The rise of catchphrase politics: six examples of how policy loses out to soundbites

Do you ever wonder why Australia is spinning its wheels on some of the biggest policy challenges of our time? There are lots of reasons for this, but key among them is the relentless rise of catchphrase politics.

Here are some of the starker examples.

While the deterrence framework of boat turnbacks and offshore detention has been successful in stopping the blow of unauthorised boat arrivals to Australia, this elaborate apparatus comes at an enormous cost, both to the budget (around $1bn every year) and to the human beings languishing for years in offshore detention, or in extended limbo in Australia on temporary protection visas.

Given the budget is now in deep deficit, any government examining that particular concession looks even more fiscally prudent now than it did back in 2019. But to be clear, Labor did not propose a death or retirement tax in 2019. But a lot of voters believed they were voting Liberal to stop one.