The ‘polite’ race between Labor’s Cindy O’Connor and Greens’ Tim Read has descended into attack ads, vandalised posters and mudslinging

Gloves off in Brunswick as Labor and Greens battle for seat

Gloves off in Brunswick as Labor and Greens battle for seat

In various places throughout Brunswick at the weekend, someone vandalised posters belonging to the Labor candidate, Cindy O’Connor.

Over her smiling, bespectacled face, there are now unauthorised stickers that accuse Labor of, among other things, wanting to incarcerate Aboriginal kids and desecrate sacred sites. “For a fucked future,” the sticker concludes.

Only last week, the race for Brunswick, between O’Connor and the Greens’ Tim Read, was described by one observer as “terribly polite”. As 24 November approaches, it appears unlikely to remain that way.

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Along Brunswick’s Sydney Road, Labor has plastered ads attacking the Greens, claiming they stand accused of “23 cases of inappropriate behaviour … and even sexual assault”. Accompanying social media ads have been beamed on to phones and laptops across Melbourne’s inner city and will continue until election day.

While most say the Greens are favourites, a scandal-plagued state campaign means the minor party is now on the defensive. Labor strategists believe the attack ads, which will run until election day, will cut into the Greens’ support among women.

On the streets of Brunswick, most voters Guardian Australia spoke to were unaware of the sexism and social media scandals that have hit Greens candidates and staffers since campaigning began.

“I heard that on the news the other day,” says Brunswick East artist Christine Polowyj, 43, of the premier, Daniel Andrews’ declaration that the Greens have a “toxic culture problem”. “It’s one of those political games they play.”

Dario Ogrim, 40, who has always voted Labor, and planned to do so again, says he viewed it as a broader problem with society. “I personally think that’s the world we live in,” says Orgim, a musician from Coburg, who believed politics was “for women”. “Men are too egotistical. If women can rear children, they can lead the nation.”

O’Connor, who did not respond to requests for an interview on Monday, has not publicly criticised the Greens directly over the issue.

In a social media post at the weekend noting it was her 45th birthday, she wrote: “So today I remind myself of this: the standard you walk past, is the standard you accept.

“Since a young age, I have always called out injustices. I have called out sexism and homophobia, called out and organised against attitudes and actions that risk lives … I will not support individuals [whose] actions have harmed individuals, particularly women.”

On their final weekend doorknock, some of O’Connor’s volunteers wore T-shirts with a simple message: “Vote for Women. Vote Labor.”

When pressed on whether the Greens have a cultural problem, Read points to the fact that seven of the Greens’ eight Victorian MPs are women. It was the same argument offered by the Greens MP Ellen Sandell in an interview on ABC Radio on Monday morning.

“We share problems of sexism and masculinity in common with the rest of society,” Read tells Guardian Australia. “I don’t think we’re immune from those.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Greens candidate Tim Read campaigns on Sydney Road. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Read notes O’Connor has not personally attacked the Greens, but accuses Victorian Labor headquarters of going “low”.

Catherine Deveny, Fiona Patten’s Reason party candidate, is not convinced the attacks will have an impact. “I think there will just be mudslinging everywhere,” she says.

The signs of an imminent election are now inescapable across the electorate. A venue called Maxine’s Exotic Lounge is displaying ads for Patten’s party. The local Club X venue is, too.

Near the prepolling station, where a record number of people have already voted, the scene is somewhere between a village and circus. There are some strange things happening.

Simone Marim, an Italian who arrived in Melbourne this week, is doling out how-to-vote cards for a local independent – one of nine candidates in the race.

Marim tells Guardian Australia his new gig was advertised on Gumtree. “My friend found the work and the girl said, ‘call as many people as you can,’” he says.

He says he’s now being paid $22 an hour to hand out political material for Kerry Sourasis, who is preferencing O’Connor third and Read last.

Sourasis’ how-to-vote cards have also been tied to street poles across the more conservative northern part of the electorate.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Comedian and Reason party candidate for Brunswick, Catherine Deveny, says voting is like ‘deciding which bucket of vomit you want to drink’. Photograph: Luke Henriques-Gomes/The Guardian

At prepolling, Deveny, a writer and comedian, has been handing out how-to-vote cards for O’Connor “for a bit of fun”. O’Connor has returned the favour. The pair have also taken selfies together which have been posted on social media.

Deveny is the wild card in the race. She is well-known locally, has a decent profile across Melbourne, and eschews talking points for comedic soundbites – voting is like “deciding which bucket of vomit you want to drink”, for example.

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If O’Connor is able to defy expectations and win, she’ll probably be thanking Deveny, who is directing her preferences to Labor.

Deveny herself says she has no idea how many votes she’ll get, and is not sure how many of her own supporters will follow the Reason party’s how-to-vote cards.

She claims she didn’t. “I’ve never followed a how-to-vote card in my life,” Deveny says, adding: “I’m very conflicted about who personally I’d like to win.”