The activist group GetUp! has congratulated itself on its election campaign and taken credit for campaigns that removed conservative Liberals from parliament.
GetUp! has posted a YouTube video applauding its campaign work, especially its use of phone banks to contact voters in marginal seats and its distribution of how-to-vote cards on polling day.
The Liberal Party has attacked GetUp!, claiming it poured a million dollars into the campaign against Andrew Nikolic in Bass, Tasmania. Nikolic was defeated by a swing of just over 10% in the Launceston-based electorate. Nikolic, a former army officer, was one of former prime minister Tony Abbott’s staunchest supporters in the last parliament. The Liberal Party’s Senate leader, Eric Abetz, has attributed Nikolic’s defeat to the campaign by GetUp!.
- Watch the GetUp! video (5m)
GetUp! email to mailing list subscribers.
Together, we made all the right people angry.
From politicians George Christensen, Peter Dutton and Eric Abetz, to Abbott ex-Chief of Staff Peta Credlin and even the Murdoch Press, GetUp members are being credited – and blamed – for major swings against hard-right MPs in our parliament.
This is the election strategy GetUp members devised and backed, and the proof that it worked is hanging on the lips of the far-right.
Check out this stunning video of the incredible things we achieved together in the 2016 election.
GetUp members campaigned on the things we believe in – and proved that genuine grassroots campaigning can shift votes on the issues that matter to our movement, from needs-based funding for our schools to investment in hospital care and our renewable energy future.
Fuelled by our passion and belief in something better, 3,736 GetUp volunteers put in 17,471 hours to reach undecided voters – that’s almost two whole years of donated time.
At last count, eight hard-right MPs – including Andrew Nikolic down in Bass – have lost their place in parliament. And many more will never feel safe again, including our infamous Immigration Minister Peter Dutton. Our movement has made a bold bid this election to hold far-right MPs accountable for their actions…
Our huge impact this election day has seen the hard-right flinging all sorts of insults and accusations at us, but here’s the truth.
We didn’t need a scare campaign, or millions of dollars from powerful unions, or lies to deceive voters – because we had something more powerful. You.
Thousands of Australians working together to challenge a dangerous group of politicians who hold us back on the issues that matter – funding for essential services, action on climate change, and our clean energy future.
It was a GetUp member, Trevor Harden, writing on our Facebook wall, who said it best:
May this election serve as an important lesson for the remainder of the hard-right – if you continue to block progress on a fairer, thriving and more just Australia, a people-powered campaign will come for you, and hold you to account.
Thanks Trevor and everyone who gave their time, voice or money to power this incredible campaign.
Paul, for the GetUp Team
