Shannon Deery: We’re not here to play personality politics
Jacinta Allan and Brad Battin have joined the social media ‘ask-me-anything’ trend, but focusing on their personal charm risks oversimplifying complex political issues.
Opinion
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Meet Jacinta and Brad.
Jacinta’s a 51-year-old mum of two, who loves trains, the Essendon Bombers and prefers tea over coffee.
She is also a self-confessed fence sitter and has an inability to directly answer questions.
Brad’s a 49-year-old father of two, he loves Top Gun Maverick, the Geelong Cats, the Big Bang Theory and beer.
He’s also keen on fixing law and order issues, and getting on top of Victoria’s debt crisis, but is yet to say how he will do either of those things.
Both of them want to be Premier and with 18 months until we get to vote, they thought they’d tell us a little about themselves.
In the past fortnight both leaders have played with cringey ask-me-anything type social media videos in an attempt to sell the normal folk narrative.
In Allan’s case she’s been in parliament almost 26 years, a senior minister for more than a decade, and Premier since September 2023.
It’s politically problematic that she’s either still trying to sell the real her, or attempting to rebrand herself into a more electable Premier.
To be fair to Battin, his career has been more limited.
First elected to parliament in 2010, he has only been the Opposition leader since December last year when he staged a successful coup to get rid of John Pesutto.
Almost six months in and he’s running the cutesy behind the scenes type insight videos he hopes will endear him broadly enough that he can lead the Coalition to victory next November.
To do that he’ll need to pick up 16 seats and lose none, but let’s not let the mathematical improbability based on recent performance get in the way of a good dream.
What a contrast this all is to the election of Pope Leo XIV last week.
Within minutes of his appearance on the loggia of St Peter’s Basilica we knew exactly who Leo, nee Robert Francis Prevost, was and what he stood for.
From his papal name to his dress and his first speech the world gleaned a great deal about his intentions, values, inspirations, and the historical legacy he wishes to align with.
His name showed a commitment to the social teaching of the church. His choice of attire showed us a commitment to the tradition of the church, quite distinct to his immediate predecessor.
And his speech, in Italian not his native English, embraced the language of the papacy while emphasising the need for global peace.
Immediately we knew who this new Leo was, what he stood for, and broadly his vision for the church and its 1.4bn Catholics.
Now back to Jacinta and Brad.
There are advisers in both their camps that would struggle to tell you what they stand for, let alone the 4.5m Victorians who will vote next year.
Internal critics of the Premier say it is her inability to carve out either a self-narrative or vision for Victoria beyond the Suburban Rail Loop that is her biggest failing.
When she took to Instagram last week to answer questions from her followers she plucked inoffensive questions about public transport and her favourite coffee order.
But it was the questions she didn’t answer left by her followers that tell us so much more about where the public mood is with Allan and her government.
Like what is the final costing and timeline of the SRL? What is the timeline for getting Victoria out of debt? Or what is the government doing to stop the threat of a damaging credit rating downgrade? Which critical services will be impacted the worst in next week’s state budget?
Can the Premier rule out any cuts to health or education?
Instead we’re focused on footy teams and coffee orders with Presidential-style personality politics.
In focusing on the individual charisma of our political leaders we risk reducing complex political, economic and social issues to simplistic, emotionally charged narratives.
If we want to know about Allan’s values and vision for Victoria, she has a good chance to show us in next week’s budget. Last year’s budget was focused on families, with the centrepiece being an uber popular $400 school savings bonus for all families with kids at government schools. Next week will we see further support for Victorians doing it tough, no matter where their kids go to school? Will we see increased taxes or charges in the midst of a cost of living crisis? Will we see increased or decreased funding in our health system? Will the billion dollar cuts expected of Victoria Police be included, while billions more is added for the SRL? Will we see debt beginning to reduce, or climb ever higher, cementing the problem as an intergenerational issue?
In turn, in his budget in-reply speech, shadow treasurer James Newbury will have the chance to signal the vision and values of a potential Battin government.
No need for the social media ask-me-anything craze. Just clear, articulated policy that is considered, committed to, and implemented.
If you believe that could happen you’d have to, like Leo, believe in miracles, too.
Shannon Deery is State Politics Editor
Originally published as Shannon Deery: We’re not here to play personality politics
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