Labor campaign rests on fairness, putting people first before big end of town

OPINION: Labor’s federal election campaign rests on the idea of fairness. But there’s one huge problem ... and it was exposed through a clumsy MP blunder this week.

THE Labor campaign rests on the idea of fairness, that under Bill Shorten people will be put first, before the big end of town and the kind of unfair cuts seen in the Coalition’s 2014 would be remedied.

It’s risky because it asks people to jump the permission mark in the conversation that occurs during an election.

This is where a party convinces the voters it can handle the economy and is rewarded with permission to move on to second order issues like health, education and welfare.

Shorten’s economic pitch is unconvincing because it just doesn’t make sense - something the Coalition campaign says is showing up in its qualitative polling.

For example, on Tuesday Shorten gave this snapshot answer when asked to explain his economic plan.

“Labor’s plan for economic growth is jobs, education, Medicare, renewable ­energy, fair taxation, access for first-home buyers into the housing market. Our economic plan is all about fairness,” he said.

Medicare is not an economic plan and education is an untried factor in any growth - especially when the prescription is restricted to more money.

The “fair taxation” plan is actually an increase in taxes of about $100bn across a decade — on negative gearing, capital gains, company profits, superannuation and high salaries.

There is little evidence that people will vote for increased taxation, even if it’s couched as “fairness”.

The real problem for Labor’s “fairness economic plan” is what happened this week after David “where’s my house, dude” Feeney left his front bench talking points in a TV studio.

This revealed the Opposition wasn’t going the distance in restoring that fairness they claim was the victim of the 2014 Budget.

At the very least, Labor will no longer restore the school kids’ bonus and won’t restore the cuts to the pension.

So the permission Labor assumes it’s getting from voters might be quickly withdrawn when this is sheeted home - if it was there in the first place.

Don’t miss the Dennis Atkins and Malcolm Farr election podcast, Two Grumpy Hacks, free on iTunes and Soundcloud.

Originally published as Labor campaign rests on fairness, putting people first before big end of town