The Plan To ‘Bird-Dog’ The Election
Australia’s election campaign has officially kicked off, and the opening days have been marked by protesters “bird-dogging” politicians.
The term plays off the role of the ‘bird-dog’ in hunting, which is to bark at birds hiding in trees, flushing them out into the open.
In the context of activism, bird-dogging involves showing up at the public appearances of politicians and confronting them about their record in public:
On Saturday, Rising Tide protester Natalie Lindner interrupted Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s tour of Brisbane’s XXXX brewery, holding a ‘No New Gas Or Nuclear’ sign as she asked him questions before being dragged away by security;
It’s the sixth bird-dogging effort by Rising Tide in recent weeks, including a Liberal fundraising dinner on Friday and the pre-budget speech of Treasurer Jim Chalmers;
Rising Tide’s Zac Schofield said the group would take “every opportunity that arises” to bird-dog, noting that they are “protesting both major parties because both major parties have serious policy failures on energy and the climate”;
The Labor government is spruiking renewables at home but doing nothing about Australia’s status as the third-biggest exporter of fossil fuels, while the Coalition has announced plans to ramp up gas extraction and cut petrol costs.
Why Protesters Are Bird-Dogging
Climate campaigners face a formidable set of challenges in getting their message across:
Australia’s Murdoch-dominated media landscape has framed the election debate on blaming renewables for cost-of-living pressures, rather than looking at how climate change itself is driving price increases;
Mining billionaires are set to vastly outspend climate groups on election ads as they lobby for gas expansions and a revival of coal;
After decades of declining revenue streams, much of the media is too poorly resourced to properly cover a national election, leaving politicians free from scrutiny, questioning and accountability at events;
Ever more draconian anti-protest laws mean the ways in which climate activists can legally get their message across have dwindled greatly.
How To Bird-Dog Your Way Into The News Cycle
If you’re interested in a spot of election season bird-dogging yourself, or keen to support such efforts, there’s a range of ways to do it:
One approach is storming stages with confrontational heckling and chants that derail an event in order to emphasise the seriousness of the climate crisis;
There’s also softer methods, such as the protester who dressed as a clownfish and calmly discussed the health of the Great Barrier Reef with then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (the protester was part of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, which has a video explainer on how to bird-dog);
Other options include showing up to a town hall event to participate in invited audience questions, or to ask a politician for a selfie and instead record video as you ask them a question about climate;
One reason to avoid being too aggressive is the possibility of new laws to crack down on bird-dogging, with a media narrative building around it putting the safety of politicians at risk;
Rising Tide is calling for volunteers to register with one of the group’s regional hubs (and is also soliciting donations);
350 Australia provides a guide to bird-dogging, which the group floats as one of a number of actions planned for the election (or you can donate here);
The Bob Brown Foundation is after volunteers to join its bird-dogging team in the vital election battleground of Tasmania to “hold candidates accountable in person” (donations via this page).