‘The nation was because of me!’ – Lessons from Bob Katter on representative practices of authenticity and claim-making

Elected representatives in established democracies are increasingly positioning themselves as ‘not like other politicians’ and more ‘authentic’ than their competitors in response to public disenchantment with mainstream politics. However, authenticity is a complex concept encompassing truthfulness, fidelity, and relatability – each appealing to voters differently and creating tensions politicians must navigate. This paper utilises representative claim making and dramaturgical sociology to contribute a framework for understanding how politicians make and perform authenticity claims through a case study of Federal MP Bob Katter. We show how Katter blends truthfulness, ideological consistency, regional identity, and emotive language to construct a distinctive style of authenticity. He manages tensions between authenticity dimensions using verbal and physical props. While his approach may not be universally replicable, our analysis offers a framework for understanding how authenticity can be performed without sacrificing truthfulness for relatability or fidelity – suggesting alternative strategies for candidates seeking to connect with disillusioned electorates.