Politics

1. Inclusive politics … your local Tui billboard has the answer

   Published on Thursday, August 26th, 2010
   

   Australia's version of the psychic "Paul" the World Cup Octopus

   As Australia inches forward to deciding who won last Saturday’s election, for diversion media commentators across the ditch are pouring over the tea leaves trying to analyse why the electorate voted the way it did.

   One recurring theme is ‘the electorate is sick and tired of the adversarial politics served up by the two main parties’. The claim is voters either deliberately spoilt their compulsory vote (put at some 6 percent) or voted for anyone but the Labour or Coalition candidate.

   Given Australia’s complex voting system (our perception) this results in laborious recounts before a winner is eventually declared.

   Another intriguing outcome is that regardless of the outcome in Australia, it will almost certainly mean three of the world’s leading proponents of Westminster style government (Britain, Australia and New Zealand) being governed by coalitions, even though all three countries use different voting systems.

   In railing against adversarial politics, what we shouldn’t lose sight of is Westminster style government (and each of our legal systems) is designed to be adversarial.

   If you ever want an example of it at its ‘best’, listen to the exchanges between Annette King and Stephen Joyce on Mike Hosking’s breakfast radio show on a Wednesday morning. It’s a brawl from start to finish, with the rules being: never concede, score points, undermine, talk over the top and always have the last word.

   Each country has always practiced this form of brutal politics (and law), even if each side keeps quiet while the other has a go. The difference between now and yesteryear is that modern communications – electronic and social media – makes us more aware of what takes place.

   At the same time society has become more cosmopolitan, better educated, more opinionated, and we too through social media have the ability to share our views with a wide audience.

   Immediately after the elections in Australia and Britain the politicians promised a more inclusive form of government. I seem to remember similar promises being made when National came to power in New Zealand.

   Will it happen? For an answer refer to a Tui billboard near you.

   

2. Straddling the high wire … and surviving

   Published on Friday, July 2nd, 2010

   Less than two years ago as we led into the November 2008 election, the preservation of our fight against the evils of climate change, in the form of the emissions trading scheme, was sacrosanct.

   Only ACT railed against it, National promised to be pragmatic while Labour told us the ‘end is nigh’ if we dared to scupper it.

   We’re now into day two of a watered down ETS, and based on the furore in the media the end is certainly nigh – in terms of the impact it is predicted to have on our disposal income.

   Media would have us believe the only people in NZ that now support an ETS is a National Party that has lost touch with the electorate.

   Across the Tasman, one of the reasons put forward for the dramatic rolling of Kevin Rudd as Australian PM is that he did not follow through on his commitment to introduce an ETS!

   It would appear that while we want to see ours gone, Australians are keen to have one imposed on them.

   Perhaps our Government is paying more attention to the words of the Acting British High Commissioner, who in an address in Wellington last month was pretty blunt when he talked about Europe’s position on climate change.

   Buried in the text was the warning ‘…don’t underestimate how important climate change and low carbon issues are to us. It is at the heart of what we believe and central to our governments’ policies. It is driving our business and is a massive issue for many of our citizens. We are prepared to judge ourselves and others by how we respond to the challenge’.

   For a diplomat that is pretty strong language. Perhaps he has been even blunter in his private discussions with our trade emissaries about the impact not doing our bit could have on our future food trade with Europe?

   Being successful in politics has always included the ability to balance yourself strategically on the high wire. This Government is mastering the art fast.

   

3. All associated with the BP oil spill are acting incomprehensibly

   Published on Friday, June 18th, 2010

   From a communication perspective, it’s impossible to make sense of what is taking place with the BP oil spill into the Gulf of Mexico.

   The BBC describes the issue as a ‘PR disaster’ for BP while international financial analysts talk about it undermining the competitive advantage of the world’s 5th largest company ‘into the foreseeable future’.

   It’s inconceivable that BP is not employing the best PR professionals in the business, so why on a daily basis are they staggering from one communications blunder to another? Why is there no belief BP has answers? Why the apparent indifference to its corporate reputation?

   For all his ‘tough talk’, President Obama is struggling. Political commentators from the left, middle and right are calling his performance inadequate and lacking leadership.

   Even American media is questioning why the American administration is not putting its national resources into working alongside BP to minimise the damage being done to people’s lives and the environment; why an administration that poured unlimited money into the American banking system during the financial meltdown is now insisting that it’s ‘BP’s problem to fix’.

   Perhaps it’s all about money. Remember, while Exxon was ordered to pay billions in compensation for the Exxon Valdez spill, American courts eventually capped the payout to $500,000 because ‘it was an accident’.

   Could it be that BP is gaming the US administration, with the lawyers running a strategy based around taking the heat on corporate reputation in the short term while preparing for the inevitable 15 to 20 years of litigation in the American courts as claimants try to get their hands on the $20 billion in the compensation fund.

   Given BP’s actions to date, it certainly hard to believe it’s the communications people that are in charge of strategy.
    
   As for President Obama, he may well be the ultimate loser if this adds to the belief that he is a talker rather than doer.

   Postscript. The Gulf of Mexico oil spill is not the world’s largest – not yet anyway. That dubious honour is vied for by the 1910 Lakeview Gusher (USA) and the 1991 Gulf War. To take the number one spot the BP spill needs to eclipse 9 to 11 billion barrels.

   

4. Can Social Media Turn the Tide for the Obama Administration?

   Published on Thursday, June 17th, 2010

   Ariana Huffington, Editor in Chief and Co-Founder of the self-named Huffington Post, wrote an interesting piece last week on how the US government is looking to develop social media channels to enable the public to be more closely involved in the decision-making processes of government. 

   Possibly it’s part of the Obama Adminstration’ s move to address concerns that Pres. Obama is not hearing what the people want. But it is also a sign of their very real understanding of the need to integrate modern communication mechanisms into the traditional communications mix.  
    
   The Obama administration’s appointment of the first ever Chief Information Officer demonstrates its awareness that this space should be developed, managed and protected, just as any other major piece of the nations infrastructure needs to be handled. So perhaps this next move will in fact highlight some of the underlying traps that businesses currently face.

   Presumably with access to the best tech brains in the US to help refine and fashion social media as an effective communication channel, the outcomes should be very interesting.
    
   While the premise of public input into law making via the news channels is  refreshing, almost inevitably there is a high risk of issues being captured by lobby groups who may use such  anonymous forums as a way of promoting their version of what  real Jo Public thinks  – which may not be correct. On the other hand, any such attempts at manipulation may be so obvious as to not be an issue, and the forum will prove to be a more modern means of truly allowing public participation in government. 
    
   Delivery of, and access to information through technology is an area that potentially requires a whole new set of guidelines, regulations and laws. Undoubtedly they will come and offset the wild-west dimension to what some people continue say and do in the new media. Examples abound of rogue sites, blogs and facebook postings. Here’s hoping that an initiative by a really tech savvy government will create some outcomes that will prove beneficial for the rest of the world.

   

5. Why do the words poo, boobs and underage drinking all have similar effect on young people?

   Published on Thursday, May 6th, 2010

   Communicating effectively with young people is considered a special skill, even a gift. They can be the harshest critics and their responses unpredictable.

   It was therefore a brave set of comedians who took to the stage in Auckland at the weekend at the Stand Up for Kids show as part of the international comedy festival programme.  Most began their sets with a reference to having thought specifically about what kids would find funny – given they usually entertain adults.

   And funny it was, to all of the audience no matter what their age with simple, old-fashioned humour that entertained without patronising.   One of the comedians began by reading out a list of words he had told himself to avoid, given their age.  You guessed it: bum, farts, boobs and the like were amongst them, and of course, the kids loved it.     

   It put into sharp relief what has been making me feel uneasy about the way we are communicating with older ‘kids’ around drinking alcohol.  It is an area that I think needs a serious rethink if we are to make any useful changes to teenage drinking habits.

   The way the ‘grown-ups’ are talking about how the ‘kids’ are, or rather are not, handling their alcohol intake will surely only add to the naughty factor and therefore its appeal.  Where is the communication that aims to teach our kids how to develop a healthier attitude towards a product that they can enjoy in moderation? 

   The debate in the media and around office water coolers is probably small fry compared to the debate that is likely being stirred amongst many young wannabe drinkers themselves, none of whom are likely to be supporting an increase.  Maybe we need some good comedians to get onto the job of helping build understanding amongst younger people that alcohol can be both good and bad depending on how you use it.   

   By the way, there are two more shows this weekend.  I highly recommend it for kids of all ages.

   

6. Polish authorities recover quickly from disaster to reaffirm control

   Published on Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

   The Polish administration has to be admired for getting its crisis management plan into action quickly following the tragic crash of the aeroplane carrying that country’s top political, civil and military leaders.

   It has reaffirmed steady hands remain on the tiller of State.

   The Acting President has appointed acting heads of institutions such as the National Bank, Chief of Security, and the heads of the air force, navy and land forces.

   It has moved to counter the ‘conspiracy theorists’ who are seeking to find the hand of Russian involvement in the tragedy by talking up the “emotional breakthrough” created by the “two nations grieving together”.

   And today it announced it was bringing forward the planned Presidential elections.

   News that Poland is to ‘review’ travel rules for senior officials is again a move by the administration to show it has matters ‘in hand’.
    
   However, for those of us who spend our lives in issues management planning the real question is: Why were so many travelling on the same aircraft in the first place?

   It is fundamental of disaster prevention to require people important to a country’s political and economic stability to be split into separate groups when travelling to the same event.

   What possessed Polish decision makers to ignore such a common sense requirement?

   Most large corporations have rules about senior executives travelling separately, and Coca-Cola has made the issue part of their corporate folk lore (you’ve heard the story, only a few executives know the secret formulae, and they are never allowed to travel on the same plane together).

   Human nature being what it is, there is often little enthusiasm for disaster planning. It often gets bumped to the back of the queue time after time while more pressing issues are dealt with.

   Perhaps the Polish tragedy will be a timely reminder to those in decision making roles that they need to ensure their disaster planning is on a firm footing.

   

7. What a wonderful bizarre world we live in!

   Published on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

   There are occasions when you can only but shake your head in disbelief at the antics played out in our media.

   Take for example the reaction by the majority of the media to the suggestion by ACT MP David Garrett that there might be some value in considering paying ‘bad parents’ $5000 if they agreed to be sterilised.

   The media went berserk, making it the leading news item of the day. Politicians and every sort of self appointed social or liberal commentator climbed into the debate. Someone even managed to manufacture a link with Hitler.

   You could be forgiven for believing that the suggestion was on the verge of becoming law rather than the musings on a blog by a MP who was unknown to the majority of us.

   The most poignant comment that I saw was that from the Herald’s Fran O’Sullivan, who quietly pointed out that many middle class parents pay for their own sterilisation once they have completed their families.

   Shame on you Fran for effectively killing off the debate when your colleagues were just getting started! And shame on the middle class for following the teachings of Hitler!

   Having recovered our breath we then moved on to the Destiny Church’s ‘cash cult’ expose. Not to worry that we have heard it all before, including stories about the extravagant living style of its leader Bishop Tamaki.

   It all started because part of the Brisbane congregation did what every right minded person would do if they disagreed with the ‘cult’s’ requirements around tithing and gifting – they walked out.

   The only nugget I gathered from the coverage was that TV3’s John Campbell has now adopted the practice of gate crashing other presenter’s interviews (Willie Jackson’s) to get a story if anyone dares to decline his demand that they appear on his show.

   Can we now look forward to the day when Willie gate crashes John’s programme?

   To mimic the words taken to the world by the late Paul Fuemana, ‘how bizarre, how bizarre’.

   

8. Government showing deft communication touch

   Published on Friday, February 12th, 2010

   The Government’s handling of the tax changes to be announced in the May budget show a masterly understanding of managing long term communications.

   Delegate the task of putting forward ideas to a third party (a commission) and then immediately reject the most controversial (phew, it’s not going to be as bad as it could be!); talk up some of the remaining unpalatable ideas, and then in the first formal statement of the year reject them too (saved again!).

   Now we have a pretty clear understanding of what will be in the budget some three months in advance, even if we don’t have the detail. By the time the announcements are made in May all the best emotional and rational condemnations from opponents will be out in the public domain, and Government can fine tune its final decisions to ease back on those that will upset us most.

   By the time the changes are finally introduced in October (10 months from raising the issue to their implementation) we will have mentally adjusted, and rather than outrage we will take them in our stride.

   It is good strategy, and the Government’s media managers are demonstrating a deft implementation touch.

   Cast your mind over some of the other contentious issues – mining in conservation reserves; fundamental economic reform to ‘catch up with Australia’ and even the national standards for primary schools have been on the agenda for months.

   When the going started to get tough over national standards, Key & Co showed their ability to up the game aggressively with a ministerial realignment, Key personally entering the confrontation, and outspoken challenges to the teacher’s union and boards of trustees.

   Labour will undoubtedly have the skills to win a few skirmishes as we move into the year, but they are going to need to be at the top of their game to outmanoeuvre National.

   

9. Annual Conferences, key communication events or commercial craftiness?

   Published on Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

   Annual industry conferences are key communications events for most sectors. The opportunity to hear directly from people who have particular insight or influence in your sector is a particular draw-card for delegates and sector commentators alike.  With this in mind, a small story in The Press last Friday bears some reflection.

   Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee elected not to be the keynote speaker at the Power & Electricity World summit, an annual industry conference, albeit organised by a commercial conference operator.

   Brownlee said that with major reforms going through the select committee process, he did not want to be forming any positions. While there may be a sinter of truth in the Minister’s explanation, the parliamentary process hasn’t stopped the minister boxing Meridian’s ears several times over its comments on the proposed reform, including in his op-ed piece in yesterday’s edition of the Otago Daily Times.

   As if to bolster his reasons for not speaking at the conference, the Minister also complained of the registration cost and commercial nature of the conference to which he was invited, as well as claiming he was being used to promote it, as “part of their product”.

   Mixed messages, indeed, from our Minister of Energy.  A reluctance to engage in debate while the reforms are before the select committee is not unreasonable.  But why then take to Meridian via the media on the same reforms?  Ministers will often specify entirely valid no-go areas when speaking at events, but it does not preclude an appearance.

   While the Minister may now be reticent about involvement in “commercial” conferences, what was his disposition when National was seeking to extricate itself from the Opposition benches? As I recall, any forum was a good one for National MPs, commercially-based or otherwise. 

   The realities are: Ministers are expected to deliver speeches almost anytime-anywhere, and although we may bridle against them, commercial conference arrangements are a reality for most industry sectors, largely due to the organisational and associated costs such as venues, catering and speakers’ travel.

   Politicians use these forums when it suits them, and it is a bit rich to be railing against such conferences once comfortably seated in a ministerial chair.

   

10. Fair Play or Out Of Bounds

    Published on Thursday, January 28th, 2010

    The ability of the media to ‘spark’ a controversy, and that of social media to ‘fuel it’ has rarely been better illustrated than the histrionics raging in Australian over the comments made by the new Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott, when asked the question:  what advice would you give your daughters about sex before marriage.

    The question was posed by The Australian Women’s Weekly when doing a personality piece on Abbott. His response [not to give away their virginity lightly] is, I would have thought on face value, acceptable enough fatherly wisdom.

    However, when you are a politician, nothing is taken on face value.

    As would be anticipated, the reaction to his comments has been as diverse as ‘a brilliant answer’ to ‘yet another self-acknowledged one-time drug-taking, Vatican roulette-playing, shagabout, white, middle-aged male telling young women not to do what he did when he was their age’ (an Australian comedian).

    Now Abbott is an experienced politician, and his media minders are hardly likely to be lightweights, so it’s not unreasonable to assume he knew what sort of reaction he was likely to generate. The decision to answer the question the way he did had to be deliberate, and was designed to achieve a specific result.

    Post coverage analysis will tell him whether he obtained what he set out to achieve.

    By and large, New Zealand politicians have steadfastly refused to allow or inject their families into media coverage to raise their profile. In Australia, some at least are obviously not so reticent.

    I think the Kiwi approach is the wiser.

    What is of real interest to those of us who work in the media world is the power social media has to take the initial story, and fragment it into stories about politics, parenting, morality, religion, feminism, manipulation (of the media), hypocrisy and personal choice, to name a few.

    For those who have doubts about the power of social media, have a read.

    One only hopes that the media does not seek to prolong the controversy by asking Mrs Abbott and her three daughters as to their views on Mr Abbott’s musing. Enough is enough!