Fresh from “helping Labor” at the last federal election (according to Eric Abetz), word is that activist group GetUp’s ties to the Labor party continue.

Sam McLean, who was the organisation’s national director until last year, from next week joins Opposition Leader Bill Shorten’s office. Crikey understands he’ll be working on social media and campaigning — his expertise at GetUp will come in handy. Shorten was, of course, one of the founding board directors of GetUp. He left when he became a politician.

McLean had several years of involvement at GetUp after joining as a volunteer in 2007. He told Fairfax when quitting last year he was going to go spend some time lying on the beach. His LinkedIn suggests he’s spent the year doing consulting work.

The Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters will hold its first hearings into the last election in a couple of weeks, where it is expected GetUp’s impact on the campaign will be heavily scrutinised. A submission to the inquiry from the HS Chapman Society repeats many of the conspiracy theories about GetUp Abetz quoted in the Senate, along with a claim that “there is a “potential for GetUp to engage in false enrolments onto the electoral roll”.