Australian Federal Election 1990 Campaign Ad Megamix

An assortment of election ephemera from the Australian federal election that took place on the 24th of March, 1990, featuring campaign advertisements from both the incumbent Labor Party (fronted by prime minister Bob Hawke) and the Liberal/National Party coalition (with Andrew Peacock as opposition leader) as well as 'how-to-vote' spots from the Australian Electoral Commission.

Synopsis:

1. AEC - Informal voting, that wonderful, democratic right that allows us to write whatever the bleeding heck we want on our ballot papers, even if we are required, by law, to participate in the electoral process. Of course, if you actually want to vote correctly, stay tuned for segments #5 and #9!

2. Labor - "Children are our future" (feeling sick already? And yes, I'm sure I was on Bob Hawke's mind when he released that campaign...)

3. Liberal - "There are que-e-estions, that just have to be a-a-answered..." (even worse than Labor's song!). Andrew Peacock unleashing his tough love on "dole bludgers".

4. Labor - "Australia's Future" - Bob Hawke investing in Australia's technology and research sectors.

5. AEC - How to vote for the House of Representatives.

6. Liberal - Shadow Treasurer Dr. John Hewson says "No special deals on handouts".

7. Labor - Well, it was a given that the Democrats and Greens would hold the balance of power in the upper house. But what about the lower house? Which party should Democrat/Green/etc. supporters have voted for there?

8. Liberal - John Howard, with his boyish good looks that granted him control of the Treasury under the Fraser government and twice the Liberal leadership, calls for the abolition of the capital gains tax.

9. AEC - How to vote for the Senate.

...and, by the way, I'm sure many a humourist and journalist alike have used a "battle of the 'birds"-type metaphor to describe the rivalry between Hawke and Peacock, not that I personally recall such a metaphor (however trite, hackneyed and banal it may be) being used (since I wasn't even six years old at the time ;).

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• australian
• federal
• election
• labor
• liberal
• how
• to
• vote
• 1990

[RogetKing]

i'm from britain and i think voting in australia looks extremely complicated d:-s

is it as hard as it looks?

[tomchristmas]

Not really. I have yet to meet someone that openly admits to filling in every box below the line on the Senate (*) ballot paper (and isn't 'donkey voting').

Our tax return form on the other hand...

(*) I'd like to say 'equivalent to the House of Lords', but you don't for vote for your Upper House, do you?

[RogetKing]

No our House of Lords is appointed not elected and that really is too complicated to explain lol. I have no doubt your method of volting is far more democratic than our first past the post system.

[tomchristmas]

Bah - doesn't matter what the system - first-past-the-post, preferential or whatever - you still end up with lying scumbags :P

[yashi295]

tomchristmas

Any chance you can compile one for the 1993 election as well. This is great!

[tomchristmas]

When I stumble across some more tapes from 1993, sure!

[cfm343]

Vote for Fair Go - the answer is Liberal.

LOL

[thejobloshow]

I like John Hewson, but Andrew Peacock would have been a terrible PM.

[TheMrwai6]

@fericitchannel

Mate I wouldn't even vote for the National Party in New Zealand :P

[Soundgarden8497]

thanks for the $180 billion debt labor

[corpbs1]

The 1990 aussie election was a dud. Neither Hawke nor Peacock were offering anything except policy mush, and reactive leadership by polling data. Bob was going to lift every Aussie kid out of poverty, and Andrew was going to give them all white shoes, a BMW, and tickets to the Melbourne Cup. The electorate responded accordingly; Peacock lost but Hawke only scraped back by whiskers as well. A nothing election really, considering the big questions facing Australia at the time.

[bendineen]

"If the answer is Liberal, it must have been a stupid question." - Bob Hawke.

[Ken0009100]

@thejobloshow Well Dr Hewson, certainly was qualified, but when he became leader he said if he lost the 1993 election he would resign then a year later he was dumped for Alexander Downer then Downer negotiated with him and he said he wanted the Shadow Treasurer portfolio (which was held by Peter Costello, Downer deputy),and then when Howard came back, Hewson resigned from Parliament. He would have been better than Howard.

[fericitchannel]

vote national party!

[volantare]

@tomchristmas i can openly say i fill in every box below the line. all 170 or so of them, because i don't agree with the preference deals all of the parties make with each other. they don't represent my political opinion (and i bet most other people). this applies to ALL parties in australia.

[theturtlesback]

You forgot the Janine Haines 'Give a Damn'!

[judoisoww]

@tomchristmas to fucking true mate to fucking true this was before i was born but the party slogans are the same