News
Q+A The Undecided Voters Thurs 12 May on ABC TV
Undecided voters will be crucial in this election, and this week’s Q+A gives them the opportunity to shape the conversation.
The early voting period has begun, and millions of Australians are expected to vote before election day. In the final weeks of the last election, more than a quarter of voters were still undecided, and leaked Liberal party polling indicates that the same number of voters are still undecided. What are the most important issues that will influence their decision?
The Coalition has described Labor’s support for a minimum wage rise in line with inflation as “unprecedented interference” with the Fair Work Commission process. While low paid workers say they would welcome the 5.1 per cent increase promised by Mr Albanese, businesses are worried they can’t afford it. Do you support a wage increase for low paid workers?
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, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has accused the so-called teal independents of “decapitating the moderate section of the Liberal Party”. Do you agree the rise of independent candidates will push the Liberal party to the right? What will this mean for the Coalition if they win a fourth term?
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?
All this, plus a live music act from Australian music legends Vika and Linda.
Joining Stan Grant on the panel:
Paul Fletcher
Minister for Communications and the Arts
Paul Fletcher is the Minister for Communications and the Arts in the Morrison Government.
Catherine King
Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development
Catherine King, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, was first elected to Parliament in 2001 to represent the Victorian electorate of Ballarat.
Caroline Di Russo
Lawyer and commentator
Caroline Di Russo is a practising lawyer with approximately 15 years experience, an online retail business owner, and a political commentator.
Siimon Reynolds
Advertising entrepreneur
Siimon Reynolds has spent 3 decades creating some of Australia’s most powerful advertisements.
Intifar Chowdhury
Researcher and ANU Academic
Intifar Chowdhury is a PhD Candidate at the Australian National University’s School of Politics and International Relations. Her research tackles the question of whether young people are turning away from democracy.
With a live performance from:
Vika and Linda
Australian music legends
Melbourne’s Bull sisters have been singing together their entire lives. After three classic albums with The Black Sorrows, Vika & Linda have released six studio albums, two live albums and a chart-topping anthology.