If you’re an unknown candidate in a swing seat, obviously you’re going to try some wonderful stunts. Do that. Do your stunts. But you probably need to keep yourself relatively prepped on policy specifics – or even generalities, if we’re honest.
Liberal candidate for McEwen, Chris Jermyn, had the bright idea to show up with corflutes and campaign material at Bill Shorten‘s appearance at a Sunbury health centre, with the obvious intention of setting up a compelling gotcha moment for the Labor leader.
A good plan, because McEwen is held by Labor’s Rob Mitchell on a bloody knife edge – 0.2 percent, actually.
Things didn’t work out that way. What actually happened is that a News Corp journo confronted Jermyn with some basic questions about the Coalition‘s healthcare platform, which he could not answer.
The journalist asked him about a freeze on the Medicare rebate for doctors. “Look, clearly my position is that of the federal government,” he replied.
“The government’s policy is very clear. Nonetheless I think we’ve got the leader arriving now so I’d like to have a listen to what he’s got to say.”
It’s being called the Jaymz Diaz moment of this election – recalling the unfortunate 2013 soundbite of the ultimately unsuccessful Lib candidate’s inability to recite the Coalition’s widely spread six point plan on border protection.
Jermyn quickly fled to his car. Journalists followed, but he refused to speak to them. “This is why I hate journalists,” he said, before driving off.
Basically, it seems like if you’re going to attempt a daring ambush outside a hospital, you might want to come loaded with facts about your party’s health plans.
Source: Nine.
Photo: Nine.
