How the teals have changed the political playbook

Campaigners use a list of electorates ordered from the safest to weakest to plot a campaign. But that playbook has gone out the window.

Samantha HutchinsonNational reporter

Dec 28, 2022 – 5.00am

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Teal independents targeting heartland Liberal and Labor seats around the country are prompting major parties to tear up their traditional campaign strategies as they confront the challenge of having to defend twice as many seats.

The NSW Liberals’ list of target seats – the seats the party is fighting hardest to win or defend – has blown out to more than 30 seats from a usual 10 to 15, as the party prepares to sandbag a slew of traditionally safe seats targeted by independents, in addition to seats the party holds on thin margins.

Samantha Hutchinson is the AFR's National Reporter. Most recently, she was CBD columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Before that, she covered Victorian and NSW politics and business for The Australian, the AFR and BRW Magazine.