The solution to reaching the aspirationals

As a son of immigrants, born and raised in the western suburbs of Sydney, I understand the struggles too many migrant parents face. I’ve witnessed firsthand what it takes simply to ensure a better future for the next generation. I’ve also seen the impact state and federal policies have on families and communities like my own. I, like a lot of migrant voters, will always be indebted to the Labor Party for their policies that offer genuine opportunities for us to move forward.

Now the tides have changed. The Labor Party’s message is not meeting the aspirations or the needs of migrant Australians.

Now is the time to ask: Why is this happening? How can the Labor Party reach migrant voters?

During the 2019 federal election, the Coalition was able to successfully appeal to migrant Australians through scare campaigns like the false ‘death tax’ and the simple message that they would reduce taxes. Their political machine showed great success in spreading their messages amongst communities and through targeted social media. Their individualistic ideology, or at least their methods of communicating it, appeared to resonate with those wanting a better life for themselves.

But it is widely understood that only when we uplift one another, a nation may thrive. Together, we are only as strong as our weakest link.

So what happened?

Although Labor did promise less taxes for many of the lower income brackets, they failed to communicate this simply or effrctively. Similarly, Labor;s police yo destroy the ‘death tax’ campaign was unclearm failing to convince the undecided migrant voters.

In my own community, questions continue to float around - :Why vote for Labor when all they do is spend money?”; “Why vote for Labor when they’ll drive us into debt?”; “Why vote for Labor when the Liberals can offer us more money?”

It is clear that the message of the Labor Party, whose policies were much stronger, did not reach migrant communities.

The solution?

Labor must stop relying on the strength of past successes in ppealing to migrant voters.

From Medicare to HECS and the Racial Discrimination Act, to successfully pulling the nation out of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis - successes like these have consolidated many valuable Labor supporters. Now, our approach must be from Opposition must change.

It is those in the margins, the undecided voters, the so called “quiet Australians” we must be reaching. And we need to ensure that migrant Australians are among them.

Emerging generations of migrant voters don’t recall the successes of former Labor Governments, and current Liberal messaging remains at the forefront of our media.

As do migrant communities like my own, Labor needs to look to the future. It must maintain a consistent and straight forward message, not relying on the past, but instead the credibility of what it has to offer all individuals, all families and all communities.