𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧’𝐭.
People claim One Nation has “policies.” What they’re mostly offering are position statements, broad pledges without detailed implementation, costings or timelines.
The difference between a policy and a position statement in politics comes down to detail, commitment, and accountability.
A policy is a concrete, developed plan of action. It usually includes:
- Clear objectives
- Specific measures or actions
- How it will be implemented
- Costings (how it will be funded)
- A timeline
A policy creates something measurable. It tells you what will be done, how it will be done, what it will cost, and when it will happen. It can be scrutinised, costed, debated, and judged.
Example: “We will reduce income tax by 2% for Australians earning under $120,000, funded by closing X tax loophole, commencing July 2027.”
That’s a policy, it’s specific and testable.
A position statement is an expression of values or direction, not a fully formed plan. It tells you what someone wants to achieve, but not necessarily how.
It often includes:
- Broad goals
- Principles or aspirations
- General commitments without detail
Example: “We are committed to lowering the cost of living for working Australians.”
That sounds positive, but it’s not a policy. There’s no mechanism, no funding source, no timeline.
Why the distinction matters
In Australian politics especially, this difference becomes important during elections.
Governments, particularly the one we have now often presents position statements as if they are policies. The same applies to minor parties
Oppositions on the other hand are generally pressured to provide fully costed policies, along with the how, what and when, not just intentions. And voters often struggle to tell the difference, which affects accountability.
A good rule of thumb:
If you can’t ask “how?” and get a clear answer, it’s not a policy.
Politics is full of aspirations. Accountability comes from detail.
And, if we’re going to demand higher standards from our leaders, we should at least be clear about the difference.
