currently 84% applicants are found to be a legit refugee seeking refuge from a well-founded fear of persecution on account of his race, religion, ect.
(See Myth 5)
http://www.erc.org.au/index.ph.....ment_id=64
Again a fact, no worries OK? so don’t believe the hype mate, you will feel a whole lot better.
Also the top 2 countries refugees are fleeing are Afghanistan and Iraq, countries we have both fought wars in.
So it seems we can send our men and women (and loads of money) to fight and be KILLED in these countries but we cant accept refugees from these wars?
Seems a bit illogical does it not?
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@ No fear etc…
1) I never once said let’s not have a refugee program. The one we currently have, however, is a monumental costly failure that detains children for long periods.
2) Per population, Australia now ranks second for refugee intake in the world.
3) It’s estimated that 70% of arrivals aren’t bona fide refugees. 70% of arrivals are Sri Lankan, who aren’t refugees, who are sent straight home.
4) Many are rich Iranians who fly to Indonesia and won’t renounce their Iranian passport (take Britain as an eg, where many refugees go back home for holidays!!!)
5) The Australian government has every legal right to protect its borders and set a limit on refugees who come to this country.
6) We’ve just upped our refugee intake to 20,000. Currently there’s 30,000+ boat arrivals per annum.
7) Sure, people have a legal right to seek refuge; however, the Australian taxpayer also has every right to be concerned that there’s now a $60 billion deficit and this morning Gillard we’ll all be paying another $400 a year Medicare.
8) The screaming Left are quick to rush to “refugees” plight yet totally ignore homelessness in this country, Indigenous health, aged care, the appalling treatment of the disabled etc…
9) Yes, why did we fight in those wars in Afghanistan and Iraq if it was such a monumental failure and created and exodus out of those countries?
10) Many refugees settle in western Sydney (the third most expensive city in the world) with poor skills, language and employment prospects. What sort of chronic underclass are we creating here.
11) Despite what Labor governments think – chronic welfare is not charity.
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1) Agreed, both major parties are aiming for the bottom of the barrel.
2, 3 ,4) Can you link your source please, if we were both experts on the subject I would
believe your statements in a heartbeat, since we are not lets link some references huh?
5)The UN Refugee Convention (to which Australia is a signatory) recognises that refugees have a right to enter a country for the purposes of seeking asylum, regardless of how they arrive or whether they hold valid travel or identity documents.
http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49da0e466.html
6)Source?
7)Seems at odds with 5? Plus simple solution, stop wasting money on warehousing them, Security check and release… shouldn’t take years of incarceration and millions of dollars, you see they do waste so much money to appease the ill-informed, frightened few who oppose the refugee intake, ironic yes?
8)Homelessness was addressed by Rudd, Indigenous health labor continued howards intervention, aged care labor gave largest increase to pension, treatment of the disabled: heard of the NDIS? all from a so called left party…The lefts can have more then one issue on their minds…
9) Thats a question to put to certain ministers…
10)Source?
11)???
Too many opinions based statements, none supported by referenced facts.
Like I said the facts are not so scary, and you will live healthier if you aren’t ruled by fear.
Good health to you sir!
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Good idea to have a full listing of electoral material published. I wish they could give measure the lie rate.
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