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The Undecided Voters

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Q+A Panel: Paul Fletcher, Catherine King, Caroline Di Russo, Siimon Reynolds and Intifar Chowdhury
The Undecided Voters

Undecided voters will play a key role this election and this week Q+A gives them the chance to shape the discussion. Early voting is now underway, and millions of Australians are expected to cast their vote ahead of election day. Last election more than a quarter of voters were yet to lock in their vote in the final weeks of the campaign and leaked Liberal party polling indicates the same number of the voting public are still unsure. What are the most pressing issues that will determine their choice?

Almost one million Australians tuned in to the second leader’s debate on Sunday night which was combative and at times, descended into a shouting match. There are now less than two weeks to go and the latest polls show Labor remains ahead of the Coalition, who are losing ground. 

Cost-of-living concerns and climate change remain top of mind for young voters, many of whom are still making up their minds. Meanwhile, professional women are expected to be another influential voting bloc this election. Youth Researcher Intifar Chowdhury says young people don’t vote along party lines but on the issues that matter to them. How important will the votes of these two groups be in the final election result? 

Meanwhile, unrest is continuing within the Liberal party, with former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull urging voters to back “teal Independents”. The female candidates are targeting blue-ribbon seats including Kooyong, Goldstein, North Sydney, Wentworth and Curtin. How serious a threat are they posing to the moderate wing of the Liberal party? Do they stand to disrupt the two-party political system?

And as the pointy end of the campaign approaches, voters can expect to be bombarded by political advertisements. Current ad laws don’t prevent parties from telling lies and disinformation campaigns are becoming increasingly common in Australia. And the Australian Electoral commission is investigating who is responsible for a series of doctored posters that incorrectly linked independent candidates to the Greens. Advertising guru Siimon Reynolds created the famous grim reaper ad campaign in the 1980’s. Are the major parties cutting through? How does political advertising influence undecided voters now?

Discuss the Questions

Here are the questions our panel faced this week. You can discuss their answers on the Q+A Facebook Page.

POLITICS

(1:36)
Sam Glen asked: Why is politics still a race to the bottom?

ELECTION CAMPAIGN – POLITICAL ADVERTISING

(9:55)

Rebecca Mann asked: So many political adverts are deliberately misleading and some even patently dishonest. Following this election, do you think that the incoming government should tighten the laws surrounding political advertising before the next election?

YOUTH VOTES – CLIMATE CHANGE

(20:52)

Claire Reynolds-Mayes asked: What will my future be? Will I be able to survive with the cost of living and be able to buy a house and will we be able to do something about climate change and survive?

INDEPENDENTS – LONG-TERM TREND?

(28:31)

Zack Bolland asked: I am voting in a federal election for the first time. I have noticed political disengagement amongst my peers who largely intend to vote independent and not with the major parties. Is the recent surge in popularity for independent candidates a short-term trend and direct respond to political failings during COVID-19, or a catalyst for a long-term trend that eventually results in Australia developing a multi-party system?

ECONOMY – WAGE GROWTH

(36:04)

Swan Lau asked: My question is, can we talk about productivity for wage growth in isolation without talking about revenue growth or recovery, in particular our national revenue in exports of goods and services? And when we talk about exports, can we choose not to talk about China? You see, everything is interconnected when you want to govern effectively.

POLITICS – DIVERSITY – MINORITY REPRESENTATION

(43:59)

Samuel Chu asked: After missed opportunities in this election campaign to select culturally and linguistically diverse candidates in Fowler and Parramatta, do you believe that more needs to be done to support and encourage minority representation in Australian politics going forward? If so, what do you believe should be done?

HECS DEBT

(52:03)

Nick Grant asked: My question is for Paul Fletcher. As a young person who lives in your electorate, I am disappointed that the Minister for Arts supported the government’s decision to increase the cost of arts degrees. I am looking at a HECS debt of $50-$70,000. How can the government say they’re preparing Australians for the future while also setting young Australians up for decades of debt?

POLITICS – ELECTION MIRACLES

(54:38)

Dennis Agostini: Our Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that he believed in miracles when he won the last election. Does the panel think he’ll need another one to win this one?

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