Two prominent CLP candidates who have appeared on an unauthorised political page promoting gas exploration in the Beetaloo Basin say they do not know who is behind the campaign.
Back Beetaloo's corflutes have been seen in Darwin, and its Facebook page has spent more than $2,000 on political advertising since the campaign began, but its ads lack an authorisation which has attracted the ire of the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC).
Candidate for Lingiari, Damien Ryan, and NT Senate candidate Jacinta Price have both appeared on Back Beetaloo's Facebook page wearing branded T-shirts.
Both candidates said they do not know who is financing the organisation, which runs a slickly designed website, distributes branded merchandise, and has spent $9,000 on political Facebook ads since it was created last year.
Mr Ryan said "I couldn't tell you that" when asked who was behind the page.
Ms Price said she knew who was behind the campaign, "it's the Back Beetaloo campaign".
The AEC said in a statement to the ABC that authorisations are required by the governing body so that "voters know who is communicating with them".
Voters 'can contact them directly'
When asked if her constituents had a right to know who was running the campaign, Ms Price suggested voters reach out to the Facebook page themselves to find out.
"It's [the voter's] prerogative if they want to do that," she said.
The ABC has not received a response to a Facebook message to the organisation or a formal request for comment sent to its website's contact form.
Ms Price said this was "up to them".
She said she appeared in their material because she agreed with their message.
'Conspiracy theories'
A Back Beetaloo's ad in Darwin attacked a pastoral family that owns cattle stations in the Beetaloo Basin for not supporting gas exploration.
The electorate where Mr Ryan is running, Lingiari, includes all of the Territory's remote cattle stations, including the family's properties.
Mr Ryan said he had not seen the ad and would not comment on it because it was "not in Lingiari".
In a post to the page, Mr Ryan is shown voicing his support for the page's cause in a video.
When asked who performed the interview Mr Ryan said a "cameraman" had, but would not be drawn on further information about the video.
He said he had not received a political donation from the organisation.
Mr Ryan said he was concerned about "conspiracy theories" that had surfaced around the page but did not elaborate on what those theories were.
Queensland University of Technology digital media expert Daniel Angus said the page had all the hallmarks of an "astroturfing campaign".
Speaking generally about astroturfing, Dr Angus said astroturfing campaigns appeared to be "grassroots" but were typically financed by lobby groups or political organisations.
Back Beetaloo has been contacted for comment.
