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The Greens’ Wollongong byelection candidate has accused the Labor Party of misleading voters by using volunteers in green T-shirts to distribute what looked like Greens’ material on Saturday.

Cath Blakey spotted the small cards – which read “Voting Green? Vote 2 Paul Scully” on one side and “Send a message to the Liberals at this byelection” on the other – being handed out at polling booths across the electorate. 

The card was authorised by Kaila Murnain, the general secretary of the Australian Labor Party’s NSW branch. 

Although the card’s message didn’t differ from that of the Greens, who preferenced Labor’s Paul Scully on its how-to-vote card, Ms Blakey said it “did rattle some of our volunteers”.

“There was confusion ... [because] some of the Labor volunteers wearing Green shirts were really rude to voters,” she said.

“Generally our volunteers are always very polite.”

Ms Blakey believed Labor’s use of the how-to-vote showed it was “particularly worried” about Independent candidate Gordon Bradbery.

“Even though the Labor Party had registered it and it had the Labor party logo, tinily in the corner, it did mislead people,” she said.

“Even though they weren't saying anything different to what we were, the way they were doing it I think it really shows the Labor Party must think we’re a threat.”

The person in charge of Labor’s Wollongong byelection campaign has rejected suggestions her party was out to mislead voters at the ballot box on Saturday.

Kaila Murnain, the general secretary of NSW Labor, said the party’s decision to distribute green how-to-vote cards, steering Greens voters’ second preferences towards Labor, was within electoral guidelines.

The small card was part of a suite of measures employed by the NSW Opposition to ensure it retained the Wollongong seat, amid political pressure from Independent challenger – and Wollongong lord mayor – Gordon Bradbery. 

Hundreds of Labor candidate Paul Scully’s corflutes were dotted across a large swathe of the 79 square-kilometre Wollongong electorate, while numerous pieces of his campaign material was found in mailboxes in the lead-up to polling day. 

The Mercury asked Ms Murnain what the intention of the “Voting Green? Vote 2 Paul Scully” card was, and whether the party conceded it could have mislead voters. 

“Labor was pleased to receive preferences from Cath Blakey, candidate for the Greens, following the announcement of our Jobs Action Plan, including the Green Jobs Plan for the Illawarrra,” she said in a statement.

“Volunteers were working to ensure Greens voters fully exercised their opportunity to preference Labor and support our jobs action plan.”

Ms Murnain said her party “fully complied with all electoral laws” in relation to the green how-to-vote cards.

The Greens handed out similar how-to-votes, which were blue and said “If you’re voting Liberal 1, give [then Greens candidate] Jamie Parker your number 2”, in Balmain at the 2015 state election.

Cr Bradbery said there was an impression the Wollongong cards were “put out and authorised by the Greens”. 

“They [the Labor Party] did apply their skills in a rather creative way, if I could put it like that, but that’s part of the game, the whole political game,” he said.

Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.

Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.

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