Slogans for bogans

Firstly, ‘bogan’ is not a dirty word. Some of Australia’s most respected national treasures fall into this category. Paul Hogan, Sophie Monk and Robert Irwin all qualify, and Margot Robbie is even a self-proclaimed ‘bonafide bogan.’

According to AI, the term ‘bogan’ is Australian slang traditionally associated with the working class, ranging from a derogatory insult for uncouth behaviour to a self-deprecating term of endearment.

For many in the political world, it’s secretly viewed as aptly defining the standard Aussie voter – that being a person who’s high on workload and low on patience for pollies and their policies. Hence the birth of the three-word slogan.

As one of the most effective Opposition Leaders in political history, Tony Abbott was the master of ‘cut through’ in three words. In response to a rise in asylum seekers, ‘Stop The Boats’ was not a quip he came up with on the fly. Nor was ‘Axe The Tax’ in relation to the Gillard Labor Government’s carbon tax. They were carefully canvassed, curated and critiqued before being uttered in a press conference.

These six simple words took down three Prime Ministers: Kevin Rudd in 2010, Julia Gillard in 2013 and Kevin Rudd (again) in the same year… All of which resulted in Australia’s most famous budgy-smuggler-wearing Northern Beaches resident being handed the keys to Kirribilli … and The Lodge.

Fast forward 13 years and the penchant for a punchy catchphrase remains alive and well. One Nation’s leading the charge with ‘Fire The Liar’, referring to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Whether you love or loathe Pauline Hanson, her unparalleled capacity to cut through and speak directly to voters is working a treat.

One Nation’s popularity isn’t confined to middle-aged and older Australians. Millennials and Gen Zs are also ‘frothing’ over Pauline. When the ‘Fire The Liar’ truck was doing laps of Parliament House last week, Pauline Hanson was greeted by a barrage of Aussies in their teens and twenties looking positively giddy. The Senator received a rockstar reception.

They are part of the majority who feel the ‘math ain’t mathin” on the major parties and their policies. One Nation’s marketing machine deserves a round of applause.

In a battle to survive, Angus Taylor’s also employing the three-word-slogan-for-bogans strategy with ‘Drop The Flop’, referring to Labor’s tax reforms. It might only be three words, but one senior press gallery reporter informed me the Opposition Leader said ‘Drop The Flop’ a whopping 58 times in the space of five days across radio, TV, press conferences and Question Time.

He hasn’t said it in more than a week though … mainly because … well … ‘Drop The Flop’ was a total flop … So the Opposition dropped it. They’ve traded it in for ‘Assault On Ambition’ and ‘Labor’s Toxic Taxes.’ But that’s also penetrating about as well as a wooden spoon through iron ore.

Why? Because unlike Tony Abbott and One Nation, the Opposition isn’t effectively articulating its alternative policies to get Australia back on track.

With Labor being forced to do a deal with the Greens to push its ‘intergenerational’ negative gearing and CGT housing reforms through the Senate, it’s a prime time to kick a party while it’s down. But according to this media nerd’s notes, since June 10, in every press conference Angus Taylor has fronted, he hasn’t been able to get more than four minutes in without being asked about One Nation or the ‘M’ word (multiculturalism). This begs the question from some commentators: whether another three-word phrase could be aptly used to describe Angus Taylor’s leadership — ‘Dead. Man. Walking.’

That said, Anthony Albanese is hardly doing cartwheels, with One Nation arguably eating just as much into Labor’s base as it is the Coalition’s.

Either way, ‘Fire The Liar’ is on fire and all major parties are feeling the heat.