Chatfield takes aim at Liberal Party after AEC clears political posts
Prominent creator Abbie Chatfield, last night, took aim at the Liberal Party following an investigation by The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) into whether her political posts were paid ads.
Go Deeper: On Wednesday night, The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the AEC is reviewing whether posts, where she interviewed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese or DJed with Greens leader Adam Bandt, should be classified as political content and made to carry a standard authorisation message, which all political advertising must have.
@abbiechatfield Medicare is one of many defining policies between the Labor Party and the Liberal Party discussed in this week’s @itsalotpod episode with Prime Minister Albanese @AlboMP , available wherever you get your podcasts. To summarise… Labor have: ✅ Opened 80+ bulk billing urgent care clinics with plans for more ✅ Announced $573 million pledge for Women’s Health, including addition funding specifically for Endometriosis, menopause and long term contraceptives such as IUDs ✅ Increased Medicare Rebates ✅ Reversed the downward trend of bulk billing numbers Meanwhile, the Liberal Party is run by a man who: ✅ Was voted worth Health Minister since Federation ✅ Tried to abolish bulk billing with a co-pay system ✅ Wanted to add a tax to emergency room visits ✅Tried to rip $50 BILLION from the hospital system
♬ original sound - Abbie Chatfield
By late Thursday afternoon the AEC went public that it had cleared Chatfield of any wrongdoing but the case remains an interesting test case for content creators who share posts that instruct listeners how to vote during an election campaign.
Nic Christensen
In particular the AEC is thought to have looked at a recent video from Chatfield where she DJed a set with Greens leader Adam Bandt. In the post with the video she wrote: "VOTE 1 Greens".
@abbiechatfield VOTE 1 GREENS @Adam Bandt @Australian Greens
♬ original sound - Abbie Chatfield
What they said: A spokesperson for the AEC told the SMH, Chatfield’s content could appear as influencing people how to cast their votes, but said there was no evidence of her receiving a monetary benefit for the posts.
“In addition, questions put to both interviewees were sourced from the podcast’s audience. There is no evidence that either Mr Albanese or Mr Bandt had creative control in relation to the questions that were asked,” a spokesperson for the commission said.
In a post last night, Chatfield took aim at the Liberal Party over the AEC investigation. "The Liberal Party is deliberately trying to sow seeds of doubt when it comes to influencers and new media and it's fucking embarrassing and it's fucking transparent," Chatfield said. "There was no reason to question the integrity of my posts as I had repeatedly stated publicly that I was not paid."
@abbiechatfield I was cleared by the AEC because there was nothing there. This is a media strategy from the Liberal Party to discredit influencers speaking on politics, and to discourage others from getting involved. Anyway,Vote 1 Greens and put Libs last. #auspol #lnp #liberal #liberals #greens AUTHORISED BY ABBIE CHATFIELD
♬ original sound - Abbie Chatfield
Chatfield has also recently made posts critical of the media's coverage of the role of creators in the campaign and she has also urged creators to be outspoken in their political views.
@abbiechatfield #influencer #fyp #auspol #lnp #alp #liberal #labor #greens #australiangreens
♬ original sound - Abbie Chatfield
In recent weeks the growing role of creators in the current election campaign has grabbed headlines, with Instagrammers being allowed into the Federal Budget lock-up, for the first time, and creators expected to be allowed on the campaign buses.
Nic Christensen
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