Julia Gillard reaches out to Labor faithful for a friend in need

Julia Gillard’spost-political appointments on the Wellcome Trust and Global Institute for Women’s Leadership in London have kept the vaunted former Labor leader out of view for most ofAnthony Albanese’s 2022 federal campaign.

But PM27 has finally raised her head above the parapet to tap Labor’s faithful for donations for an election kick finish. The email titled “Helping out an old friend” landed in inboxes late last week. In it,Gillard emphasises the Opposition’s commitment to childcare along with a request for supporters to contribute $17 each to the campaign.

But the highlight is the insight she gives into what she calls a decades-long friendship with fellow Left faction colleagueAnthony Albanese.

“I have known Anthony for nearly 30 years (yes – that long!) We both look pretty different to what we did back then … but what strikes me about Anthony is what hasn’t changed,” Gillard writes. “The same values of decency and integrity. The same priorities of fairness and opportunity. The same proven ability to lead and to deliver on what matters.

“When I needed somebody to get something done in government,I knew I could rely on Anthony for a hand.”

Which is one way of looking at things if you consider Gillard could always rely on Albo for a hand except when he was going to vote for alternate party leaderKevin Rudd.

Throughout Gillard’s tenure as a senior party figure under Rudd and then as party leader,Albanese made no secret of the fact that his was a vote for Rudd. Recall Gillard’s reflections inKaren Middleton’s 2016 biography of Albanese,Telling it Straight,on the shifting loyalties in the party during the Rudd-Gillard government:“It got to the point where it was really not possible for him to be completely transparent and truthful with me,as well as playing the role for Kevin that Kevin wanted them to play,” the former PM told Middleton.

Nevertheless,it was Albo in Gillard’s minority government who won over crossbench MPs to support virtually all of Labor’s legislative program. He also kept his infrastructure and transport cabinet posts during Gillard and both Rudd governments.

All seems like ancient history now.

OLD AND NEW

Of course,the Libs also went for the old-is-new-again tactic last week when its campaign team lent on party living legendJohn Howard to lend some heftto a final stretch donations drive. “We need your support,” the former prime minister told Liberal faithful in an impassioned call to arms sent on Thursday that praisedScott Morrison for attention to detail while arguing that Albo “doesn’t understand the detail”.

But the text of the email was secondary to two separate links embedded in the fine print ready to spirit supporters to a donations portal.

And now it’s apparent just how much the party wants the cash. Over the weekend,Finance MinisterSimon Birminghamwent back to reinforce the point with another hard-sell of an email:“I wanted to make sure you saw this important email from Mr Howard highlighting the very important choice that Australians face at this election,” his email read. “I know we can count on your help.”

Guess that’s Liberal speak for Dig Deep.

SPRINT FINISH

But if we’re talking deep pockets,there’s nothing like aMark Zuckerberg-endorsed election ad spending tracker. Advertising data for social media spending compiled by Facebook reveals thatClive Palmer’s United Australia Party is still topping the cash splash across platforms including Facebook and Instagram for the three months to mid-May.

Palmer’s UAP has splashed out $535,000 on social media advertising compared to theSimon Holmes a Court-led Climate 200,which has spent $322,000 in the 90-day period. Under-threat TreasurerJosh Frydenberg has thrown $178,000 trying to win over voters online.

The man-behind-the-billboard Clive Palmer has spent an additional $125,000 promoting himself and his slogan “Put Australia First”,with the bulk of spending roughly split between NSW ($37,000) followed by $33,000 in Queensland and $30,000 in Victoria. Readers will recall the warning-sign yellow themed UAP has continued to top social media spending since the election’s earliest days along with Climate 200 and well-resourced independents in marginal seats includingMonique Ryan in Kooyong,Zoe Danielin Goldstein,Kylea Tinkin North Sydney andAllegra Spenderin Wentworth.

For their part,the teals are still spending hand over fist. Ryan is up in Palmer territory having shelled out $125,000 in the past three months,while Tink and Spender are marginally behind at $83,000. Daniel is less enthusiastic online. Her campaign has dropped a mere $8000 on ads in the same amount of time.

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FIRST PRINCIPLES

But there’s a new entrant in the spending stakes. Aunty support group ABC Friends has now splashed $104,000 in the past 90 days on a series of ads urging voters to sign a petition and to vote to protect the broadcaster. The group has also published cameos from Aunty alum including foreign correspondentPhil Williams,veteran journalistCaroline Jones and former7.30 ReporthostKerry O’Brien who starred in a slick video released last week by ABC Alumni urging voters to support candidates who will fight for the public broadcaster. But readers would have already readall about that here first.

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