Photo: Kylie De Guia/ Unsplash
In the 1980s, Australia was introduced to political polling. It is through the polls which focus groups have tested for the public’s views and ideas. However, the use of polls wasn’t as prevalent as they have become in contemporary politics, which meant that leaders and politicians were more focused on policy. This has certainly changed within three decades. The digitalisation of media and election campaigning has meant that voters and politicians are more disconnected, yet simultaneously more connected than ever before, with a persistent ‘poll-fetishism’ that drives modern Australian politics.
Falling poll numbers have been used multiple times to justify replacing party leaders, the quintessential example being when Malcolm Turnbull ‘rolled’ Tony Abbott as Prime Minister. In 2015, Turnbull cited Abbott losing 30 news polls in a row as a reason why new leadership was so desperately needed. Turnbull fell to the same sword, subsequently struck down after losing the same amount of polls, with current Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, claiming victory.
These leadership spills have a perceptual fallout effect, directing many to the view that politicians are purely distracted with themselves, but this isn’t always a reasonable perspective. Instead, the question is how accountable we are as voters for the politicians we entrust to represent us.
Politics and voter non-commitment
Since the 2019 federal election, two-party preferred (TTP) polls have consistently shown at least 12 per cent of respondents don’t have a preferred prime minister. Rates of uncommitted voters increase for polls about preferred state premier, although it varies in each state and territory. New South Wales polls from June 2014 to March 2019 indicated at least 19 per cent are non-commitment, while in the same poll results these peaked at 36 per cent. These results indicate a lack of certainty in what leadership is prefered but may also indicate a lack of interest, knowledge and confidence in politics. In fact, a 2019 poll found that 15 per cent of voters had ‘no interest at all’ in federal politics.
The failure to predict the results of the 2019 federal election have sparked discussion about the effectiveness of polls. An underlying theme of discussion about the 2019 federal election has focused on turnout, with 92 per cent of eligible voters casting a ballot. Furthermore, the federal election had 5.5 per cent ineligible ballots, also known as ‘informal votes.’ In addition, 3.2 per cent of the eligible population are not even enrolled in the first place. This does not include random voting or ‘donkey voting’, which cannot be quantified. It doesn’t take much to realise there is a great deal of disenfranchisement, lack of regard and respect for politicians or their profession. This leads to the question of who is responsible; politicians, pollsters or the people?
The answer is all of them; however, politicians have been almost solely blamed. Therefore, addressing the responsibility of individuals as part of the collective constituency is paramount. Ultimately, mandatory voting exemplifies social democracy and arguably binds Australian constituencies in a social contract. It means that we as citizens not only have the right to participate but must collaborate in the thinking and decision-making of our nation. We have to select a person to represent us and therefore it is not a decision one should take lightly.
In theory, there is little room for citizens to complain about the results of an elected government, as they would have contributed in some way to that result.
If you aren’t satisfied with your elected representative, you must make the changes you want to see. It all starts with us using our agency as part of the collective, it starts when we cast our vote. Arguably, there are many factors that impact voters: education, accessibility to information and policies, engagement with media and the lens through which that media is produced.
While we can all be disappointed in our politicians for being cynical, poll-driven ego-maniacs, we must also ask who provides them with power? It is us. Political leaders must stop pretending that constituencies are benevolent and never at fault. They must stop grovelling to the lightly-held opinions of our fellow countrymen in the same way constituents must start educating themselves. In an open democracy, we must be able to hold each other accountable, and bystanders are just as responsible as the people who stand behind our leaders.
*Ben Hancock is a member of the Australian Labor Party
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