“The Liberal post-election report reveals a good checklist of how not to run a campaign in the 2020s… Any aspiring political candidate or campaigner should have a good read of it, regardless of belief,” writes political columnist ANDREW HUGHES.

One of the more significant documents to be leaked in recent weeks was tabled in federal parliament by none other than the prime minister himself.

In a rough week for the new opposition leader, the document (online here if you want to see it) was slid across the table to Angus Taylor after he had claimed it would never see the public light of day. 

Both the PM and the leaker would have enjoyed that moment as much as the other. 

For mine, this review is what was required for the Liberal Party. For supporters it shows that there are people in the party who care, who see a future, who want it to be competitive. They bleed blue. That is a sign of optimism. 

Politics aside, it reveals a good checklist of how not to run a campaign in the 2020s, at any level. Being just 64 pages long, it’s brief, blunt and brave in context and recommendations. Any aspiring political candidate or campaigner should have a good read of it, regardless of belief. 

One of the more interesting parts of the document was on communications and marketing. And, no, I wasn’t asked to help with the review, a question some have asked in the last few weeks. 

There are four critical aspects to any campaign in 2026. They are: 

1. Leader/Candidate 
2. Party/Ideology 
3. Policy Offering
4. Marketing, Comms/Advertising and Branding. 

There are several aspects to each of these, but I don’t have the word count today to delve into those in more detail. 

It is in the content creation area I want to focus on, noting that comms effectiveness is also correlated to the three areas before it. 

Firstly, what is clear is this: if you can’t make content, don’t get into politics. You. Not AI. AI stuff is fine to a point, but you need to make content yourself. Can’t do it, then politics maybe isn’t for you. 

This is the instant era, love it or hate it. People have far less patience and tolerance than ever, it’s either now or never. Just ask any shop assistant or check your rear-view mirror as we seem now to be the tail-gating capital.

I heard a story a few years ago of how a certain media outlet had told all staff at its Canberra bureau that they had three weeks to learn how to make all types of content (video/audio/visuals) or it was bye-bye time. One old hand laughed and said: “Not me, I’m too valuable, you won’t let me go”. I hear they like the south coast when it isn’t so touristy. 

In other words, two hours is now a long time in politics. A week is a lifetime.

Content has to be made regularly and consistently, specifically formatted for each platform it lands on, and be able to be spliced up for sharing by other users on other content platforms. It needs to be as authentic as possible without detracting from the quality too much. So handheld with a few shakes here and there is fine now and again. 

Why is this really important? Aren’t we then making content creators/influencers as a prereq for entry into politics? 

Yes, it is important because in the modern era more and more of us are on digital and social media. It has become our first and most critical contact point in many areas of our lives. It is where many of us live. So having a presence, and one that is authentic and pays respect to us watching it, is important. 

One Nation realised this years ago and the Please Explain series has had a significant role in their success with younger male voters. 

As for content-creating skills being a prereq: well, that’s no bad thing. Influencers and creators are usually very good at communication with an audience, something we all want our politicians to be better at, right?

One of the earliest examples of someone who made the transition from good communicator to good politician lives right here: Tara Cheyne. 

I used to read Tara’s blogs as someone like myself: a Queenslander trying to make a new life in the nation’s capital. It was good content and it was only a matter of time before a party saw the talent she had to talk to people from all walks of life. 

The Liberals have a chance in 2026 to fix their ways. That report shows they know how. I’ll be watching, reading, and listening to their socials to see if they all have got the message, or if they are still divided in strategy, method, and application. 

Dr Andrew Hughes lectures at the ANU Research School of Management, where he specialises in political marketing.