Party Games: Electioneering goes back to the future

A NUMBER of commentators have searched for comparisons between this 2016 election campaign and the one held in October and November, 1984.

Prime Minister Bob Hawke shouts the bar at the Colac Hotel, Port Adelaide, during an unscheduled stop on his visit to Adelaide, during the 1984 election campaign.

A NUMBER of commentators have searched for comparisons between this 2016 election campaign and the one held in October and November, 1984.

There are two strong similarities beyond both contests being federal elections.

The obvious one is that the length of the campaigns – this one is just under eight weeks and in 1984 it was just over seven weeks. This campaign is longer, but only just.

The other strong similarity is that both elections followed the introduction of changes to the Senate voting system.

In 1984, Labor made it possible to “just vote 1” above the line with the formal vote then allow preferences to be allocated according to how to vote cards.

This is what prompted this year’s Senate changes because a few smarties worked out how to game the system and get people like Ricky Muir from the car lovers’ party elected with less votes than most successful body corporate chairmen get.

Otherwise, there are more differences. Malcolm Turnbull’s Coalition has gone into this campaign level pegging with Labor while in 1984 Bob Hawke’s Labor was way in front of his Liberal opponents led by Andrew Peacock.

Turnbull has left Brisbane and he’s dropping into some of those Liberal held Western Sydney seats so vital to his chances of holding power.

If the Coalition loses a majority of this bag full of seats – Lindsay, Macarthur, Macquarie, Dobell, Robertson, Paterson and Gilmore – it is on the way to losing office.

Turnbull’s campaign has also said he won’t be making any major announcements in the new few days – which would have been perfectly normal in 1984 when we had just three news cycles, the morning paper, the big morning radio shows and the six o’clock news.

Now this verges on heresy denying the voracious beast of the 24 hour news channels and the dreaded internet their hourly feed.

It must be driving the policy units in the respective campaigns nuts but there’s an old saying in politics: feed the beast or the beast will feed on you.

Andrew Peacock, member for Kooyong, Victoria and Leader of the federal Liberal Party (1983-1985, 1989-1990), during the 1984 election campaign.

C’mon kid this is an election campaign.

Bob Hawke campaigning in Rundle Mall, Adelaide, with ALP member Rachel Barley at his side.

Bob Hawke signs autographs.

Andrew Peacock holds court with future voters in 1984.

Bob Hawke chats with ballerinas from Swan Lake.

The victor faces the media.

In 1984 Bob Hawke’s Labor was way in front of his Liberal opponents led by Andrew Peacock (pictured).

Kissing babies is preferable but a toddler will do.

Bob Hawke on talkback radio in 1984.

Prime Minister Bob Hawke gives a press conference about a week out from the election.

Originally published as Party Games: Electioneering goes back to the future