Pollies all talk, no traction
THEY can talk the talk, but will their parties walk the walk?
Several Coalition politicians with strong rural brands are masters at attracting headlines - but the talk is often not backed up by policy, a leading political branding expert says.
The Weekly Times has compared the quotes of prominent Coalition politicians with the policies held by their parties.
Nationals senate leader Barnaby Joyce has said he'd be "doing more than locking the gate" on a mining company that wants to explore his land - but Nationals policy does not give farmers the right to stop mining companies entering their farms.
Liberal leader Tony Abbott at one point said farmers should "have a right to say no" to coal-seam gas mining on their land, while maverick Liberal Senator Bill Heffernan has described the coal seam gas industry as a "cowboy" set up.
Liberal policy does not mention coal-seam gas.
Mr Abbott and senators Joyce and Heffernan have talked tough on foreign farm buys, but no policy has been released. It is expected soon.
Mr Abbott and deputy Julie Bishop have spoken of problems with managed investment schemes, but Liberal policy is to continue them.
Australian National University political branding specialist Andrew Hughes said the politicians in question were running several brands in the electoral marketplace, many of which didn't match up with the policies punters were actually voting for.
Mr Hughes said the strategy was to "appeal to different parts of the market" with differing personal brands.
"That way you can protect the major brand (of the party) from any fallout in key markets, for example western Sydney or Melbourne, so voters there don't perceive (the entire party) as nutty or extremist," Mr Hughes said.
"These guys appeal to that really ultra-right segment to protect that vote leaking across to (Bob) Katter (and his Australia Party)."
The strategy relied on the public perception rather than the policy reality, he said.
However, Mr Hughes said the strategy was not limited to the Coalition - Labor aimed to attract the gay vote through the views of Senator Penny Wong yet had not enabled gay marriage, he said.
http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2012/05/23/485561_politics-news.htmlBy lying day in day out, is Abbott on a Highway to Hell?
In Abbott's Soul's Best Interest, Should He Quit Politics and find a Career where he will not lie day in, day out?