‘Modern-day talkback radio’: the Liberals’ video deluge is part of a plan

On TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, Liberal MPs are posting a deluge of videos trying to hit a sweet spot: interesting enough to be engaging, but not so polished as to appear inauthentic.

Finance spokeswoman Jane Hume shows viewers how to make her favourite cocktails, immigration spokesman Dan Tehan talks about his office’s exercise regime, and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton breaks down his policy plans.

The clips are part of a party strategy to encourage MPs to play to social media’s dominant format in 2025: video. It includes regular meetings to analyse successful clips from across the political spectrum and the guidance of a high-powered political agency.

The party’s embrace of video has been so extensive that Dutton has built a major following on TikTok since joining late last year in a backflip after previously calling for US-style restrictions on the Chinese-owned app because of national security concerns.

Younger members of the party such as Victorian MP Aaron Violi, 40, said videos that came across as genuine worked best, with Facebook requiring different styles to TikTok because of their individual user bases.

“I believe video’s an important platform to cut through. It’s the modern-day talkback radio and as a backbencher, it’s a crucial way I can reach my electorate,” he said.

Liberal backbencher Keith Wolahan also uses TikTok regularly, with videos piggybacking on viral clips such as kangaroos bouncing through suburban streets in his electorate.

Monash University politics academic Blair Williams said the Liberals won the social media war in 2019, whereas the Greens and Labor seemed stronger during the 2022 election campaign, leaving her unsurprised that the conservative party were focused on its content.

“It has become a really crucial part of winning an election because of how much time voters spend online,” Williams said.

Australians spend more than six hours a day consuming digital entertainment, according to a November 2024 Deloitte report.

On Wednesday, Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg announced the company would no longer use fact-checkers, to allow more free speech in the US, opening more opportunities for politicians to win over voters when the move eventually extends to Australia.

There are regular meetings with Liberal party operators and MPs on how to make a TikTok, Instagram or Facebook video that generates high engagement.

Social media statistics show signs the strategy is working. Dutton’s TikTok account has some of the highest views for the party, with his most popular video hitting 1.1 million. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s most popular TikTok has 209,000 views.

The Liberal Party itself has drawn 3.4 million views for its most popular post on the platform. Labor’s most-viewed video has 2.8 million.

A senior Liberal strategist who did not want to speak publicly said Topham Guerin – a creative agency previously employed by former British prime minister Boris Johnson and former prime minister Scott Morrison – played a role in the party’s video plan, but individual politicians and their staff were also crucial.

“The more the individual MPs take to the platforms themselves, the better,” he said.

“We’re highly competitive, and if you look at some platforms like TikTok, we’re dramatically outperforming Labor in terms of views and engagement.”

But the strategy has sometimes backfired. In November, Infrastructure Minister Catherine King alleged in parliament that one of Liberal backbencher Tony Pasin’s staffers filmed a private conversation between them on a GoPro in her ministerial office.

Liberal sources said Pasin, who apologised at the time and said the footage was deleted, was trying to create a day-in-the-life video due to the party’s encouragement to film more content. His office declined to comment on Wednesday.

Labor MPs are also investing time on social media.

Housing Minister Clare O’Neil and Aged Care Minister Anika Wells have used the “women in male fields” trend, where they poke fun at the sexist questions women receive in professional settings. West Australian backbencher Sam Lim interviews his colleagues about their lunch boxes and assistant minister Julian Hill posts impassioned policy explainers.

Hill – whose most popular TikTok video generated 1.5 million views – said he approached his social media like he would any other setting to reach voters.

“I think it’s actually part of the job in a democracy to meet and engage with people on where they’re at,” he said. “Australians can spot bullshit from a mile off and the key is to be authentic, which does often terrify my staff.”

But some Labor MPs believe the party should have a more co-ordinated social media video strategy.

“It should be more organised,” one MP said.

Liberal senator Hume started posting cocktail-making videos – such as for her end-of-2024 mango, pineapple, passionfruit, lime and rum concoction – during lockdown, and has not stopped.

“The engaging videos are always fun to do, particularly when fruit is involved, but I love filming my electorate visits to show people some of what my job entails,” Hume said.

Another MP said the videos were posted at the direction of Liberal headquarters, but “done in a fun way”.

“Authenticity is king. If someone did something that’s unique, and it’s about them, you can’t help but smile and like it and share it and give some love back,” the MP said.

The Liberal and Labor parties were contacted for comment.

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