Media Release
Tuesday May 7, 2013 8:00am WST
For Immediate Release
No Embargoes

"It appears that Tony Abbott's disastrous launch of the WA Liberal "illegal boats" campaign Billboard in Perth two weeks ago has been dealt yet another fierce blow during the weekend, when an arson attack set fire to the shed behind Liberal Party Michael Keenan MP's Tuart Hill's electorate office. The fire did not just burn a 'campaign van' as reported by ABC Television yesterday (see below), but the television footage also shows the scorched remains of Tony Abbott's notorious "illegal boats" Billboard," WA Human Rights group Project SafeCom said today.

"Tony Abbott's high profile April 22 media launch of the Billboard came unstuck when during his press conference refugee activists bluntly told him that he was a liar - because there's nothing illegal about coming to Australia by boat to seek asylum. This intervention set the tone of the country-wide reportage of the launch, while some smarts in Perth 'redecorated' the Billboard during the following night," spokesman Jack H Smit said.

"Last weekend's arson is Tony Abbott's Third Crowing of the Rooster during his election night's vigil. If this man thinks he can hideously lie to the Australian electorate, and if this man thinks he can use the world's most vulnerable population group, asylum seekers, for political purposes by tying them to his election cart, hoping his lies and his manipulative reconstruction of politically opportune rhetoric is a kosher way to become Prime Minister, and if this man thinks that asylum seeker vilification is the way to The Lodge, then he now also needs to acknowledge that he will be fiercely pursued by the good folk of Australia, who will be shadowing him every step of the way until September 14, were he to intend insisting on the use of such hideous tactics."

Jack H Smit
Project SafeCom Inc.
[phone number posted]

Arsonists target federal MP's office in Perth

ABC News Online
By Alisha O'Flaherty
First posted Mon May 6, 2013 6:55pm AEST
Updated Mon May 6, 2013 7:13pm AEST

Arsonists have targeted the electorate office of the federal member for Stirling, Michael Keenan.

Firefighters were called to the office in the Perth suburb of Tuart Hill about 8:30 pm last night and found a shed at the back of the building on fire. The blaze also damaged a campaign van. The suspicious fire is estimated to have caused more than $50,000 damage. It comes about a fortnight after vandals targetted a billboard unveiled by Mr Keenan and the Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.

Mr Keenan says the incident is concerning. "Look. we really don't know much about it at the moment so the police are looking into it and obviously that's their job," he said. "I mean I'm pretty disappointed and we'd prefer that it hadn't happened but I just don't have any further details at this stage."

Mr Keenan says he does not know whether the billboard incident and the shed fire are linked. "Completely impossible for me to make any linkages at all," he said. "I don't know anything more than the fact that there was a fire and obviously it's not my job to investigate that, that will be the job of the police."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-06/arsonists-target-federal-mp27s-office/4672892