The independent MP Zoe Daniel has said her campaign team had nothing to do with a phone survey the Coalition has criticised as “push polling”, a criticism rejected by the company responsible for launching it on behalf of Climate 200.
Nine Newspapers has published the audio of a robocall authorised by the polling company uComms, which provides a favourable overview of Daniel’s record in parliament before asking how a person would vote on 3 May.
“Your independent member Zoe Daniel has advocated for long-term economic reform, protecting the environment for future generations and for there to be more compassion and integrity in politics,” the robocall states.
“Knowing this about Zoe Daniel, if a federal election were held today, who would receive your first preference vote?”
The survey then lists all candidates in the Goldstein electorate, with Daniel named first.
The audio then asks for a person’s age and education level before asking whether someone would be less or more likely to vote from the Liberal party “if it distanced itself from the National party and the extreme agenda of its MPs … who oppose taking action on climate change and want to roll back abortion rights”.
Push polling is a negative campaigning technique that uses loaded questions in an attempt to sway the respondent’s position.
The Coaliton’s campaign spokesperson, James Paterson, said voters in several teal seats are receiving “more calls from aggressive push pollers than they are from their own family”.
“When a campaign relied on push polling, it tells you something about their priorities,” Paterson said. “They are not interested in listening to voters – they are trying to steer and manipulate them.”
Daniel said “this is not a poll that we commissioned, paid for, or put into the field”.
“Climate 200 has made it clear to us that this poll meets Australian Electoral Commission guidelines,” Daniel said. “They are adamant that it does not constitute push polling, despite claims to the contrary.
“As previously stated, I do not support push polling for myself or anyone else.”
A spokesperson for the polling company uComms told Nine the survey was conducted “in accordance with guidelines set down by the Australian Polling Council”.
“Under the APC guidelines, demographic and voter intention questions must be asked first to avoid bias,” said Logan Leatch, the chief executive of the polling firm’s parent company. “UComms is dedicated to providing accurate results.”
Climate 200 declined to comment.
Earlier this month, independent MPs criticised a “blatant push poll” that targeted voters in two teal-held seats, with one labelling it an “affront to democracy”.
The “electoral poll” conducted by “Intelligent Dialogue” asked respondents in Daniel’s seat of Goldstein to select which candidate would receive their vote if an election was held today.
If respondents chose someone other than Daniel, the survey concluded.
But if they selected the teal MP, they were asked two additional questions.
The first read: “[Zoe Daniel/Allegra Spender] is a teal MP who receives significant funding from Simon Holmes à Court, a billionaire investor. Some people are concerned that it makes her and other teals less independent. Do you agree or disagree?”
At the time, Daniel described the survey as “dirty tactics” which were designed to sow discord in voters’ minds.
“I think it’s unethical, and I think it’s an affront to democracy, and I think it’s insulting to voters,” she said.
