Cricket viewers have been repeatedly confronted over the summer by a crude advert featuring quotes from alleged victims of sexual abuse within the Greens as part of a conservative group’s all-out attack to drag down the left-wing party’s polls.
The ad from right-wing advocacy group Advance quietly begins with a somber headline on a black background telling viewers that “The following are actual quotes from victims of alleged sexual assault and bullying within the Green Party.”
Three young women are then shown in an anonymous silhouette, each labeled “Former Greens member and alleged sexual assault survivor.”
“They belittled me, silenced me and blamed me as a victim,” says the first female voiceover,
This is followed by “The Greens don’t care what happens to women within the party” and “The party knew about my alleged sexual predator and did nothing.”
Those who see the ad are directed to a website that lists press reports about stories of alleged sexual abuse, toxic workplaces and cover-ups within the Greens.
Cricket viewers have been repeatedly confronted over the summer by a shady advert featuring quotes from alleged victims of sexual abuse within the Greens.
Advance, who rose to prominence coordinating the major No campaign against Indigenous Voice to Parliament in the run-up to the 2023 referendum, defended the brutal tone of the ad to Daily Mail Australia.
“Allegations and revelations about serious sexual misconduct and harassment within the Greens have been going on for years and the voting public needs to know the staggering extent of these allegations,” Advance spokesperson Sandra Bourke said.
‘The complaints against the Greens are not trivial and include serious allegations of harassment, sexual assault, rape cover-ups and even pedophilia.
‘So many unresolved accusations for so many years would destroy other political parties and rightly so. This time the Greens will not have a free hand.’
Bourke said the advert had reached 3.4 million video views on digital television alone during the break, including high-profile events such as cricket.
“We’ve reached over a million people on social media,” he said.
‘In addition to this, we have 70 high-profile, high-traffic billboards in metropolitan locations across New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia.
Disturbingly, Mrs Bourke, the advert had given rise to a series of stories in a similar vein.
High-profile Greens supporter comedian Tom Ballard, who has held fundraisers for the party and against whom no allegations of wrongdoing are suggested, has certainly taken note of Advance’s campaign.
“We have been inundated with former party members, supporters and even candidates sharing their stories,” he said.
Ms Bourke took some of the credit for tarnishing the Greens, as recent polls show they are losing support across the country and particularly in the inner-city areas where they are seeking votes.
“The important message of this campaign has reached millions of Australians over the summer,” Ms Bourke said.
‘At the same time, the Greens continue to fall in the polls. This shows that the more voters hear the truth about the Greens, the less they like them. It is understandable that this is so.
“It’s clear that Australians are waking up to the fact that the Greens are not who they used to be.
‘For a long time, the Greens made it seem like they were a harmless environmental party.
“The truth is they are not who they used to be and Australian voters deserve to know the truth.”
High-profile Greens supporter comedian Tom Ballard, who has held fundraisers for the party and against whom no allegations of wrongdoing are suggested, has certainly taken note of Advance’s campaign.
On December 30, he posted an image smiling and giving a thumbs up in front of an Advance sign that said the Greens “are not who you think they are” and invites passersby to use a QR code to “read the receipts.”
A recent Resolve Political Monitor showed support for the Greens among voters aged 18 to 34 falling to 23 per cent compared to 27 per cent in the previous poll.
New polls, conducted for The Australian, have also shown support for the Greens fell nationally during the final quarter of 2024 from 13 per cent to 12 per cent.
The Greens have been contacted for comment.
Advance, originally known as Advance Australia, was formed by former Liberal staffer Gerard Benedet in 2018 as a counter to the left-wing group GetUp!.
Advance has copied the electoral strategy of GetUp! of not defending a party but publishing negative ads against ideological political opponents.