ITNTW: Scomo’s last ditch attempt to get the younger votes

In my opinion, this year’s federal election campaign trail has been anything but boring so far, with ups and downs and moments where you are just left thinking, “what?”. But nonetheless it has eclipsed the country. The highlight this week was when journalist, Deb Knight,  asked Mr Morrison and Mr Albanese to share their definition of a woman. You just knew whatever the response, it was going to be met with negativity and pull attention away from the real topics that need to be addressed. Many Australians are either so sure who they’re voting for or have absolutely no idea what to do or who to believe. But what’s new at election time?

During the same debate, Albanese stumbled on some key points and Morrison seemed to contradict himself at just about every opportunity. But the real topic that has every young Australian worried about – what to do if you are a first home buyer.

At an event in Brisbane this week, regarded as one of Morison’s most supported areas, he announced that if elected he would allow first home buyers to use up to $50,000 of their superannuation for their deposit. Meaning they would only need to make up another 5% of the deposit with other means. It seems like an obvious last ditch attempt to secure votes, with the majority of coverage seriously questioning his relatability.

Experts weighed in and noted that in the long run this is a terrible idea. When you think about the current issue of inflation and lack of housing available, it’s predicted this move would only raise the prices of houses further and put even more pressure on the housing market. So while we know he’s no housing market expert, it appears he doesn’t consult one either when creating or announcing potential policies. In the world of PR, this seems like an obvious first step…but at the end of the day we know you can’t control everything a client says. You just have to be there to manage the crisis created.

This time of year is busier than ever for the media, with certain papers allegedly favouring specific parties – not to mention social media and the misinformation still allowed to be spread. It is however an interesting time for PR professionals, as we watch our leaders duck weave and dodge important questions – and stay on message more than ever with their campaign objectives. A true artform in our world.

At the end of the day this campaign is about building trust, something we know well is a difficult and lengthy process. In our eyes this campaign trail started when the last election ended, but try to tell a politician that.