Vandalism, Campaign Drama Fails to Shift Voter Sentiment in Key Australian Seat

The contest in Kooyong has become a case study in how campaign theatrics can overshadow policy debate.

Amelia Hamer (Left) the Liberal candidate for the seat of Kooyong speaks as Monique Ryan (Right) the Teals MP for the seat of Kooyong looks on during a community candidates' Forum in Melbourne, Australia on April 24, 2025. Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images

In Melbourne’s leafy inner east, a bitter war is being waged.

Voters in the hotly-contested seat of Kooyong have been bombarded with anti-teal pamphlets, corflutes ripped down, “dirt” uncovered and candidate forums gatecrashed and shunned.