From Return to Office to Working from Kirribilli House
What a first week of the federal election campaign it’s been - the RBA held rates, Trump enacted Liberation Day, and April Fool’s Day kept things interesting. But everyone’s made it through (mostly) unscathed.
It’s the election of millennials, zoomers, and new platforms, as we are reminded every single day.
The Liberals have embraced TikTok to tell young people that Labor is ‘mid’, while Albo has countered with a podcast blitz, and dares (“delulu with no solulu”) in a bid to win over the mystical youth.
Meanwhile, Scott Yung, the Liberal candidate for Bennelong, partnered with Chinese-language influencers on Rednote. This meets the promise of a niche, rather than just new media, with Yung engaging directly with the one-third of his electorate who have Chinese ancestry.
It all presents a challenge for regulators, with Rednote under fire for spreading false claims on Chinese Australians and citizenship and the Electoral Commission reviewing whether Abbie Chatfield posts should be classified as political content. Making new rules may turn out to be as important as making new content.
Campaign Clangers
The campaign trail is long, relentless, and overstimulating - all with a travelling press gallery that’s akin to a hangry toddler demanding answers to the universe. Thankfully, this can lead to a bit of a laugh.
The Prime Minister got a little tongue tied after being asked “385 times” about a potential deal with the Greens, declaring “If you ask me 'Do you rule out governing in coalition with the Greens?', the answer to that is no.” Maybe 386th time's the charm?
Opposition leader Peter Dutton was accused of measuring the curtains before he’d closed the deal with the Australian public, proudly declaring he would rather live in Kirribilli House than The Lodge. In fairness, same.
Independent candidate Nicolette Boele was in hot water after jokingly complimenting a hair wash by saying “that was amazing and I didn’t even have sex with you.” Boele must be hoping the old Head and Shoulders tagline ‘You Never Get a Second Chance to Make a First Impression’ doesn’t hold true.
Lastly, The Greens floated a new public holiday - National Chill Out Day - on 20th April (4/20). It turned out to be an April Fools’ joke, but we might all need it in a couple of weeks.