6 days Ago By Paul Sakkal
The election watchdog has warned a teal campaigning organisation headed by former North Sydney MP Kylea Tink to comply with disclosure rules as the group insists it does not have to reveal its funding sources as other political groups do. Shadow attorney-general Michaelia Cash wrote to the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) on April 4 asking if the Community Independents Project (CIP) was breaching electoral law by failing to register as a campaigning outfit, which would force transparency for its funding and spending. Kylea Tink (left) with Nicolette Boele, the teal candidate for Bradfield.
Credit: Edwina Pickles The project is largely run by former staffers for independent MPs and plays a central role in training and connecting teal hopefuls under the new leadership of Tink, whose seat is being abolished at this election. Despite stating on social media on April 2 that “we do not campaign or raise funds”, the project has paid for dozens of online ads spotlighting the work of teal MPs, encouraging volunteers to sign-up for their campaigns, and has solicited donations via its website. Tink herself toured Queensland in late March, visiting Climate 200-backed candidates in the Coalition-held seats of Dickson, Fairfax and Fisher.
Australian electoral law requires a group to register as a third-party campaigner if it spends money on material such as social media posts designed to influence voters. Organisations such as unions, right-wing campaign outfit Advance and the Climate Action Network are registered. Shadow attorney-general Michaelia Cash, pictured at the Liberal Party campaign launch on Sunday, has written to the Australian Electoral Commission to ask if the Community Independents Project breached electoral law.
Credit: James Brickwood But CIP director Tina Jackson, who worked for teal MP Zali Steggall, argued it did not fall into the category of a campaigning outfit on the advice of left-wing law firm Marque Lawyers because its advertising and activity is not designed to influence votes. “The CIP is a not-for-profit organisation that provides networking opportunities for everyone involved in the community independents movement, shares resources, provides civics education and spotlights the role of community independents,” Jackson said. “The CIP does not meet the definition of a third party or significant third party.
The vast majority of our work is carried out by unpaid volunteers with a small number of contractors.”.
