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An ex-PM gives you the inside story on our new election slogans

Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has shared his thoughts on the slogans driving Australia’s federal election campaigns. 

As the federal election campaigns unofficially officially kick off, the battle between PM Anthony Albanese and opposition leader Peter Dutton is heating up. 

Albanese is asking Australians to back “Building Australia’s Future”, while Dutton is campaigning on “Let’s Get Australia Back on Track”.

So which slogan has more cut through – and is anyone even listening anymore?

Speaking on The Briefing podcast, Turnbull described both slogans as “uninspiring” but acknowledged their strategic appeal. 

“Albanese is aiming for optimism, looking to the future,” he said. 

He said that Dutton’s message is for those who feel worse off under Labour, promising to restore what they’ve lost.

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The former PM also revealed that slogans like these are shaped by extensive focus group research and aim to tap into public sentiment. 

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“The way it would work is that the parties will have done a lot of research and a lot of focus groups in particular, and so they’re trying to capture what people are looking for,” Turnbull said.

He suggested that Dutton’s backward-looking message might resonate with voters worried about the cost of living and rising inflation. 

“His message is to say, I’m not going to promise some great vision of the future. I’m going to get things back on track, that would be something that would be coming out of focus groups.”

Turnbull also noted the challenges Albanese faces as the incumbent, defending his government’s record while promising more progress. 

He predicts a close election, possibly leading to a minority government.

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