Election watch: Unauthorised posters attacking Labor’s Ged Kearney appear in her Melbourne electorate

Unauthorised posters accusing Ged Kearney, the ALP member for Cooper, of putting her personal shareholdings before her responsibilities as aged care spokeswoman have appeared in her electorate.

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) told RMIT FactLab it had received a complaint about the posters and said its authorisations team is investigating.

Ms Kearney’s Register of Members’ Interests documents shows she has no individual shareholdings. Her declared investments are in the HESTA superannuation fund and IFSInvest, a union-linked investment fund.

Before entering politics, Ms Kearney was the chair of HESTA, which calls itself the “only industry super fund solely dedicated to people in health and community service”. 

The posters feature a photo of Ms Kearney, the shadow assistant minister for health and ageing.

“Aged care is imploding … while your personal mining share portfolio is exploding!,” reads one poster. 

Another asks: “Where are your priorities Ged? Your personal share portfolio or aged care portfolio?”

Both state that her “silence is deafening”.

In the Melbourne suburb of Preston within Ms Carney’s seat, the posters are placed alongside a poster promoting the Greens. 

However, a Greens spokesperson told RMIT FactLab the posters were not their work and had no knowledge of the signs being posted in close proximity to theirs.

"The Australian Greens Victoria (AGV) can confirm that the Party and the Cooper campaign have no knowledge of unauthorised signs installed in close proximity to our campaign posters in Preston and Northcote," a spokesperson said.

"AGV authorises all material according to requirements set by the AEC. AGV has reported these signs to the AEC."

A spokesperson for the poster company used by the Greens said the attack material had been booked through a third party, which the spokesperson declined to identify. 

A spokesperson for the AEC said any material that sought to influence how someone might vote needed authorisation. 

Ms Kearney’s office declined to comment.