The federal election campaign trail in Eden-Monaro is experiencing unprecedented hostility in the ongoing 2025 race as candidates report high levels of harassment, intimidation, and vandalism. Verbal abuse and disrespect have plagued both major parties, marking a distressing climate in this key regional seat.
PHOTO: Both major party candidates in Eden-Monaro have reported hostility in their 2025 election campaigns.
Numerous incidents have surfaced since early April. Labor candidate Kristy McBain has reported substantial hostility, with her campaign materials and members being targeted. According to Ms McBain, “Dishonest, intimidating, and offensive behaviour at polling booths isn’t acceptable and should be called out… people will be really disappointed that this is happening.”
PHOTO: Kristy McBain campaigning at a polling booth CREDIT: Yass Valley Councillor Allan McGrath
The campaign has not only seen materials defaced — reports from Kristy McBain’s office claim the theft of hundreds of Ms McBain’s corflutes from private properties and verbal abuse directed at her campaign team, prompting police involvement. Additionally, Liberal volunteers at Queanbeyan early voting centre have been reported making false claims about Ms McBain’s role during the Tathra fires, such as “Kristy let houses burn during the Tathra fires.”
In response to the overarching hostility, Ms McBain emphasised Australia’s strong democratic ethos, stating, “Australia is one of the world’s strongest democracies and our system of elections is the world’s best. It’s a core Australian value that everyone has the right to participate, peacefully and without intimidation.”
PHOTO: Liberal candidate Jo van der Plaat’s corflutes defaced with nuclear stickers.
Meanwhile, Liberal candidate Jo van der Plaat reports facing similar hostile actions. Speaking on the maltreatment her campaign has endured, Ms van der Plaat lamented, “I can’t tell you how many of my corflutes have been stolen, how many have been defaced… We had a threat last night in our Goulburn office… someone would burn the place down.”
Her campaign has also dealt with lewd comments from opposition volunteers and offensive acts, such as human faeces smeared on a campaign vehicle.
Both candidates express deep disappointment with the current political climate, highlighting the need to address the deterioration in civil discourse.
Ms Van der Plaat remarked, “I had to stand and listen to a labor volunteer today tell me how he goes to Parliament House, to perv on all the female politicians and how hot they are, I mean that’s disgusting talk. “That’s one of the biggest reasons I put my hand up, is to try and bring some decency back into politics.”
With the election just days away on Saturday May 3, it’s yet to be seen whether things will cool down or escalate further in Eden-Monaro.
Of the 50,000 placards they are displaying everywhere including in illegal locations, there is no wonder people are offended by them. The country is in dire straights, the cost of living has never been higher, we are being price gouged by the 2 most profitable supermarkets in the world, we have 4 of the 8 most profitable banks in the world, rorting and ripping us off. We allow multi nationals to hoover inordinate amounts of money out of our country without paying tax.. and these two wings of the same bird are both beholden to these corporate owners.. combined both parties have received over a quarter of a billion dollars from their owners toward their campaigns in the last 10 yrs..and they will never do anything to change this corrupt system..they will continue to drain you dry.
The only way to stop this rorting of our country is to vote small parties or independents into power to hold them to account, if you don’t you get what you voted for, Fraser Buchanan