“THE UNDECIDED”: 4 CORNERS MONDAY 12 NOVEMBER

Next on Four Corners: Two weeks to go… and Jonathan Holmes sees the election campaign through the eyes of the voters who’ll decide the result.

In the political marketplace, their votes are gold dust. People like Matthew, Nicole, Mark, Deanne and George will determine who governs Australia after November 24. All are marginal seat voters. In recent elections all have gone with John Howard.

Now they’re wavering…

Can John Howard make them stick? Can Kevin Rudd build hard votes out of vague intentions? Each leader has six weeks’ campaigning to cut through…

Four Corners charts the campaign from the standpoints of these five voters in the crucial marginal seat of Lindsay, on Sydney’s western fringe. What matters to them - and what will decide their vote?

“Interest rates – that’s what really concerns me most,” says mother-of-three and part time worker Deanne.

Matthew, a security guard on an AWA, and his wife Nicole worry about resurgent union power under Labor. “If it goes back to the unions it will be very hard on me,” says Matthew.

Greek migrant and family patriarch George is scared WorkChoices will hurt his children: “The boss, he can say you want to work $10 a day - alright?”

Plant manager Mark wants more action on the environment and is not impressed by big tax cuts: “I’d like to see more money spent on infrastructure.”

Each day they are bombarded with messages from the parties through TV, radio and clogged mailboxes. Campaign stunts are choreographed; leaders’ phrases are tested and calibrated to echo what target voters are thinking.

But how much detail gets through? Are they listening to Labor’s pitch about shiny new leadership, or to the Government about Kevin Rudd’s me too-ism? Will they forgive John Howard on interest rates, or will they make him feel their pain?

“The >Undecided”Four Corners, 8.30 pm Monday 12 November (repeated about 11.35 pm Tuesday 13 November; also on ABC2 at 9.30 pm Wednesday and 8 am Thursday).