Work sign covered up with hi-vis vest when Scott Morrison arrived in Townsville
Campaign Confidential: When Scott Morrison hit Townsville, workers tried to make sure no camera caught the words on a funny sign while the PM was there.
Federal Election
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ScoMo’s latest mad skillz
He washes hair, he pours beer, he even works an overlocker; is there nothing Scott Morrison can’t do? (Maybe hold a hose?) On Tuesday he was adding even more mad skillz to his incredible repertoire, trying his hand at rolling croissants and assembling macarons at a Townsville bakery. While observers noted he was wearing a baseball cap rather than the, er, usually mandatory hairnet, it was altogether another convivial pic fac for the prime minister on the campaign trail. So what gives with the “new apprentice on the job” shtick? Why does the PM seem to love learning the ropes of a job he will never actually have to do? Do ordinary workers feel an authentic connection with the day-to-day realities of their lives? Not so much, says ANU politics expert Dr Jill Sheppard, who believes these camera-friendly set-ups aren’t even vote-changers. “As much as anything, campaigns are about minimising risk,” she tells Campaign Confidential. “You have to be doing something every day. If you’re hiding in your office and not answering your phone, that can have an electoral effect. It can look like you’re hiding something. As long as you’re out doing something and being active, these stunts don’t matter. All you’ve got to do is pick the stunts that don’t allow you to stuff up.”
The photo op that wasn’t
Ever since Tony Abbott was photographed outside The Reject Shop several years ago, photographers have been looking for the funniest combination of political subject and background signage. But photographers hoping for a gotcha moment were robbed when Prime Minister Scott Morrison toured steel fabrication company TEi services in Townsville on Tuesday. A workplace sign reading “If you mess up, fess up” was partially covered up by a hi-vis vest ahead of the PM’s visit, denying photographers a prime picture opportunity.
It is not known exactly who can claim credit for averting the would-be PR disaster, but Campaign Confidential understands the eagle-eyed spotter was not a member of Mr Morrison’s staff.
Inking a new chapter
Accompanying the PM on his swing through Townsville was the MP for Herbert, Phillip Thompson, who rolled up his sleeves to reveal some pretty significant body art on his left forearm. Campaign Confidential notes the tattooed are one of the most seriously under-represented sectors of Australian society in our national parliament. While one in seven Aussies are estimated to have a tatt, we can only think of one other federal politician who has one: Christian Porter, the soon-to-be-ex Member for Pearce, has a Star Wars X-wing fighter inked on his flank.
The lineball contests
Have you signed up to SuperVoter yet? The new election prediction game from NewsCorp is a must for all political tragics, with a spectacular Democracy Sausage trophy up for grabs for the entrant who correctly guesses the winner of the most lower house seats in the May 21 election. The competition also offers a fascinating insight into the races that punters think will be close. While we’ve got a long way to go, the contests that are drawing the most divided responses so far are Reid and Wentworth in NSW, Chisholm in Victoria, Bass in Tasmania, Longman in Queensland, and Pearce and Swan in Western Australia. Go to supervoter.com.au and join in the fun.
A scalp at last
THE federal election has claimed its first scalp, and it wasn’t a candidate. Guide Dogs Victoria CEO Karen Hayes has been stood down after she spruiked for Kooyong MP Josh Frydenberg in his campaign materials, drawing criticism for politicising an avowedly apolitical organisation. Responding to the hullabaloo last week, the Treasurer accused the critics of “confected outrage”, but it seems money talks; many Guide Dogs Victoria donors had announced they were pulling their support for the organisation. In a statement on Tuesday, the board of Guide Dogs Victoria confirmed Ms Hayes had been stood down, and said they were working to ensure something similar “never happens again”. We just hope the donors come back to the dogs.
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Email election.confiedential@news.com.au
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