This travelling roadshow is a relic in the age of instant communication
Charlie's 92-year-old dad loves "the fights", as they're called, and he wishes that the election could have some of the thrills and status of a world heavyweight title fight. The fundamentals seem to be there: a big prize and a couple of serious contenders. He remembers the days at the "House Of Stoush", Melbourne's Festival Hall, when the crowd straggled in through the preliminary curtain-raisers until it was packed to the rafters just minutes before the start of the main event.
And that's the difference between big-time boxing and our current election campaign. When there is a fight for the title in the boxing ring, the champ and the challenger would never be seen until all the prelims were over, simply because there was no one there - just a few friends and relatives and the odd boxing tragic. Charlie's dad reckons our political combatants are exhausting themselves, not to mention a very slowly building crowd, by fighting in every preliminary bout themselves, from Darwin to Hobart, from the Great Ocean Road to Rooty Hill.
And most of the time there is almost no one there, other than the grim-faced handlers who always seem to have to flank their charge. Earlier this week, the Prime Minister was seen at 7am on a beach in his electorate, standing in the sand with a dozen or so people making up the crowd. Earlier on the Leader of the Opposition did the same thing, shivering in a gale overlooking Bass Strait.
If it was all done for the pictures, then they should think again. None of these shots convey what the country is really looking for. At the same time, the world has been caught up with the problems in Syria and both our PM and Opposition Leader want to look like they can handle themselves, and the country, in this distressing mess.
Contrast our leaders with the coverage of the British PM on the issue. He steps smartly from of his Range Rover outside No.10 Downing Street and waves briefly to the crowd, while clutching his red box of state briefings and secrets. Dignified power!
His pony-tailed bodyguard in a dark suit and no tie added an air of cool menace that didn't win over Louise, who grumped: "He needs your New York barber, Harold."
Nevertheless, here's an idea. Why shouldn't a PM spend the entire election campaign in Canberra looking and acting like the prime minister? John Howard showed everyone how to campaign. Every day of his 11-year term was election day for him. He looked and acted the prime minister ... and he's still doing it! Real class. He let a basic truth guide him. Elections are decided day by day as a government governs - not by a whistle-stop flurry laced with grandiose promises and kooky future gazing.
The idea of travelling the country to win/buy votes is 50 years out of date. It worked decades ago in America, when the train travelled across the nation with the President speaking from the caboose. And Bob Menzies did a mighty job in town halls all over the place. But this is the electronic age and I wonder if our next PM will be smart enough to fight it out from the nation's capital.
In business, we've never thought working 20 hours a day was very clever. You lose your edge after about eight. After about 12 you can't think, and after 20 what you do think is probably not worth talking about anyway.
Let's hope our next election campaign is more sensible and more commanding.
We need a reduction in avgas consumption, fewer hairnets in food factories and a ban on hard hats. The only hi-vis vest we need to see is a slightly wider range of tie colours worn by serious contenders who are determined to show some real skill in the nation's capital.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
The article argues that the old-fashioned travelling roadshow is a relic in the electronic age — campaigning by criss-crossing the country to ‘win’ votes is described as about 50 years out of date, and the author suggests a smarter approach may be to govern and campaign from the nation’s capital.
The author uses a boxing analogy to illustrate that politicians are exhausting themselves by fighting in every preliminary bout across the country. Instead of saving the main event for a packed crowd, candidates are visible everywhere early on, leaving small, thinly attended appearances rather than building momentum for a definitive showdown.
The article notes that the country’s confidence appears to be on the ebb and that the election fight is failing to stir many voters. For everyday investors, the takeaway in the article’s tone is that low public engagement reflects a broader mood of uncertainty — something voters and observers alike are noticing as leaders struggle to convey confidence.
The article points to John Howard as an example: he treated every day as election day while governing from the capital, projecting the steady image of a prime minister day-to-day instead of relying on a frenetic, nationwide whistlestop tour.
The article states that with global attention on issues such as Syria, both the Prime Minister and the Opposition leader want to project that they can handle international crises. It contrasts this with coverage of the British prime minister, who is depicted as dignified and authoritative in handling such matters.
No. The article argues that travelling to win or buy votes is outdated, noting that past eras relied on trains and town halls but now, in the electronic age, frontline travel is less convincing and possibly counterproductive.
The article reminds business readers that long hours aren’t always clever: you lose your edge after about eight hours, can’t think well after about 12, and after 20 hours your thinking is unlikely to be useful — a pithy reminder to value effectiveness over mere activity.
In a playful finish, the author calls for a reduction in avgas consumption, fewer hairnets in food factories, a ban on hard hats at campaign events, and a smaller range of hi-vis vests — plus a wish to see a slightly wider range of tie colours on serious contenders who want to show real skill in the capital.
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