Lobby group GetUp were criticised earlier this week for launching a video that depicted former Prime Minister Tony Abbott as a surf lifesaver refusing the save people.

The group has since withdrawn the ad and issued an apology, but their not backing down from targeting the former PM and his fight to keep his seat of Warringah.

GetUp have just launched an SMS campaign to encourage people who contributed to their marriage equality campaign to join in their election activities saying this election is “our chance to win safe schools and a parliament free of homophobes.”

The SMS message asks volunteers to get involved to kick out politicians like Tony Abbott, Peter Dutton and other “hard right pollies”.

A spokesperson for GetUp told the Guardian that they hoped to engage more members of the LGBTIQ community in their campaign.

“We want their help to rid parliament of hard-right wreckers who have out-of-date views on LGBTQ issues and actively campaigned against marriage equality.” a spokesperson said.

Both Tony Abbott and Peter Dutton were prominent voices in the marriage equality postal survey, both politicians voiced their opposition to same-sex couples getting married.

OIP Staff