Political game ramps up as ScoMo launches $20m sun safety campaign

Labor has weaponised Annastacia Palaszczuk’s popularity to burn Scott Morrison’s Queensland political campaign while he prepares to launch a new one of his own – injecting $20m into sun safety.

A skin cancer campaign echoing the renown Sid the Seagull will be launched by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday, as he continues his own political campaign in Queensland.

It comes as Labor sought to counter Mr Morrison’s Queensland blitz by using Annastacia Palaszczuk’s popularity as a political weapon.

He is expected to hit the must-win seat of Longman on Tuesday, where incumbent Terry Young will be facing off against Labor’s candidate Rebecca Fanning.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is conducting a Queensland pre-election blitz this week. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

Skin cancer killed more than 1300 Australians this year, prompting the $20 million two year campaign that will target awareness around UV rays.

The animation features “Jimmy” and an imaginatively named dog Fido, intending to evoke the Slip, Slop, Slap campaign of the 1980s which ingrained a catchy jingle in the Australian psyche.

Mr Morrison said the campaign would remind Australians what actions they could take to protect against sunburn and skin cancer.

Meanwhile, as Mr Morrison has been battling in the polls, Ms Palaszczuk has largely continued to retain support during the Covid response.

Opposition treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers used this to advantage as the Prime Minister targeted two Labor seats in the first day of his Queensland blitz.

“He’s been running us down for two years, picking fights with Annastacia Palaszczuk, and now because there’s an election around the corner he wants to swoop in and try and take credit for everything that Queenslanders have achieved together,” Mr Chalmers said.

Jimmy and Fido in the new sun safety campaign. Picture: Supplied

“Queenslanders desperately need a Prime Minister that takes responsibility, instead they’ve got a Prime Minister that takes Queensland for granted.”

Mr Morrison was at the Incitec Pivot manufacturing plant in Murarrie on Monday, which was one of the 64 big emitters in Queensland that would be impacted by Labor’s emissions reduction by 2030 plan.

The campaign has been likened to the Slip Slop Slap skin cancer campaign featuring Sid the Seagull. Source: YouTube

He also continued to test out campaign lines, about the “quiet confidence of Australians” and “wanting government out of their lives” after almost two years of the pandemic.

Cancer Council Australia CEO Dr Tanya Buchanan said nearly 17,000 Australians will be diagnosed this year with melanoma.

“That’s why it’s critical that we continue to fund and promote ongoing public awareness campaigns about being SunSmart,” she said.

“The message is simple, whenever the UV index is three or above, remember to Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek and Slide.”