GetUp is not backing my campaign: Kingston

In an email late last week, staff issued a rallying call to members and volunteers to "stand up and be counted."

"GetUp have announced they are supporting (independent) Huw Kingston and targeting Angus (Taylor - Liberal candidate)," it stated.

"Kingston is preferencing Labor and The Greens and vice-versa."

GetUp chairman Paul Oosting said last week the group was targeting 29 seats, including Hume, promoting action on climate change and handing out its own how to vote cards.

But Mr Kingston said he had never requested the group's support and had simply filled out a survey GetUp had sent to all candidates about a month ago.

"As a result, they have decided to campaign in Hume in a minimal way, essentially suggesting that if people want action on climate change they should vote for Aoife Champion (Labor), me or The Greens," he said.

The independent said it was "utter bunkum" to suggest the group was financially supporting his campaign.

"They are not backing my campaign in any way," he said.

"...I have not received 10 cents from GetUp."

Former GetUp chairman Dr Anne Coombs attended this week's Goulburn Chamber of Commerce candidates forum. Last year she considered running against Mr Taylor on a climate change action platform in the absence of a more high profile contender. She told The Guardian she would help any other candidate who came forward.

But Mr Kingston said Ms Coombs was only on "the boundary" of his campaign and he had no association with GetUp.

While he insisted he wasn't aligned with any party, he had to nominate suggestions on his how to vote card. If he had directed people to simply mark him as number one, this risked an informal vote, he said. In contrast to the optional preferential system that applied at the State election, whereby a person could choose just one candidate if they wished, at the Federal poll, voters had to number Hume candidates from one to seven.

His card lists Labor second, The Greens third, The Liberals fourth, Christian Democrats fifth, United Australia Party sixth and Fraser Anning's Conservative National Party seventh.

Mr Taylor declined to comment.

Previously asked about the Liberals' preference deal with the United Australia Party and whether leader Clive Palmer should pay his debt to workers, he told The Post in a statement:

"We want people to vote Liberal in Hume.

"This election is a choice between our government that is building a stronger economy or a Labor Party that would weaken our economy and hit voters in Hume with higher taxes.

"If a debt is owed it should be paid - that's a very simple proposition. Clive Palmer should pay his workers. As the Prime Minister has said: 'Clive Palmer should do what every other Australian should do and that is they should abide by the law and that's why our government is actually pursuing that through the courts as we speak.'"

The UAP's Hume candidate, Lynda Abdo, lives in Queensland. At Wednesday's Chamber of Commerce forum she said she had been campaigning in the seat and would be doing more in Goulburn this week.

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