Blue ribbon seat: An electorate that has consistently voted for the same member or party over a long period of time, thus making it a 'safe' seat.
Canvassing: Trying to win votes by directly contacting voters, for example by going door-to-door and speaking in-person with voters.
Dog-whistle politics: Political messaging that appears to mean one thing to the general population but has an additional, different meaning for a targeted subgroup. It is often used to criticise the policy, seeming to be reasonable at face value, but actually intended to appeal to a more radical set of voters. In Australian politics’ it has traditionally been used to describe the motivations and rhetoric toward immigration and asylum seeker policy.
Gerrymander: Deliberately dividing a constituency in a way that gives an advantage to one political party or to particular voters.
Kingmaker: A small party or independent politician that plays a deciding role in forming the majority required to win government, in the event of no party winning a clear majority on their own terms. As a result, small parties that play this role usually gain relatively more importance and power in parliament.
Mudslinging: The practice of saying negative things about an opponent during a political campaign. Also known as ‘dirty politics’.
Nanny state: Often used to criticise policy or idea that would lead to a government that is over-protective or interferes too greatly with individual freedoms and choice.
Pub test: A term used to describe the general opinion of ‘everyday Australians’ about current events, politicians or policies. For example, when something does not ‘pass the pub test’, it is said to be something that people would not believe or agree with.
