Electronic roadside signs urging voters to “Put Labor Last” have been removed by the Blue Mountains City Council in New South Wales, after being deemed a safety hazard and breaching local rules on political signage.
The illuminated signs, which flashed the slogan “Make Australia Happy, Put Labor Last,” appeared on public land along highways in the Blue Mountains region. Council officials said no permission had been sought to place the signs, which were found to be a distraction for drivers.
“We have rules about placing political signage on public property and those rules are, simply, that you don’t do it,” said Mayor Mark Greenhill, a member of the Labor Party.
He added that some signs were “dangerously located” on already problematic stretches of road.
The signs were authorised by Morgan Jonas, leader of the Freedom Party, a Victorian micro-party that is not contesting seats in this weekend’s federal election. While not registered with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), the party is registered with the Victorian Electoral Commission.
When questioned by council rangers, the sign company claimed to have received legal advice suggesting the placement was allowed, but failed to produce the evidence when asked.
Mr Jonas reportedly agreed to the council’s request to remove the signs, though the council is still considering whether to pursue enforcement action.
AEC Confirms Electoral Compliance, Despite Visibility Concerns
According to AEC spokesperson Alex Morris, the signs technically complied with federal electoral laws because they carried proper authorisation stickers — even though in many cases these were handwritten on duct tape and barely visible.
“It’s one of those obscure rules in the Electoral Act,” Morris told ABC Radio Sydney. “The law only requires the authorisation to be legible to someone who walks up to the sign.”
He confirmed that while the signs did not breach federal electoral rules, their placement on public land falls under local and state jurisdiction, meaning councils have the authority to remove or regulate them.
Similar signs have also appeared in Bennelong and Ryde, two key battlegrounds in Sydney, but it’s unclear if local councils there will take similar action.
The AEC previously issued a caution to Mr Jonas for displaying partially authorised political signs attacking Labor candidates in multiple states.
