A CONSERVATIVE group who issued how-to-vote cards at the state election has rejected claims by independent candidate Peter Dowling that they were organised by the LNP.
Mr Dowling said the cards were organised by the LNP and were aimed at confusing One Nation voters so preferences would be directed to sitting LNP MP Matt McEachan.
The how-to-vote cards were printed in the same orange as One Nation livery. On the other side it was LNP blue, with different voting instructions.
Ron and Raewyn Hutchins, co-ordinators of the conservative group Rite-ON whose logo appeared on the cards, said Mr Dowling’s claim was false.
“If the LNP had organised this, there is no way that Peter Dowling (whom the LNP regard as a turncoat for giving his preferences to Labor) would have received the second preference on the Rite-ON cards as he did,” they said.
“It is entirely legitimate for a grassroots volunteer group like Rite-ON to issue alternative how-to- vote cards to try to ensure conservative preferences did not end up electing Labor.
“This project was made necessary by One Nation’s disgraceful decision to preference Labor over sitting LNP MPs like Matt McEachen, thus re-directing conservative votes in order to get the ALP re-elected.
“Our organisation is entirely independent and does not favour one conservative party over another, which is why we produced a how-to- vote card with one side for LNP voters and the other for One Nation voters.
“We were successful in some electorates but unfortunately not in Redlands.
“This was our initiative, supported by pro-family groups who also wanted voters to make an informed decision on where to put their preferences, and had nothing to do with the LNP.”