Pollsters' leaked plea to Dutton as campaign faltered: ‘Lighten up, offer tax cuts'
Leaked documents show the Liberals' pollster raised the alarm about the opposition's thin tax policy and told Peter Dutton he had to lighten up as the opposition leader's popularity cratered and his party careened towards a historic loss on Saturday.
Focus group studies conducted by pollster Michael Turner and seen by this masthead had been picking up a wave of negative opinions about Dutton, including an observation from one voter that he 'lacks empathy on screen when he talks' and another stating, 'I just don't like the guy, he gives me negative vibes.'
As recriminations over the loss escalate and Liberals jockey to be the party's next leader, the leaked documents show voter feedback prompted Turner, of polling firm Freshwater Research, to tell Dutton to ditch his hardened and sometimes wooden exterior.
In a document titled 'Project Majura' presented to Dutton and the tightest group of campaign operatives on April 30, just days out from the election, Turner wrote: 'Enjoy the campaign, with a relaxed, sincere tone, using relatable language.
'Convey a more relaxed and enthusiastic presence that signals Dutton is enjoying the campaign and engaging with voters.
'Ensure public engagements are delivered in a way that shows Dutton, and the Liberals, listen to voters, and understand what they are going through right now.'
Turner and Freshwater are now under fire for providing the Liberals polling that substantially overestimated the Coalition's primary vote in both public and internal research, giving Dutton a false sense of confidence about his election chances and policy.
Several public polls, including this masthead's Resolve Political Monitor, were closer to the mark after voters turned away from the Coalition over its stances on nuclear, its abortive plan to stop public servants working from home, and economic messages that failed to cut through.
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