SEVERAL GOVERNMENT MPs are distributing campaign material that doesn't make any mention of Prime Minister Julia Gillard or the Labor Party.
The practice is common when a leader or party 'brand' is considered to be toxic, or when the the campaign material is direct attack on a political opponent. In contrast, leaders are featured prominently when they're personal popularity is deemed an electoral asset (think Kevin07).
West Australian Liberal Senator Mathias Cormann recently tweeted this image of Victorian Labor MP Bill Shorten's electorate van, with the suggestion Mr Shorten was "clearly embarrassed by Labor".
References to Labor are also absent from these leaflets distributed in the electorates of ministers Tony Burke and Jenny Macklin. The documents instead refer to the achievements of the "Federal Government" or use words like "we've [achieved]".
Of course, not all Labor MPs are seeking to hide their party affiliation. Here is a pamphlet distributed in April by ACT Labor MP Andrew Leigh and Senator Kate Lundy.
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Image credit: electionleaflets.org.au
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