The Tampa, Wedge Politics, and a Lesson for Political Journalism

Abstract

For a little over a week at the end of August and beginning of September 2001, the plight of the MV Tampa and 433 refugees aboard dominated front pages, news bulletins, and talkback radio. The Howard Government's determination to ensure that no illegal immigrant set foot on Australian soil triggered a sharp upward swing in the polls. This was no accident. The Government's move against the Tampa was a carefully researched and premeditated election gambit intended to peel blue-collar voters away from Labor. The mainstream media largely missed this story even though the Opposition pointed to Howard's use of wedge politics. Had journalists understood this point they may have framed the story differently. The Tampa incident's lesson is that those covering politics need a good understanding of wedge politics and the full arsenal of political marketing methods that now shapes Australian political combat