This week’s spam came with extra sizzle — embedded videos, pixelated sci-fi, influencer vibes and just the faintest whiff of actual policy. But more than anything, it was about branding. Should MPs back the party label? Parade their leader like a shiny new toaster? Or just… pretend they’re not in a party at all?
From April 4–10, we counted 48 e-newsletters from federal MPs and senators, a big drop from the 72 in the first week of the campaign. Again, the ALP wrote a lot more, and Ralph Babet and Jacqui Lambie are still conspicuously silent.
Some senders were loyal party soldiers, others rogue operators. A few seemed to be running as if Peter Dutton were someone they’d never heard of. And honestly? Fair enough.
He who must not be named
When a party leader’s name has been tarnished, or a party’s brand sullied, you may suddenly notice them disappearing from election material being sent out by MPs and candidates. And it’s clear that many Liberals currently see their leader as a bit of a Voldemort, a name that cannot be uttered.
NT Country Liberal Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, for example, has produced two newsletters this week that don’t mention “Liberal” or “Dutton” once (apart from the fine print at the bottom).
She’s also ditched the traditional Liberal navy blue. If only there was a word for a slightly lighter shade of blue…. sky blue? Anti-Labor aquamarine? Is it…
Price’s fellow Liberal Senator Claire Chandler (Tasmania) has similarly produced two e-newsletters this week that don’t mention he who must not be named — but there were 17 mentions of the Greens!
There is some of this on the ALP side, but the distancing from both party and leader is a lot clearer from the Coalition.
Team effort or solo act?
Other MPs are trying strength in numbers this week, promoting their leader and campaign events featuring senior party members or elders.
WA Liberal Senator Dean Smith dug even deeper into the nostalgia vault, bringing back party heavyweights of yore for a country club morning tea featuring a certain former prime minister.
MPs: The influencer era
But the real star turn this week was the multimedia blitz.
Some MPs embraced their inner content creator, while others should probably hand their phones back to the interns.
Henry Pike (LNP, Bowman) gave us a greatest hits-style video of local testimonials titled We Like Pike. The internet seems divided about whether pike is a good eating fish, but personally I prefer my Pike teamed with a Joyce.
No word yet on a remix.
Dan Repacholi (ALP, Hunter) is still our reigning content king, returning with three more YouTube shorts and a poetic slogan: “My face at your place.” Possibly threatening, possibly charming.
The free TAFE one is worth a watch, if only for Repacholi and Andrew Giles shouting “FREE” and “TAFE” back and forth at each other.
Patrick Gorman (ALP, Perth) tried his hand at vox pops, continuing Labor’s attacks on Dutton’s public service plans.
While some, like ex-Liberal Russell Broadbent, stuck with the principle that all publicity is good publicity. Though we aren’t really sure what to make of this cartoon. Why are Broadbent and Liberal candidate Mary Aldred on the same team? Are the umpires suggesting that Broadbent wants another 26 years in Parliament? Woorayl Lodge is an aged care facility, so are they suggesting that both Broadbent and Aldred belong there?
Some MPs still prefer the old-school approach — local grant announcements, community BBQs, and thinly veiled pork-barrelling.
But others are clearly hoping you’ll be swayed by narrative arcs, moody lighting, or the sheer novelty of an MP with a ring light.
Party line or rogue signal?
This week also raised deeper questions about branding. Do MPs help or hinder themselves by highlighting their leader? Is Peter Dutton electoral napalm? Is Albo too boring for subject lines? And what’s the optimal e-newsletter ratio of glossy videos to references to Medicare?
As the campaign continues, we’ll be watching whether more MPs lean into party branding or instead just start a podcast, open a Patreon and go full influencer. (Honestly, we’d subscribe to And repacholi’s daily mullets.)
Of course, we all make mistakes (thanks to keen reader MJM for pointing out we got our dates wrong in our piece last week). So it’s good to know that Sophie Scamps is counting on me [FirstName]:
Until next week
Keep checking your inbox — and if you spot any more MPs going rogue, let us know. We’re watching.
Note: In response to some reader comments, we just want to clarify that while these e-newsletters aren’t exactly riveting reading, they are not technically “spam”. We signed up for these e-newsletters. So commenters Andi, Number 9, Who Cares, unless you contact an MP or sign up for these, you probably won’t receive any.
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