The priestly pundit caste in the media is well into their election coverage rituals while the political parties are busy adjusting their strategies to tailor their offerings to these ritual needs.

For a start the pundits have already looked intensely at the runes on when the election will be held although the little matter of a cyclone has had unexpected impacts on that.

While waiting for illumination on that unexpected natural intervention they have returned to casting the bones in a bid to interpret the significance of shifts in poll results which are within the standard margins of error and when – and how many – debates will be held involving the two leaders. They are also preparing arcane questions on issues hoping for clangers and ‘gotcha’ moments.

The pollies are preparing campaign programs featuring ‘announceables’, families, picture opportunities, ads, slogans and attacks on the other side.

Most importantly the campaigns will revolve around two leaders who are both deeply unpopular and far from charismatic. One of them (you can guess who) stumbles his way through interviews and has demonstrated neither vision nor charisma. The other one (you can guess who) has a history of going missing when things get tough.

But sadly – and disconcertingly for both the pundits and political parties things are going wrong with the standard rituals. Thing even get worse and – heaven forbid – less predictable.

What is desperately needed – for the political parties and Australia – are new approaches.

It’s a bit hard to imagine what that might mean for Peter Dutton beyond possibly producing some costed promises and seeking to unite rather than divide the nation. But for Anthony Albanese the choice is simple – step back and let some of the very talented Labor Ministry members play a much bigger role in the campaign.

Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs, is one of Australia’s most popular politicians.  She has performed brilliantly as a Minister in turbulent times and has that crucial quality – the ability to cut through on issues.

Chris Bowen, Minister for Climate Change and Government, is ideal for highlighting the giant chasm between the Labor and LNP policies on climate and energy. Admittedly – like much about Labor – there is not much courage in his portfolio promises but they are least based on a realistic appraisal of the climate threat and face an opponent with unrealistic policies in the areas – other than shutting down renewables and promoting a pipe dream about nuclear energy.

The Minister for Education, Jason Clare, has at least stood up strongly for universities in the face of anti-intellectual attacks from conservatives obsessed with wokeness and ignorant of how R&D benefits the nation and its productivity – let alone the manifold benefits of intellectual curiosity. Of course, he could do something about the massive bureaucratic loads on universities and the over-generous funding of private schools.

Mark Butler, the Minister for Health and Aged Care holds a position with both massive problems and massive opportunities. The problems are simply that there are always new demands, new funding needs and new health issues which need to be addressed.  On the other hand, the other side has a notorious reputation for cutting back on health and health funding. Peter Dutton is generally regarded as the worst Health Minister in modern times and, as no one can name the current Shadow Minister, can be blamed for all the threats to our health system.

Tony Burke, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs is in a similar situation to Butler – big problems and big opportunities. The obvious problem is that immigration is the third rail of Australian politics. The obvious opportunities are in re-assuring communities about the importance of multiculturalism; working with Muslim communities to give them a sense of safety; and, reaching out to the still significant Jewish progressive communities.

The Government has another overwhelming advantage. It has many more women in Parliament and Cabinet than the LNP has or ever will have. Peter Dutton has always been on the nose with women voters who don’t like his aggressive approaches. That needs to be ruthlessly exploited.

Instead of Albanese being the centre piece of the campaign, thereby risking more stuff ups, let other Cabinet Ministers be up front about policy announcements and events. Be even braver and use an Assistant Minister, such as Andrew Leigh, in more prominent campaign roles.

He is not your traditional stump style orator but brings great intellectual heft. Ony a truly incompetent campaign staff could not find audiences which would be won over by the intellectual depth he brings to his portfolios. He would be ideal for linking up with other pollies to go jogging and give an image of a fit and healthy party.

Of course, it is equally important to produce a series of devastating negative campaigns. From climate change to nuclear power; to female parliamentary representation; to health care and multiculturalism Peter Dutton is a huge walking target for negative campaigns.

Labor has been pathetically fearful of being criticised for, or being seen as, too radical. Instead, it has been seen as timid and it’s Leader as weak. That’s why some alternative voices are necessary.

The media wouldn’t like this because it is outside their general frame of reference for elections. But it couldn’t be worse than an entire campaign constructed around Albo. Moreover, it could challenge the media to think about how they report on elections and bypass them with a major online campaign about everything but Albo.

If you need an example of how a narrative about Labor achievements could be better sold the following is an extract from Andrew Leigh’s latest newsletter.

 “Over the past few years, Australia has done something unique: we’ve brought inflation under control without throwing a whole lot of people out of work. As a nation, we’ve never achieved that before. In the 1970s and early-1980s, the two oil shocks pushed up inflation, and it took a surge in unemployment and a recession to get it back down. In the mid-1980s, more inflation led to another rise in unemployment. In the early-1990s, high inflation led to a recession so bad that unemployment peaked at 11 percent. Some people who lost their jobs in that recession would never work again.

“Fast forward to the post-pandemic inflation spike, which has hit countries around the world. In Britain and New Zealand, the cost of getting inflation down has been a recession. In Canada, it has been a significant rise in joblessness.

“In Australia, it’s been a different story. For the past three years, we’ve kept unemployment at around 4 percent, a level that economists call ‘full employment’. That means more opportunities for people to find work, and more chances for people to move to a better job. Lower unemployment reduces inequality between families and pressures firms to pay workers fairly.

“We don’t see the shadow that wasn’t cast, but the human toll of unemployment can be brutal. Finishing high school in 1990, I vividly remember that it was almost impossible for a young person with few skills to get a job. In the modern economy, a one percentage point rise in unemployment means another 150,000 people without work.

“That’s not to say the fight against inflation is done. Many Australians are still hurting, which is why the Australian Government is delivering cost of living relief like cheaper medicines, direct energy bill relief and making it cheaper to see a doctor.

“But while working for a better outcome, it’s also worth recognising what the nation has collectively achieved. Inflation is comfortably back in the Reserve Bank’s 2-3 percent target band, interest rates are falling, real wages are growing, and unemployment remains low. Not only has the economy created over a million jobs in the past three years, but unemployment under the Albanese Government is lower than under any government in the past half century.”

Choose any grabs you like from Leigh’s comments and try them out on friends. You’ll find they’re a lot punchier and more relevant than what you hear from most Labor pollies.