Age: Oakleigh Leaflet Scandal Could Derail Brumby #vicvotes

Here is the full catastrophe:

Leaflets urging voters to support the ALP were discovered in letterboxes in Oakleigh yesterday, triggering allegations that the Government “dirt unit” is knee-deep in what critics describe as “out and out electioneering.”

Dozen of the leaflets, titled “Five Reasons to Re-Elect the Brumby Government”, were retrieved by the Age Insight team after a six month undercover operation overseen by veteran reporter, Royce Millar.

“I have seen political malevolence in myriad forms, but never this stark or jarring,” Millar said of the leaflets.

“This blatant urging to cast votes in favour of the ALP at the expense of other legitimate political parties, especially the Greens, uncorks a vile totalitarian stench,” Millar said.

The leaflets contain several pictures of Premier John Brumby and local ALP candidates, who appear to be smiling, along with statements regarding a list of alleged “achievements”.

The Age has recently uncovered numerous efforts by the Brumby Government to secure political and electoral advantage, primarily through the unprecedented use of “researchers” and attempts to highlight weakness in their opponents.  There are also rumours that ALP candidates are conducting “meetings” where they unapologetically call for political support in the form of so-called “speeches”.  The Insight team is unable to confirm reports of “doorknocking”, — the act of personally meeting voters in their homes, long thought to be at the heart of the ALP’s secret campaign.

“Whether or not “door-knocking” turns out to be more than a chilling rumour, there is no question that ALP is resorting to increasingly extreme tactics in what appears to be an startling and audacious attempt to win an election,” Millar said, weeping softly.

The Insight Team received special dispensation from the MEAA to visit the southeastern suburbs in order to report this story.