Greens leader Adam Bandt sent a heartfelt email to supporters mourning the loss of his dog – before repeatedly adding links urging them to donate to his party.
Daily Mail Australia has obtained a fundraising email sent by Mr Bandt to party supporters on Thursday, announcing the death of his family dog Max last weekend after “14 years of friendship, love and fun”.
“It’s not easy to say goodbye,” the Melbourne MP wrote. “Our young children never knew life without him, and one of them said it was like losing a big brother.”
But after commemorating the death of his “running buddy and head hair shaker,” the tone of Mr. Bandt’s email suddenly changed.
Mr. Bandt said Max’s death “made him think about the world my children know… a world with pandemics and climate change, with children living in tents and babies in the rubble… and without Max.” ‘
The email then linked four times to a donation page, where Greens supporters could choose to donate between $25 and $250, plus the option to make monthly contributions.
“With your support, we will campaign to achieve historic growth in Parliament so that we can protect all that we hold most dear,” Mr Bandt’s email said.
‘Change history… GIVE NOW.’
Greens leader Adam Bandt’s dog Max died last weekend after ’14 years of friendship, love and fun’ (together, above). He took the opportunity to send a fundraising email
Mr Bandt sent a heartfelt email to subscribers about the sudden death of his family dog, but added a series of links urging them to donate to his campaign
A political insider told Daily Mail Australia the Greens have one of the most sophisticated email marketing systems in Australian politics.
This particular email, although signed by Mr Bandt, was sent from a broader address of ‘federal parliamentarians’.
“As you heard me say, we are about to make history in the next election,” Bandt wrote in the email.
“So whatever you can give, every dollar makes a difference!
“While some loss is part of life, like losing our beloved Max, if we seize this moment we can stop climate losses on an unimaginable scale. We can give our children the world they deserve.’
The email ends with a final message, which reads: ‘PS. If you give before June 30, you can claim your donation on your tax return this financial year. All donations up to €1,500 are tax deductible. Some supporters even donated their new (phase three) tax cuts to us!’
The Greens are a political force in the current parliament and are often the deciding vote in the Senate. Above, leader Mr Bandt MP and his partner Claudia Perkins at the 2022 Midwinter Ball
The Greens have 15 MPs and Senators in the current Federal Parliament, following several unrests in Queensland during the last election.
But they have ambitions to expand even further, with up to seven marginal seats with a large tenant population in their sights.
Mr. Bandt has recently been criticized for his social media marketing tactics.
Parliamentary officials have ordered him to delete a social media post he made against Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek in March over concerns it contained misinformation.
Mr. Bandt accused Ms. Plibersek in a Facebook post of “fast-tracking” environmental crises and making “dodgy deals.”
The video wrongly suggested that Ms Plibersek bragged in Parliament about fast-track approvals for gas projects.
According to the media code, photographs and images of parliamentary proceedings must be a fair and accurate representation of those proceedings and may not be digitally manipulated.
A spokesperson for Mr Bandt told Daily Mail Australia at the time that the minister’s reference to “resource projects” angered him and prompted the post.
“It is shameful that the Environment Secretary has bragged about approving new fossil fuel projects during a climate crisis, and we will continue to hold her to account for her role in fast-tracking new coal and gas,” they said.
“At the next election, the Greens will notify Sydney residents of every coal and gas mine that Tanya Plibersek has approved as Environment Minister.”
