{"id":7987,"date":"2013-08-12T12:06:41","date_gmt":"2013-08-12T02:06:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nofibs.com.au\/?p=7987"},"modified":"2022-05-02T00:18:05","modified_gmt":"2022-05-01T14:18:05","slug":"coalition-big-guns-and-generic-letters-leave-locals-bemused-in-mirabellas-indi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/coalition-big-guns-and-generic-letters-leave-locals-bemused-in-mirabellas-indi\/","title":{"rendered":"Coalition big guns and generic letters leave locals cold in Mirabella’s Indi"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Sydney

Shadow Treasurer and Sydney Liberal Joe Hockey in a new local TV ad for Sophie Mirabella<\/p><\/div>\n

by Wayne Jansson<\/a><\/p>\n

August 12<\/p>\n

In more signs Indi Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella is under pressure, campaign advertisements started appearing on local TV on Sunday featuring Joe Hockey. Is Sophie’s brand so damaged in Indi she can’t front her own advertisements?<\/p>\n

One of the criticisms of Mirabella heard most often is that she’s a Melbourne blow-in who was parachuted into a safe conservative seat. I’m not convinced getting a Sydney politician to front an election advertisement in these circumstances is such a wise strategy. Rural people already feel like they get poor representation from the coalition, with their interests largely ignored in favour of marginal city seats. An interstate city politician fronting for Sophie is definitely not going to ease those tensions; in fact, it could amplify them.<\/p>\n

In addition, Barnaby Joyce is set to campaign in Indi with Mirabella (source: The Conversation<\/a>). Barnaby’s likely a better choice than Joe, but I’m not sure people take him so seriously after promising $100 lamb roasts because of a price on carbon. I suspect alarm bells are ringing at coalition central.<\/p>\n

In my article<\/a> over the weekend I posted a letter Mirabella sent out to Indi constituents late last week. Subsequently I discovered a letter sent by Bendigo Liberal candidate Greg Bickley. The body of the letter<\/a> is identical to Mirabella\u2019s.<\/p>\n

In an electorate craving for local candidates to talk about local issues or national issues with local impacts, a one-size-fits-all approach only adds momentum to the campaigns of Mirabella’s main opponents.\u00a0 They are all having conversations about local issues, and national issues as they fit into the local experience. Sophie’s obviously missing the point by using generic letters and big-hitting friends.<\/p>\n

Over the weekend a number of candidates and interested tweeps had a conversation about the hashtag that should be used for Indi on Twitter. In the end a consensus was reached: #IndiVotes<\/a> it is.<\/p>\n

The most active candidates on Twitter are: (in no particular order) The Greens\u2019 Jenny O’Connor (@JennyJenocon<\/a>), independent Jennifer Podesta (@jenpodesta<\/a>), Voice for Indi’s Cathy McGowan (@Indigocathy<\/a>) and the ALP’s Robyn Walsh (@RobynWalsh4Indi<\/a>). Robyn’s campaign manager Zuvele Leschen\u00a0(@ZuveleLeschen<\/a>) is also very active. Jump in and join the conversation<\/a>,<\/p>\n

Among the Indi candidates Sophie Mirabella (smirabellamp<\/a>) has by far the largest number of followers (5,943). However, she has not tweeted since July 28. Mirabella does have her own Twibbon<\/a> with 17 unique supporters. Cathy McGowan’s Twibbon<\/a> has 73 unique supporters.<\/p>\n

The letter sent by Adam Wyldeck<\/a>, Mirabella\u2019s staffer, later leaked by Crikey has inspired the creation of a new Facebook page, Letters About Sophie<\/a>. It was created in response to the line – “Cathy McGowan\u2019s supporters are flooding every single one of the local papers with vitriolic letters of hatred towards Sophie”. In less than a week it has collected more than 900 likes.<\/p>\n

Jennifer Podesta, Cathy McGowan and Jenny O’Connor all reported via Twitter they were campaigning over the weekend. A source told me Cathy McGowan’s campaign was all the way out at Goorambat. Robyn Walsh took to Twitter reminding voters of the positive things Labor has done in the electorate while in government, including contributing $3 million for The Cube in Wodonga, which was the venue for McGowan’s campaign launch.<\/p>\n

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Federal Labor contributed $3 million to The Cube in Wodonga… http:\/\/t.co\/36ic7Wy31q<\/a> #indivotes<\/a><\/p>\n

— RobynWalsh4Indi (@RobynWalsh4Indi) August 11, 2013<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n