The bell has been rung, the shadow campaign is now official, and we head to the polls on May 21. As the government enters caretaker mode, Australia enters a highly consequential period of democratic deliberation, but not for the reasons you might think.
It suits politicians – and many in the media – to portray a federal election as a grand job application process in which voters comprise the selection panel. But that’s really only half the story.
Political commentator Sean Kelly has written a convincing book on how Scott Morrison turned the 2019 election into a choice between him and the then Opposition Leader Bill Shorten. Morrison won when Australians were more attracted to his persona than that of his opponent. Policy played a small part, notably when bold proposals on the Labor side became a lightening rod for fear.
