“There are just a few big things to get right in a federal campaign: leader, policies and messaging. It is simple. No, it is,” writes political columnist ANDREW HUGHES.  

The Coalition campaign will go down in history as one of the worst ever. On any side. 

There are just a few big things to get right in a federal campaign: leader, policies and messaging. It is simple. No, it is. 

Policies

Where it goes wrong is where parties ignore us, and give us what they think we want, not what we actually do. Example: not one piece of market research said people wanted $600 billion (or $400 billion) spent on nuclear reactors, but nearly everyone supported a big spend on housing supply. Simple, right? I thought you’d agree. 

The Liberals get another three years, likely six, to try and demonstrate to us they can read the room/nation on what matters policy wise. Or maybe they’ll borrow the ACT branch’s book on how to lose the middle and influence just the base. Hello 2030’s for a shot at the prize. 

They’ve just got obliterated in an election so it’s time to break paradigms. Or to use one of the most abused and common terms in the Canberra edition of the Buzzwords for Beginner’s book: widen the lens. Through a pivot. That’ll be a promotion and a BYD EV, thanks. 

So they need to build a party for 2025, not 1995. The next leader must be progressive. Otherwise, they should stop using the word Liberal. 

Leader and candidates

The next leader with a chance (likely 2031) must be a woman. I’ve lost count of the number of women around the nation, post Brittany and ScoMo era, who’ve told me they wanted to run for the Liberals but were deterred by attitudes, policies, leaders and, for some, harassment. 

Some have drifted teal. Some go back to outstanding careers in organisations that embrace and respect them. No wonder. Ultimately, democracy loses. 

Experience you ask? No. Jacinda Ardern came from nowhere and won in seven weeks. Labour in NZ went from 24 per cent to 42 per cent primary in 42 days. You either want to govern for the many or represent the few. Your choice. 

A leader should be aspirational. Full of hope. Ideas. Reflective of us. Making us feel by who they are that they listen. They care. They engage. Inspiring to those inside and outside of the party. Obama was absolutely awesome at this. 

But most importantly, giving us confidence that they are ready to govern. The PM in the final two weeks of the campaign had that everywhere. 

Gender and background equality in candidates is a must. Those with it had considerably more success than those without it on May 3. And not to focus too much on the Liberals but the Nats are the same. Example, they have had six women in the Upper House in NSW. Six. Yeahhh, real progress. 

If I was the Liberals, I would be ensuring not just gender parity but also ensuring 25 per cent of candidates were 35 and under. Gen Y is nearly at their power era, that time for most between 35-60 when you are at the peak of intellectual powers. 

Messaging

Finally, messaging. In 2025, an effective political message needs to focus on simplicity, clarity, tangibility and crucially convey information visually in a short time frame of perhaps as little as 10-15 seconds. 

You can’t change attitudes, but you can change perception. Labor did this so well. 

Framing and consistency were key to this in a dual campaign of brand building for Labor and brand destroying the Coalition. 

Consistency with the other two elements, with a balanced strategy with mainstream media acting as the reinforcer and reminder of more targeted messaging in the media and on the socials. Positive messaging was done using the leader always, smiling, on point and focused on tangibles and immediate. It was like how a bank markets itself – low risk, low uncertainty, and a smiling face. Nothing crazy like ending WFH. 

The negative subtlety intertwined positive messaging on health with a fear campaign based on the Coalition’s tone-deaf policy announcement of cutting back public servants. The PM then used the Medicare prop to underlie this. The He Cuts, You Pays, negative ad was incessant but effective as it framed Dutton perfectly, something he reinforced himself with constant Trumpist-style grabs for attention and momentum towards the end of the campaign. 

Dutton in the end helped frame himself the way Labor had wished for. Labor messaging then had added credibility and relevance as it didn’t seem to be at odds with the facts at all but more a natural restatement of the Coalition. 

Dutton was increasingly linked and used for all messaging, especially negative, as there was literally no one else in the Coalition with profile enough, or willing enough, to get momentum back. It just became a horror show from then on. 

The quick summary? Don’t make the simple complex in elections. The Coalition now gets until next decade to think about just how to do that. 

Dr Andrew Hughes lectures at the ANU Research School of Management, where he specialises in political marketing.

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