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Comment by InclinedPlane | Hacker News Reader

That is absolutely reprehensible. This is precisely why blackouts are such a bad idea. It turns out they are extraordinarily easy to game.

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The blackout is for election advertising, which these days seems more about muckraking than policy advertising. In any case, it doesn't stop politicians from giving speeches to journalists, only paid advertising. This policy released today (Thursday) is within that blackout period (midnight Wednesday eve).

Blackouts don't make much sense in our always-connected world, but I think they should be swapped for "all policy must be announced 7 days out".

If you have no economic policy announced the Saturday before the election then you're going in to the election with NO policy and you're not allowed to talk about what you'll be doing in regard to the economy in that last week.

Not that it ever really meant anything; it's not like you lose your job if you don't meet policy goals or attempt to do the opposite. Heck, you don't even lose credibility if no one even remembers what you promised.

Yes, my thought is that you have to submit your full policy plan to be costed independently at least 2 weeks before the election. This is then used by a neutral party to draw up unbiased election material that is the only material that parties are allowed to hand out on the day.

It is crazy to give the public the costings of your promises 48 hours before the election. The average person isn't never going to have or want to take the time in that period to really look into what is released and the liberal party know that.

> all policy must be announced 7 days out

What if an event happens 6 days before the election and politicians are asked to comment on it?

Sorry, I take my policy queues from Abbott and Turnbull. I haven't really thought it that far through. But if you vote for me I can probably muddle through.

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