advancer

Every election usually produces a phrase or a word that becomes the mantra of the election period.  Remember barbecue stopper (Howard), rolled-gold promises (Rudd) and captain’s call (Abbott)? Despite this there hasn't been a lot that is new in this election.

A contributor helpfully pointed out advancer. This is the person who goes ahead of the main caravan of the approaching politician and susses out who to speak to, who is likely to shake hands, which babies will smile and not cry, which parents won’t be aggressive on the current state of childcare, which elderly people won’t snap about the state of aged care, which working couple won’t arc up about housing, and which koala won’t pee on the politician. Where to get a coffee or a beer or an onion or a ride in a tractor. The advancer sorts all of this out so that by the time the politician arrives the path is smooth.  You do not want your candidate putting a hand out to be shaken only to have it rebuffed.  If your job is to advance, then you make sure that doesn’t happen.

Advancers have probably been part of the jargon of the Canberra bubble for some time but this is the first time that I have encountered them in general reporting.

The only other ‘new’ thing was hate media, which is an extension of hate speech, hate crime, etc. The very specific definition given was that hate media are the ABC and the Guardian.  Too limited to be of interest.

A late item of interest was the tablecloth for the Senate voting paper.  A contributor picked this up from those attending the ballot boxes.  It seems to have originated with the NSW parliament. Their elections in 1999 required a senate ballot paper of such enormous length that the election was thereafter referred to as The Tablecloth Election.