Federal Election 2019: Labor’s search for answers and a leader after heavy defeat

Divisive slogans attacking “the top of town”, an unclear message on coal mining which made voters believe their jobs would be at risk, and the franking credits policy are being blamed by Labor for the party’s election loss.

Labor MPs yesterday told The West Australian it should have paid more attention to feedback from doorknocking volunteers who were being told that voters were fearful for their jobs under an ALP Government and upset by its policies on franking credits and negative gearing.

New research released to The West Australian has also revealed that jobs and the economy became the most important issues for swinging voters in WA marginal electorates during the final weeks of the campaign.

It comes as the party debates who its new leader will be, with deputy leader Tanya Plibersek yesterday announcing she would not run.

“At this point, I cannot reconcile the important responsibilities I have to my family with the additional responsibilities of the Labor leadership,” she said.

While she said she had support “across the party”, Labor MPs yesterday said Ms Plibersek did not have the numbers in caucus to win against shadow transport minister Anthony Albanese.

Mr Albanese has the backing of part of the powerful NSW Right and is also seen as being more powerful within the left faction they both hail from.

There is still speculation that shadow treasurer Chris Bowen and Queensland MP Jim Chalmers will nominate. Shadow minister for agriculture Joel Fitzgibbon is also considering running.

THE ADANI COAL MINE

Yesterday, Mr Fitzgibbon told The West Australian he believed Labor had been too unclear on its messaging around the Adani coal mine which led voters to believe it did not support coal mining.

“We equivocated, we were too nuanced,” he said. “We said it’s got to be able to stand on its own two feet, it’s got to pass the most stringent environmental standards, of course.

“But what we should have then said was that if it can pass those two tests then we welcome the jobs and investment. That allowed our political opponents to argue we are opposed to the coal mining industry and of course that is rubbish.”

The mixed messaging around Adani has been blamed for losing Labor crucial votes in Queensland including the seat of Herbert in Townsville which was lost to the Coalition.

Townsville Bulletin editor Jenna Cairney, whose newspaper had run a “mine games” campaign urging politicians to be clear about their support for the industry, said Labor’s mixed messaging on Adani left locals feeling the party couldn’t be trusted.

She said while “anti Adani” protesting was popular on social media sites like Twitter, it did not reflect the sentiment with locals.

FRANKING CREDITS AND NEGATIVE GEARING

Other Labor MPs blamed the franking credits policy — which the Liberals dubbed a “retiree tax” — for costing it votes. Mr Albanese yesterday indicated he wanted to ditch the policy if elected leader, arguing it hurt people who were “not very wealthy”.

“Quite clearly one of the issues I think that was very difficult for us was that the measures that we were proposing about the dividend issue impacted on people’s hip pockets, and some of those, of course, weren’t very wealthy people,” Mr Albanese said.

Another Labor MP told The West Australian the franking credits plan and the policy to confine negative gearing to new build homes had not been sold well, with Mr Shorten’s “top end of town” slogan alienating voters. “You can’t argue that a retiree or everyone with an investment property is top end of town,” the MP said.

In his campaign Scott Morrison was also effective in using the personal stories of retirees who would be hit by the franking credits policy. This included retired Forrestfield school teacher Rosalie Jones, left, who, as the PM mentioned in multiple speeches would have lost $1800 from franking credit refunds which she puts towards her private health insurance.

JOBS AND THE ECONOMY

Previously unpublished polling from CGM Research conducted with 661 voters in WA’s five most marginal electorates found that jobs and the economy had became a more urgent issue to voters as the election drew to a close.

According to the research, the number of voters nominating the economy and jobs as their most important issue increased from 31 per cent in March to 38 per cent in May. The proportion of voters nominating fairer taxes as their most important issue went from 12 per cent in March to 16 per cent in May. The Liberals were also preferred as the party to create jobs by 46 per cent of voters compared to 32 per cent for Labor.

SHORTEN’S UNPOPULARITY

Labor insiders also said yesterday elements of the party had “been in denial” about Bill Shorten’s unpopularity.

One insider added: “It got written off as something that wasn’t a problem when we should have been addressing it.”