CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
As the Australian Labor Party experience a lift in the polls in the third week of the federal election campaign, political analysts say the media can expect a lot more new faces fronting cameras in the next few weeks.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese’s Covid isolation has done wonders for the Labor brand over the last week, giving his lesser known shadow cabinet ministers the opportunity to introduce themselves to the Australian voters.
With Jason Clare MP, Jim Chalmers MP and Senator Kristina Keneally delivering body blows to the Morrison Government with far more gusto then Albanese is able to mutter out, the current strategy of letting Labor’s attack dogs do the heavy lifting is unlikely to change.
However, there is also a vast number of Labor MPs that are being left on the bench, as the Opposition looks to distance themselves as far as possible from the failed 2019 campaign.
While the ALP machine does their best to look like they are taking each day as it comes with a relaxed and calm approach, they have also maintained a tight control on media appearances and daily messaging.
This has left prominent frontbenchers out of the headlines, namely the Member for Sydney Tanya Plibersek – who data shows might be a ‘little too left’ for an Australian public who are merely looking for a less incompetent version of the Morrison Government.
Labor heavyweight Penny Wong has also been reined in, with her soundbites only drip feed to the public in small doses.
One MP, however, that is getting absolutely zero air time is the Victorian Member For Maribyrnong Bill Shorten.
This comes as the Opposition works tirelessly to ensure the Australian public forget that they are the same party that has already lost to a limping Scott Morrison.
Shorten has not even been allowed the right to comment on the Liberal Party’s slashing of the NDIS, for fear that he might end up on another front page of a Murdoch rag, or in a cartoon billboard paid for by Clive Palmer.
Instead, the Labor Party have chained him to the bar of The Footscray Hotel, in the heart of his electorate.
“Bill, we want you to just stay here and drink pints for the next 3 weeks” says a nameless Labor powerbroker.
“Your seat is safe enough. We’ve sent out phamplets and how-to-vote cards. Your job will be there when you come back”
“And if we win, you can talk as much shit about Morrison as you want. But in order for that to happen, we need you to stay here”
“This chain is double padlocked and we’ve given the publican a bed pan for you to shit in and bank card to pay for your meals”
“Enjoy yourself. It’s kind like the opposite of lockdown, just this time you aren’t allowed to leave the pub”
