Federal election 2022: O’Connor MP Rick Wilson slams sign ‘vandalism’ across electorate

Federal Member for O’Connor Rick Wilson says he will report a spate of corflute vandalism to the Australian Electoral Commission, laying some of the blame on a State Labor MP for coming up with the slogan used on the stickers. Mr Wilson said he had found more than 15 signs across the O’Connor electorate — including in Albany and Collie — featuring “Rick Needs the Flick” or “Give Rick the Flick” stickers. The “Give Rick the Flick” stickers state they are authorised by the Maritime Union of Australia, while the “Rick Needs the Flick” stickers do not disclose their origins. According to the AEC, all electoral communications — including stickers — need to be authorised to give transparency to voters and allow voters to know who is communicating with them. Mr Wilson took a swipe at Kalgoorlie-based State Labor MLC Kyle McGinn over the origins of the “Give Rick the Flick” slogan. “Kyle is a former MUA heavy,” he said. “He is a very aggressive character and so I am doing the detective work here. “When I see that stickers authorised by the MUA are being posted around my electorate with minute disclosures as to their origin, I am going to call it out and say that this is emanating out of a State Labor MP’s office. “I think the local State MPs need to call off their union mates and put a stop to it.” Mr Wilson said he would report damage to his corflutes to the AEC for “appropriate consideration and referral for investigation”. “As to my corflutes, which are being vandalised and irreparably damaged, with a similar ‘Rick Needs the Flick’ message, there are no disclosures on those stickers so I cannot say who is responsible for those,” he said. Mr McGinn said the claims were “absolutely insulting”. “Absolutely I created the hashtag ‘Give Rick The Flick’ in a Kalgoorlie Miner opinion piece that I wrote a few months ago, and if people have chosen to run with that it’s only because Rick Wilson has been missing in action in the O’Connor electorate ever since he has been elected,” he said. “And I think the people of O’Connor are absolutely sick and tired of having a member who is not standing up for them. “I want to make this very clear — I do not condone people putting stickers or graffitiing anyone’s political signs.” MUA WA branch secretary Will Tracey said the anonymous stickers were not from their union and the MUA did not condone vandalism. “The MUA is unapologetic about the stickers it has printed with “Give Rick the Flick” and we encourage the electors in O’Connor to do exactly that,” he said. “This current Government has been toxic for maritime workers across the country with the continued undermining of seafarers’ jobs and the active intervention in bargaining campaigns for waterfront and towage workers based on no more than lies and distortions. “We do not shy away from campaigning against the members of this Government and we put our name to our material. “We have nothing to hide and stickers that are not authorised by the MUA are not MUA stickers.”