AEC releases influencer guidelines

Following the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) determining that Abbie Chatfield’s podcast interviews with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Greens leader Adam Bandt did not require an authorisation, it released additional guidance for influencers, podcasters and content creators.

It specified that communication need an authorisation only if it’s paid advertising, gifts-in-kind are used or the material is communicated on behalf of a political entity.

There was a focus on cross-posting, which is when an influencer and a political figure “collaborate” on a social media post, making it appear on both accounts.

Essentially, cross-posting does require an authorisation if posted by a political entity (a party, candidate or associated entity such as a union), but it is the responsibility of the politician, not the influencer.

Influencer claims LNP misrepresented her

Content creator Holly MacAlpine, known on Instagram and TikTok as hollyunmuted, created a video with Greens senator for Queensland Larissa Waters.

In the video, MacAlpine shared apparent misconceptions about the Greens and Waters tried to debunk them. The Liberal Party seized the opportunity to edit the clips of MacAlpine and use them for its own political advertising.

The original video, the traction it received after MacAlpine’s response that she’d been misrepresented, and subsequent videos from her saying Liberals were using “high-school mean girl tactics” have spotlighted the fact that election laws don’t regulate truth.

A glance at MacAlpine’s page makes it clear she’s endorsed the Greens this election. But this story has made her the face of a lesson to young voters that politically authorised videos cannot be trusted.

When Chatfield met Lambie

Abbie Chatfield’s latest political interview on her podcast It’s A Lot was Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie. Lambie and Chatfield discussed the politician’s passion for veteran affairs, cuts to the NDIS, the Senator’s history with Clive Palmer and his United Party, and mental health policy.

The episode begins with Chatfield telling Lambie she “confuses the Australian public” on where she stands on the political spectrum. Lambie replies that, for her, “it’s not about left and right, it’s about right and wrong”.

Lambie said on the podcast that she wants the Albanese Labor government to win the election because a lot of work from its first three-year term has been rebuilding after nine years of a Liberal-National Coalition. She believes the Coalition’s problem is that it doesn’t believe its been in opposition for three years, and has no strong platform.

Lambie and Chatfield have a good rapport, bonding over their separate appearances on I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here and their shared disdain for Liberal senator Jane Hume.

Hume prompted the AEC “probe” into authorisation of Chatfield’s podcast and has been on the receiving end of Lambie’s angry questioning in Senate estimates.

Lambie comes off as likeable and the format feels far more relaxed, making it a natural fit for Chatfield’s podcast feed and a more compelling listen than her earlier interview with Albanese.

Lib candidate dropped after podcast appearance

Former paratrooper Ben Britton is running as an independent for NSW’s seat of Whitlam after being dropped by the Liberals over resurfaced comments he made on a podcast.

Britton’s comments included that Australian education “brainwashed” students and that women should not serve in combat roles with the Australian Defence Force. He claims women shouldn’t be able to serve because their hips can’t handle it.

It repeats a debate in the US back in November after President Donald Trump’s defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, made similar claims. Perhaps Britton is taking a page out of the US playbook?

Britton has since accused “faceless men” of making up lies and coordinating a “witch hunt” against him.

Speaking of Liberal reluctance to podcast opportunities, Peter Dutton was called out by youth media company The Daily Aus this week for turning down an interview opportunity and its pitch for the first youth media-moderated leaders’ debate – something Albanese said he was on board for.

Predating the campaign, Dutton has appeared on Straight Talk with Mark Bouris and Diving Deep with Australian Olympic diver turned political podcaster Sam Fricker. So we can’t say he’s uninterested in the new media approach but he is more selective with his appearances.

Advance pays to promote FriendlyJordies’ video

Right-wing lobby group Advance Australia has been running ads through a Facebook page dubbed “Election News” – one of six Facebook pages it has with names like “Greens Trust” and “Albanese is Weak, Woke and Sending us Broke”. Through its Election News page, Advance has paid to boost a FriendlyJordies video from November 2025 with the title “Labor is too WOKE”.

There is nothing to suggest Advance is collaborating with content creator Jordan Shanks-Markovina (aka FriendlyJordies), just that it is paying to promote the video. Clicking on a video turns the headline to “The Liberals WILL Privatise Medicare” and the video description includes “watch more videos to learn about how bad the Liberal Party are”, with a link to other content.

A quick look back on internet archive the WayBack Machine shows that this was not always the video’s title or description. As recently as March 17, it was “Labor is too WOKE”, so perhaps Shanks-Markovina caught on and changed the title and description after Election News started pushing it out on March 28.

Video of the week

Milly Rose Bannister has been supporting NSW member Allegra Spender on the trail for reelection, with videos and speaking engagements.

Bannister’s latest video is not her most viewed, or even her most on-trend (I’ve been told by my more online colleagues that this trend has circulated for about a month). Nonetheless her “petting my dog based on how much I like the policy” has started a conversation in the newsroom, and therefore I’m crowning it video of the week.

The video, made in collaboration with Climate 200, stars Bannister’s dog Frankie paired with a viral audio listing desserts that might have left some viewers scratching their heads. Nonetheless, it shows Climate 200 are looking for voters online.

Though the podcast appearance is a new media version of long-form interviewing – and there’s a newer, better-edited version of an endorsement packaged up in an Instagram reel – this video exemplifies the niche ways election campaigning is showing up online.