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ALP candidate fails to disclose identity to Insight

A 'Labor voter' in the audience of SBS' Insight forum last night failed to identify that he was a candidate.

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A ‘Labor voter’ in the audience of SBS’ Insight forum last night failed to identify that he was an ALP candidate.

“Shortly after tonight’s Insight program went to air, we discovered that a Labor voting member of our general audience was in fact the Labor candidate for Warringah – Hugh Zochling,” the Insight website claims.

“Mr Zochling chose to present himself as a Labor voter, rather than as a Labor candidate.”

Zochling (pictured) spoke strongly in support of the government’s stimulus spending on the show last night.

JENNY BROCKIE: So you are a Labor voter?
MAN: I gonna support Labor definitely.
JENNY BROCKIE: OK, are you a Labor man always?
MAN: Have been for a long time, since I figured it out.

Also attending the forum was Labor’s Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Simon Crean.

A spokeswoman for SBS said the network had raised the matter with the ALP national secretary Karl Bitar.

Source: SBS, The Australian

12 Responses

  3. That person that didn’t know about Peter Costello is a prime example of why Australia should adopt voluntary already! I’m stick of people like that deciding the election for us.

  5. well when you are up against the Opposition leader, who may actually be prime minister in a couple of weeks, then he doesnt really have a good chance of getting voted in anyway….

  6. @newtaste – he misrepresented himself by not identifying himself as an ALP candidate. He was pushing his party’s agenda, rather than speaking as a voting member of the public. I’d say SBS has every right to be annoyed about this. Yes, he’s a registered voter, but just because he’s an unknown doesn’t mean he should be given free airtime to push the party line (it’s not as though Tony Abbott would be able to enter a foum like that unnoticed and be able to misrepresent himself as an “interested member of the public”).

  7. Yeah, I was appalled a swing voter didn’t even know Costello had retired. Voters read up and do your research before you vote! I have, and it’s not that hard. Mr Zochling and the economist were the only two who made any sense on the night.

  8. I watched last night and there was a younger audience member who did not realise that Peter Costello had retired which totally ruined his whole arguement when it was pointed out to him.

    There really does need to some sort of audience screening process !

  9. @newtaste
    Obviously he’ll be a Labor voter if he’s a ALP member, it’s like asking Julia Gillard who are you going to vote for? No point in asking members when you definitely will know the answer.

  10. It’s a bit odd that he didn’t reveal himself as a candidate.
    Considering he’s in Tony Abbott’s electorate, one would have thought
    it would have been a great opportunity for him.

  11. If he is a Labor candidate for the Election, it means he has to be on the electoral roll and consequently a voter. So when asked if he was a Labor voter, he correctly said he was.

    What a beat up by SBS.

  12. I did see him, and think he was quite emphatic about his vote! I have to say the swinging voters for 5 successive weeks are getting boring! I know exactly who i am voting for, i findit hard to watch people flip flop not only every week, but from one moment to the next. Great show though!

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