Liberals spend up on anti-Albanese national security attack ads on Facebook

Even before the Coalition ramped up its national security attack in parliament this week, the Liberal party had been test-driving the tactic online for weeks, spending thousands of dollars on Facebook ads targeting Albanese, as well as peppering key voting blocs with claims of a Labor-Greens coalition.

By contrast, Labor is holding off on its Facebook spending until closer to the election.

They were all launched on 7 February, the day before the start of the parliamentary sitting fortnight.

One Liberal ad, overwhelmingly targeted to men, linked to the strengthening character test legislation which the government attempted to use as a wedge against Labor this week. The ad, showing two hands in cuffs, boasts of the Coalition having cancelled or refused 10,000 visas on character grounds, and criticises Labor for previously voting against the character test changes.

Another ad showing Bandt in a turtleneck sweater, with a miniature Albanese sitting in his front pocket, is also targeted overwhelmingly at young men. Of people shown that ad, 86% were men, and 28% were in the 25-34 age bracket.

Labor sources said they were waiting until closer to the election, expected in May, before launching its online advertising campaign.

Labor spent tens of thousands of dollars on ads in September and November, when some had tipped the election would be called.

While neither Albanese nor Morrison were currently running paid ads on their personal Facebook pages, Albanese did launch a run of Facebook ads in November, focused on issues of childcare, renewable energy, Medicare and job creation.