Poli Sci expert says long campaign probably won't fatigue voters

Our political science expert says people may start to feel sick of ads and signs now that we’re looking at an extra six weeks of campaigning for the federal election.

However UFV professor Hamish Telford says voter fatigue isn’t necessarily a given.

“I suspect a lot of voters aren’t going to pay much attention to the campaign through the month of August. It’s Labour day, after Labour day when people get back to work, people get back to school, that’s when more people are likely to tune in to what’s going on.”

Telford says in any case, the fixed election date means we’re moving toward the American model of a permanent campaign.

“Parties have to self finance, they do so continually. And outside the formal election period, parties aren’t restricted in their spending so they can make commercials. They don’t put a lot of commercials on television but they’re continually putting commercials on their web page, their facebook page, on youtube channels.

Telford says the main difference is the campaigns aren’t quite as in your face as in the US, because there isn’t as much money available to the parties.