ALP poster pinching an inside job?

A party supporter has posted a picture on a social networking site of himself and a friend waving uprooted posters for Brindabella candidate Karl Maftoum and posting that soon, there would be none left.

Labor officials dismissed the antics as “skylarking” yesterday but the Canberra Liberals alleged that it was factionally motivated.

Mr Maftoum has lost dozens of his posters in Tuggeranong in the month of September and fellow Labor candidate Mick Gentleman is understood to have lost hundreds in what the candidates believe are nighttime raids.

But Dean Goulder, who the Liberals say is a former campaign worker for Ginninderra Labor candidate Jayson Hinder, has appeared in pictures on his Twitter feed, hoisting aloft Mr Maftoum’s posters.

In separate tweets, Mr Goulder boasts of being drunk while stealing a candidate’s poster and warns there might not be any left.

“Don't worry, I got so drunk the other night that I stole one of his signs, after tonight there'll probably be none left,” Mr Goulder tweeted.

Mr Goulder told the Canberra Times via Twitter that he was not a campaign worker and that his actions with Mr Maftoum’s signs were not politically motivated.

“I wouldn’t say I’ve been helping out on Jayson’s campaign, apart from attending the launch and helping his lovely mother lift heavy things when needed,” Mr Goulder said.

“I also wouldn’t say I nicked them (the posters), they had already been knocked over by someone else and weren’t visible to anyone.

“I just picked them up and got the photo with them because I was walking home after a few drinks with friends.”

Neither Mr Hinder or Mr Maftoum, both members of Labor’s right faction, responded to requests for interviews but a spokesman for the Liberals’ campaign alleged that Mr Goulder acted out of factional motivations.

“It must humiliating for the Labor Party Campaign to have had so many strong words about Liberal Party signs and playing by the rules to find out it is actually their own people stealing their own signs,” the spokesman said.

“Clearly, being part of "Katy Gallaghers Team" is really just a meaningless bumper sticker.

“The factions are alive and well and kicking each other daily on the campaign trail.”