Appropriating the iconic hit 1960s television show, The Addams Family, the Australian Workers Union has superimposed the faces of the Coalition's front bench on the characters.
Backed by the show's theme music, the union came up with the side-splitting ad with the aim to remind the wider public "that we've got some pretty disturbing characters on the frontbench of the Liberal Party," said AWU national secretary Paul Howes.
The ad sings out: "They're tricky and their sneaky, dishonest and cheeky. They're all together freaky, the Abbott Family".
So yes, this is a very low form of campaigning – using weak humour to trigger irrational fear responses in voters. But will it work? Of course it will. Can't wait to see the Coalition's response.
Nice to see a few business-minded types cutting through the 'WorkChoices is back!' spin yesterday that erupted after Tony Abbott's refusal to rule out making some changes to the regulations created under the Fair Work Act.
Poll Position pointed out yesterday that even a Labor government would have to 'tweak' the regulations attached to the Fair Work Act. The regulations are not perfect and many of the minor aspects of the administration of this Act need tweaks. Some want more tweaks than others – Bluescope and Brambles chairman Graham Kraehe told The Australian: "There are some flaws in Fair Work Australia that need to be urgently corrected. The union right of access is the biggest one."
That 'tweak' – admittedly a big one – is potentially fixed through changes to the regulations rather than redrafting of the Act. Even so, it would meet with strong opposition in the Senate if introduced by an Abbott government.
The Australian National Retailers Association's executive director Gary Black went further, by telling The Australian that Abbott would have to change the Act itself to make changes to the current minimum shift requirements for young workers (currently set at three hours). 
