Earlier this month, something bizarre happened, and I hesitated to publish it until I could confirm it was real.
On March 16, an anonymous post appeared in the “WTF Mount Eliza” Facebook group. It opened with:
“Hi, I’m Matt.”
“I’m running because I care about Dunkley and the people here. Growing up, I saw working-class families and renters like myself pushed out as costs soared. Many of my friends can no longer afford to live in the place they grew up. The system is failing us, and I’m stepping up to change it. I’m not a career politician—I’m one of you, committed to building a fairer society where Dunkley gets the attention it deserves.”
The post was accompanied by an extremely grainy picture of a man posing in front of the bush. The quality was so pixelated that it resembled those infamous blurry Bigfoot or UFO photos—just enough detail to hint at a human figure, but not quite enough to be sure. In an era where even the most basic smartphones can capture HD-quality images, this was a baffling choice for an official political campaign.
The post continued:
“Dunkley is home to hard-working people—renters, small business owners, and families. We share a common struggle: rising costs and a housing crisis. Many of us are working longer hours, yet we can’t keep up. If you’re worried about the cost of living, housing, or climate, you’re not alone. In a wealthy country like ours, everyone should be able to afford the basics: a home, food, and world-class health and education. And we should be taking strong action on the climate and environment crisis, not backing more coal and gas. While you pay more, one in three big corporations pay zero tax. More Greens will keep Dutton out and get Labor to act. If you want change, the first step is to vote for it. This time, vote 1 Greens.”
The post quickly became a hit, though not for the reasons Matt Maber might have hoped.
One user, Tommy Jackson, commented:
“Can’t wait to tick ‘anonymous member’ on the ballot.”
Keegan Whitecunas added:
“Posts as anonymous and first sentence is ‘Hi, I’m Matt.’ Sums up the Greens party right there. 🤣🤣🤣”
Sam Webster chimed in:
“Upgrade the Nokia, pal.”
Max Taargus noted:
“Bruh, the photo you used is like 50 pixels.”
It seemed too ridiculous to be real. Surely, this was some kind of prank.
But it wasn’t.
A quick check of the official Greens website confirmed that Dunkley’s candidate is indeed Matt Maber, with the exact same text and image used on his official campaign page. Yes, that Bigfoot-esque photo is his official campaign image.
This begs the question: was this just a lack of resources, or a sign of deeper issues within the Greens’ campaign strategy? For a party that claims to champion young people and progressive change, you’d expect a more polished digital presence. A candidate’s introduction to the public is crucial—especially when running against established political figures—and yet, the Greens have presented their Dunkley contender in a manner that makes a blurry Bigfoot sighting look high-definition by comparison.
Between Matt Maber’s cryptid-level online presence in Dunkley and Adam Frogley running for Flinders while living nearly two hours away from the Mornington Peninsula, it’s hard to take the Greens’ candidate selection process seriously. Are these the best representatives they could find? Are they truly committed to these electorates, or just placing names on ballots to boost their overall numbers?
If this is the level of effort being put into their campaign, one has to wonder: how can you take the Greens seriously?
