'Push polling' used in Australian elections Background Briefing website: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/bbing Sunday 28 February, 1999 (9:48am AEDT) There is new evidence today that "push polling" is more widespread in Australia than first thought. "Push polling" is a telephone poll which seeks to damage the reputation of rival candidates running for elections. A significant sum of money was paid in compensation as part of a defamation settlement two months ago over a "push poll" in Canberra against Labor candidate Sue Robinson. In today's Background Briefing program on Radio National there are claims the practice was used in the Northern Territory election in 1994. Andrew Coward was the senior adviser to the Northern Territory's Chief Minister, Marshall Perron, from 1988 to 1995. He was also part of the Country Liberal Party's campaign team. He says push polling was a major part of their re-election strategy and it was discussed regularly during campaign committee meetings. "I was not alone on the committee and some people must have known because the word "push polling" was mentioned day after day, 'shall we do it today or shall we do it tommorrow'," Mr Coward said. © 1999 Australian Broadcasting Corporation Updated: Sun Feb 28 09:50:01 1999 (AEDT) Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
