To an increasing number of voters, the federal election campaign is largely irrelevant, writes John Hewson
For the second time in a dozen years a Coalition government is, according to the polls, facing electoral defeat, easily characterised as “stubborn” and “prejudiced” on key policy issues, a team of men of the past, lacking a vision or the policies to back it up.
This allowed Kevin Rudd to essentially tag Howard as passe, and to move on to offer a broad “vision” for our future – an “education revolution”, the NBN, a climate action plan – and a message of HOPE, rather than NOPE. Howard not only lost government, but also his cherished seat of Bennelong.Of course, Scott Morrison would say “no lessons here”, “nothing to be seen here”, being just as stubborn, prejudiced, out of touch, and passe.
Over and above the cost of living, this is a climate election. Climate has become the principal differentiator, the key indicator of whether there is a plan for the future, a capacity to step beyond the short term, the point-scoring games, to think more strategically about longer-term challenges and inter-generational responsibilities and equity.Morrison has got himself in a real mess on climate.
Unfortunately, despite the significance of climate, this campaign will not see much genuine debate. Morrison is just on the defensive, and Shorten has been reluctant to engage on the detail, obviously for fear of putting a foot wrong, dare I say losing the unlosable.Rather than a genuine contest of ideas, elections have become superficial, increasingly presidential, driven by slogans, sound bites and stunts. Voters increasingly feel disenfranchised and ignored, so they disengage.
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