"Although Peter Batchelor thought he was acting on the advice of the local [Australian Electoral Commission] returning officer, he now clearly understands that all volunteers need to work together and make sure all voting centres are free from such disputes," the spokesman said. Greens signage is removed from outside Clifton Hill Primary School. "Labor's Victorian Branch has reiterated to Labor volunteers that they must respect private property and work amicably with other political parties to ensure voting centres are free from disputes relating to space allocated for political signage." In the video, Mr Batchelor can be seen replacing one of the two Greens banners on the school railing with a Labor banner. When asked if the Greens had a strategy to blanket Batman with election campaign material, leaving no room for others, Batman Greens campaign manager Clint Hare said they were running a "high-profile" campaign.

"We make no apologies for running a high-profile, visible, professional, campaign that reminds voters that they have a real choice this election," Mr Hare said. Former Labor MP Peter Batchelor. Credit:Wayne Taylor "I don't know if there is a traditional way to do it, or how it has always been in the past … we are definitely trying to make a highly-visible campaign. So taking up every millimetre? Not. But what we have done is make a highly-visible campaign here." "We make sure that our visual presence conforms to AEC rules, but it is a breach of AEC rules to tear down, or remove campaign material of other parties." Alex Bhathal, the Greens candidate for the seat of Batman. Credit:Paul Jeffers

﻿Victorian Greens state director, Larissa Brown said the party was "seeking action" from the AEC. Electoral law expert Professor Graeme Orr of the University of Queensland said there was not a clear section in the Electoral Act forbidding the removal of signs. The federal member for Batman, Labor's David Feeney. "These sort of low-level dirty tricks happen all the time in elections and I don't think it has ever been held to be an offence under the act." "The closest it would come is a catchall provision called "Interference with political liberty" [section 327] of the Electoral Act.

"There is a wrong done somewhere, whether under private law (trespass to property) or criminal law (damage to property) but I can't see the police being too interested in charging someone. He cited a Federal Court case involving Liberal MP Warren Entsch in 2005 where a man complained that his anti-Entsch posters were torn down, denying his right to express his political views. The Federal Court judge found against him in that case saying: "That expression does not seem appropriate to describe the conduct in question." Professor Orr said: "It's arguable that one of the political rights and freedoms that's well established in modern campaigning is to be able to put up these posters and the only people who have a right to take them down would be property owners or the council." The Act provides penalties for breaches of the section of fines of up to $1000 or one year's imprisonment.

﻿Mr Batchelor and the AEC have been contacted for comment. with Richard Willingham Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Facebook