Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has taken the extraordinary step of hiring 10 security guards to protect his election billboards from vandals at night.
Ahead of the federal election on May 21, a number of Frydenberg’s posters have been defaced with Nazi swastikas, Hitler moustaches and other political messages.
The vandals have been relentless in the inner-east Melbourne electorate of Kooyong, a previously safe Liberal seat.
Victoria Police are also investigating a supporter of Frydenberg’s independent challenger Monique Ryan, who was caught on social media allegedly defacing a Frydenberg sign earlier this week.
Frydenberg is said to be fed up with the ‘deliberate and targeted effort’ to vandalise his election boards.
He singled out Ms Ryan, the former director of neurology at the Royal Children’s Hospital, labelling her a ‘fake’ independent.
‘It doesn’t go unnoticed that while on one side of the road my campaign boards are defaced, and on the other side of the road, the so-called independent’s board is left unscathed,’ Frydenberg fumed.
Doctor Ryan hit back in a debate on Thursday, labelling Frydenberg the ‘Treasurer for NSW’ who had failed to provide a healthy economy or action on climate change, according to The Age.
She distanced herself from the vandalism, pointing out on Twitter some of her own signs had been targeted.
A number of A3 stickers – featuring an image of Labor leader Anthony Albanese and the words ‘VOTE RYAN YOU GET LABOR’ – were added to many of her public displays.
‘This is expensive & well organised. We have reported it to the police & the AEC,’ she tweeted.
A spokesperson for Dr Ryan confirmed ‘any volunteer that damages the material of another candidates’ will be removed from her campaign.
‘In regard to vandalism of Mr Frydenberg’s campaign materials, all of Dr Ryan’s campaign volunteers are required to sign a code of conduct that includes a pledge not to undertake any activity which would place the campaign in disrepute,’ Ms Ryan’s spokesman said.