The 2022 Federal Election blanketed Australia in advertising, but the strangest example I found was out in the back streets of Melbourne’s western suburbs, attached to the back of a motor scooter.
‘Vote 1’ signs for Monique Ryan, an independent candidate looking to unseat treasurer Josh Frydenberg in Kooyong, an electorate 30 kilometres away in Melbourne’s leafy eastern suburbs.
But a few days later, her posters were sitting discarded in a pile, replaced by ads for Tim Wilson – Liberal member for Goldstein, at risk of being unseated by independent candidate Zoe Daniel.
But even the deep pockets of “freedom boy” couldn’t keep his face on the back of scooters – he joined the pile of rejects, replaced by Eric Kolmeyer, Liberal Democrats candidate for Scullin, in the outer northern suburbs of Melbourne.
And the washup
With the election now over…
- Monique Ryan ended up ousting Josh Frydenberg in a tight race.
- Tim Wilson conceded defeat to independent Zoe Daniel.
- And as for Eric Kolmeyer – a middling 3.7% of votes, sitting behind Labor, the Liberals, Greens, United Australia Party, and One Nation.
A note on mobile advertising
Theoretically a motor scooter with a noisy two stroke engine causes less pollution than a truck mounted billboard.
But advertising towed around by pedal power are the cleanest option.
Remember that Tim Wilson is a member of the Institute of Public Affairs (alongside several members of the Liberal Democrats, like David Leyonhjelm, another who ran for the Liberal Democrats), a think-tank linked to the Liberal Party and the US media mogul Rupert Murdoch. The IPA talks about freedom, but it is freedom for the rich to do whatever they want (as they will own everything that is privatised, not the ordinary people, who will have reduced services.
Also the “freedom” to use water cannons on protesters he doesn’t like.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/oct/07/tim-wilson-joins-hong-kong-marchers-but-draws-fire-for-historic-tweet
I presume that the “working class” who are employed in insecure and low paying jobs such as driving scooters towing political billboards during an election campaign cannot afford to live in highly affluent electorates such as Kooyong or Goldstein, and instead reside in more affordable areas that are far away.
Don’t forget the walking billboards Josh Frydenberg hired!
https://twitter.com/workmanalice/status/1524696270086225920