For those who were dismayed by last year’s federal election campaign, during which interest rates of 15 years ago moved voters more than current issues of social justice, this is an important book. Sally Young, a political scientist and lecturer in media and communications at the University of Melbourne, has written a comprehensive analysis of political advertising, which tells a great deal about how political power is exercised in Australia. Drawing on the author’s doctoral thesis, the book is lively and readable, animated by her conviction that Australian democracy has been weakened and her fellow citizens should be informed. It is refreshing to read a book which has newspaper advertisements, television scripts and advertising jingles as well as footnotes referring to a wide range of sources, including political biographies, journalism and party archives.
Some things have not changed. Menzies’ 1949 slogan ‘It’s time for a change’ preceded Whitlam’s ‘It’s time’, the ultimate political slogan lacking any disagreeable content. Ben Chifley understood the importance of ‘the hip pocket nerve’, the self-interest and materialism of the Australian electorate. When Bob Hawke as a novice opposition leader proposed campaigning on reconciliation, Neville Wran’s advice was clear: ‘If the greedy bastards wanted spiritualism, they’d join the fucking Hare Krishnas.’
The power of celebrity is not new. Winston Churchill visited Charlie Chaplin on the set of The Gold Rush; Sir Robert Menzies courted Don Bradman; Gough Whitlam abandoned Brylcreem and embraced a bevy of celebrities (remember Little Pattie?) who appeared in that famous television commercial which Rupert Murdoch generously funded. This has proved to be one of Rupert’s most far-sighted investments, creating a subsidised income stream for the media.
Young details how the scale and impact of political advertising have grown. In Australian federal elections more than $30 million is now spent on paid advertising, matching the sum provided by taxpayers to the major parties. A further $80 million comes from corporate and private donors, many of whom hide their donations within the Cormack Foundation or Labor Resources. Voters in marginal seats are targeted in what John Singleton called ‘the ultimate one-day sale’. Opponents are attacked, and appeals are made to the anxieties and prejudices of the electors. Only 21 per cent of advertisements now mention the party name, and policy detail is rare. Telephone contact and direct mailing based on extensive databases are highly effective, enabling the major parties to make claims to individual voters without