The real brains behind any election campaign sit far from the travelling circus of the leaders’ buses. Coalition insiders will tell you Scott Morrison’s “miracle” election win of 2019 was less a miracle than a brilliantly executed, disciplined and effective campaign.
Three years on — and with Morrison needing another miracle — the government is hoping to put together the same ingredients that went into 2019’s magic pudding, so much of the campaign infrastructure looks strikingly similar.
Once again, the Liberal and Nationals campaign headquarters is in the inner-Brisbane suburb of Milton. It’s in the electorate of Brisbane, a marginal seat Labor is pushing at, as it tries to break down the Coalition’s “maroon wall” (it holds 23 of Queensland’s 30 seats).
The influence of Crosby Textor, the Coalition-aligned political consulting shop founded by John Howard’s dark lord Sir Lynton Crosby, runs deep through Coalition HQ. CT’s Mike Turner will conduct internal polling. CT alum Andrew “Hirsty” Hirst, the Liberal Party’s federal director who masterminded the last campaign, is again running the show. He’s also brought back ex-CT guy Isaac Levido, who ran Boris Johnson’s landslide 2019 victory, and deputy federal director Simon Berger.
Filling out the Brisbane office is a smattering of staffers. Morrison’s chief of staff, John Kunkel, is on policy, and Michaelia Cash’s spinner, Guy Creighton, is heading media. Other ministerial flacks on the team include Kane Silom (Josh Frydenberg’s office), former political editor of Adelaide’s The Advertiser Sheradyn Holderhead (Anne Ruston’s office) and Dean Shachar (prime minister’s office).
What about Labor? In what could be some kind of laboured metaphor for the party’s shifting support base, it has traded Parramatta for the boujee, post-gentrification inner-Sydney enclave of Surry Hills.
Just a stone’s throw away in Chippendale are the offices of Campaign Edge, whose Dee Madigan will be behind the party’s advertising. She’s fresh from running a critical campaign for the South Australian Ambulance Employees Association which helped deliver Labor’s victory in the recent state election. YouGov and Redbridge are both involved with polling.
Leading Labor’s team is national secretary Paul Erickson, in charge of his first campaign. In 2019, The Australian tried to cancel him as a hard left Corbynista, but considering the generally modest tone of Labor’s campaign there was clearly not much to that attack. Penny Wong’s deputy chief of staff John Olenich is leading communications, and assistant national secretary Jen Light is looking after marginal seat strategy.
After a tough first week on the road for the opposition leader, Team Albo has its work cut out.
Meanwhile, Morrison and Albanese are joined on their whirlwind trip around the country with a cohort of insiders. For the prime minister it’s key confidant Yaron Finkelstein and chief spinner Andrew Carswell. Albanese is travelling with chief of staff Tim Gartrell (the brains behind Kevin ’07) and media adviser Liz Fitch.
Campaigns also have a way of promoting a handful of ministerial types on the rise. Last time the Coalition’s campaign spokesman was Simon Birmingham, now finance minister and one of the government’s go-to soundbite guys. This time, it’s Social Services Minister Anne Ruston who has the pleasure of staying behind in Parliament House as spokeswoman. She’s getting plenty of air time, and looks a shoo-in for next health minister if the government wins.
Labor is leaning on its housing spokesman Jason Clare and its finance spokeswoman Katy Gallagher.
Expect to hear plenty from them over the next few weeks and in prominent roles should Albanese form government.
How hard is it to run an election campaign adverts on Morrison’s lies, deceptions and disgraceful and abhorrent behaviour including from members of his own party calling him out There is so much video footage to choose from. Easy!!! If i had access to the footage i do it in the national interest
The video footage is out there on the internet. Anyone with a few skills cou ld put together a damning montage.
EXACTLY. Getting MSM to report it seems to be a lost cause. AFR and SMH/AGE have ceased to provide us with a view different to Murdoch. And I am constantly disappoointed with the ABC’s capitulation – I suppose with the threat of funding cuts (jobs) and the right wing LNP board they don’t have much choice.
The SMH/The Age recently even ran an article via their Washington correspondent to ‘reboot’ the Biden Jnr. laptop conspiracy using Murdoch’s NY Post tabloid as a credible source; other media promoting the same include the Kremlin backed Zero Hedge, Fox News and RT.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/hunter-biden-s-laptop-scandal-gets-rebooted-ahead-of-mid-terms-20220401-p5a9z0.html
I have watched Labour’s advertising over a few elections now And I think the adverts are not very good.
Sorry Dee but I think a more dynamic agency is called for.
As noted by others, the LNP/Morrison are wide open for attack on, Honesty, rorts,inaction,lies and on and on.
The Gruen Transfer TV show showed some really good sit up and take notice ads that could be adapted.
Also the Air NZ ads using humor and laughter are very effective. Sure there is not much to laugh about with the LNP, but there is plenty to laugh at.
After a short spell in the Union movement, I do believe that there is not any humor in the Labour/Union grouping they are all too damn serious, perhaps they give the wrong brief to their ad Agency. Something more effective is desperately needed
And Shaun Micallef had a nice go last night too. ther meat for comedy adn comment is endless . . .
I agree. Their advertising last time was toothless, and it looks to be going the same way this time.
….and Michaelia Cash’s spinner, Guy Creighton, is heading media.
Which must be a relief for Guy – Cash would be difficult to spin, as Micallef showed last night.
Wasn’t that wodnerful!
Yes it sure was.
Albanese needs to take lessons from Grace Tame whose sharp cut-through comments sting, every time, remaining memorable forever. A three word grab will move him forward infinitely faster than 30 words of complex construction delivered in a gabble.
He is yet another creature of SussexSt – only the vermin in its basement have the key used to open his empty head each morning to pour in the day’s talking points.
That’s why he flounder flails when the day’s script runs out or something arises which has not been preprogrammed – just like Shorten unable to think on his feet in real time.
Neither ever had an original idea nor do seen the need to do so, let alone understand the concept.
Given such a rag tail paucity of ministerial talent in the Coalition, it is just as important to know and scrutinise those who hold these important portfolios. It is quite inadequate having all the focus on only one personn the party.