Ed Coper

In Australia, to be successful, you have to appeal to the types of people that would never vote in America, either in the primary system where 30 or 40 people gather in some rainy hall in a far-flung county to pick the biggest megastar of their town, right through to the general election where it's really hard to vote.

And you've got to be really motivated.

And it's on a Tuesday and you have to wait in line for hours.

And that's if you haven't been taken off the rolls or you live in a gerrymandered district.

You know, all of these things that make it hard to vote.

In Australia, your vote, if it doesn't go to your preferred candidate, it goes to your next choice.

And if you have everyone turning out to vote...

then it forces everyone to adopt the closest candidate that aligns to their position rather than just the loudest or the most extreme.

Now, don't get me wrong, we're not immune in Australia.

The attention that goes to politicians who have the entertainment playbook still happens in Australia, but it's really important we cherish those political institutions.

And the second important thing to consider is the cultural differences in Australia and America.

America is much more individualised.

It wants to put people on a pedestal.

And Australia is much more community-oriented and collectivist.

What's to knock them off?

We want to knock people off their pedestal.

The more attention someone gets in Australia, probably a net negative.

The more attention you get in America, you have to get that.

So you're saying God bless the tall poppy syndrome, are we?

It has some unintended benefits that we never realised.