Let’s talk: Is the election campaign starting to get dirty?

It looks like the election campaign has finally morphed from a rather boring and civilized affair into a name-calling all-out brawl.

For weeks now pollies have been hitting the campaign trail and spreading the good word about their party’s policies, all while remaining positively cool, calm and collected.

Now though, the cracks are starting to appear as the wear and tear of life on the road begin to put a strain on everyone’s patience.

This week already we saw Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce snap at a constituent and tell her to “piss off” when she was questioning him about mining in his electorate.

This was quickly followed by an event staged by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, who drove a monster truck over two red and blue cars representing the Labor and Liberal parties.

Now, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s team as lashed out at a woman on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland after she heckled him about funding cuts to the region.

“Don’t want to answer the hard questions!” the protester yelled out as the Prime Minister walked ahead.

“Who pays for your dole?” fired back Liberal Senator James McGrath who was with the PM at the time.

“What sort of ridiculous question is that? How do you know where I’m from? How rude are you? I’m not on the dole, mate,” she responded.

“Who pays for social security?” he asked again.

“Excuse me, don’t talk to me like that,” declared the protestor, before walking away.

While Australian politicians usually try to keep their tempers in check, it looks like we could be heading into new territory where all bets are off.

Pollies from both sides of the aisle have been short with a number of journalists on TV appearences too, and haven’t been holding back when it comes to hecklers on the street.

Could this be a good thing though?

Rather than the usual prepared and boring answers politicians like to give, we are finally seeing some fire and passion escape from them.

Surely this is a good thing in many ways as it helps voters know that they actually do care about more than their own personal interests and want to do right by the community.

Or could it all just be a grab for attention and a headline of the front page of the papers.

What do you think?

Are you glad to see some life and excitement in the campaign? Or is this all just another carefully planned cry for attention?