Nothing could illustrate the importance of an effective opposition better than the events of 2020.
First, and most obviously, monitoring and questioning the government’s response to the COVID-19 crisis.
Second, in holding the government to account over the truly dizzying flurry of scandals that has engulfed it, day after day, week after week.
And beyond the politics of opposition, there’s that basic responsibility to uphold the founding values of your party — as distinct from those of the party in power.
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That’s why, however tempting a candidate he makes, we’re not choosing Christian Porter — the Coalition’s industrial relations minister easily shaking off his own scandal to attack worker protections in a recession — as clown of the week.
Because this is the Liberal Party, and that is what it does. Expecting it to abandon its ideological commitment to business interests is like trying to cuddle a great white shark with a raw steak in each hand. Frankly, you’ve very badly misunderstood the nature of what you’re dealing with.
And it occurred to us (as it may be occurring to you) that while all this has been going on, we couldn’t remember a single thing Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has said. Not a single memorable turn of phrase; not a single effective summation — let alone a skewering.
True, Albo hasn’t been lucky this year — it’s extremely hard to be constructive and cooperative as demanded by crisis and still mark yourself out as a better party of government.
It’s tough to cut through when such a huge chunk of the media more or less openly supports your opponent, or when members of your own party burn through your oxygen by quitting. And perhaps the sheer volume of resignation-worthy scandals to afflict the government made it difficult to hammer any one minister until they resigned.
But in this moment, there is no excuse.
The fear of an effective campaign against “WorkChoices 2.0” is what has kept the government relatively quiet on big industrial relations reform (at least as far as it directly affects workers; the attacks on unions have continued apace) for the past seven years. It doesn’t say much for the current Labor Party’s effectiveness that the government believed now was a good time to have another go.
The industrial relations bill is essentially an employer group checklist, most egregiously the proposed removal of the “better off overall test”. It quite simply allows bosses to pay less than the minimum award hourly wage with no oversight except a nebulous “public interest” test to be decided on within a rushed timeframe by a Fair Work Commission that has been stacked relentlessly with business figures.
It’s not a mile from the removal of the “no disadvantage test”, the clear step too far in the original WorkChoices and a key plank in the campaign that ended in the ousting of prime minister John Howard.
It will affect people relying on award minimums across the country, just as the nation begins the slow crawl out of a recession and into a very uncertain future.
A party organised around protecting working people simply has to be able to make that comprehensible and tangible to voters, and has to communicate some sense of genuine anger about it — not just as a political necessity, but out of a moral duty to its founding principles.
As Bernard Keane noted this week, if it cannot do these things, there is little point having a Labor Party at all.
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I haven’t actually been following this particular issue for the very reason that I had the impression that there was bipartisan agreement on it.
Are we to believe that the Labour Party are opposed to it – and just didn’t want to give Rupert any ammunition perhaps ?
Does anyone actually think that Albo is a PM in waiting?
You could say he’s inoffensive, and that’s about it.
Who else is there from Sydney that represents a genuine challenge to that marketing man ?
Albo, the nothing man. Sadly, he is consuming time which Labor should be pumping into proving themselves a viable and preferential alternative to the Liberals. Unfortunately, they must do so to an electorate that is selfish, greedy, hypocritical and easily scared. No place for a party with convictions and policy. The perfect place for a party with no policy on major issues, just slogans, and daggy photos. No wonder the Climate Summit failed to give SmoCo a slot. They at least see through his puddle-shallow persona and policy-lite agenda.
I’ve got an idea for Albo – STAND FOR SOMETHING.
(think Greta Thunberg)
A manipulated school girl is not the best example David. Her remarks as to the physics of the matter were uninformed even for her age group and, interestingly, disappeared from view.
But she’s on the right side of reality.
I’ll bet that Abbott realises that there is a problem.
What an odd response.
It is all about politics and very little about reality.
A classic case of not believing all that one hears DB. The quality, in general terms, is known as prudence. However, I will concede that Abbott has his own agenda.
Not just an odd response, moving towards barking mad.
Oh Charlie, this is a bit rough.
You acknowledge the difficulty cutting through because of the preponderance of coalition supporting media outlets, yet you still lump Albo with the responsibility to ‘cut through’.
I remember the real clowns, Abbott, especially, (but also Morrison) ‘cutting through’ on MSM, and they have had nothing to say.
I have followed non MSM media ( including Crikey), and Social Media, to find out what the Opposition is saying and am disappointed to read this article analysing what is not cutting through on the usual suspects outlets in the MSM. We already know this. It is not news.
It would be good to see your reports on what the Opposition is actually saying. Maybe you should follow the Facebook pages of the senior Labor people and see what is not otherwise reported.
It is the same as being critical of a singer ‘not cutting through’ at a massive open air concert when someone has sabotaged the power supply to the microphone/sound system.
I also follow their FaceBook posts which are constantly confronting the big issues. People were howling to have Albo as leader when Shorten was leading. It wouldn’t matter who was Labor leader there is always the demand for a different one. Do we need someone like Abbott who was backed by Murdoch. Howard was not inspiring and stayed a long time. Albo is a decent human being with years of experience. In the end the election comes down to a few swinging seats. Inspirational leaders are not easy to come by – I think Dan Andrews has shown this aspect given the huge following he has across Australia, more than any other State leader and he is plain talking and handles media in a no nonsense way and is able to confront the key issues impacting onpeople such as poor working conditions
i think its the plain speaking bit thats allowed andrews to cut through. albo always sounds like hes reading words from a teleprompter that have been prepared by a committee. He seems to lack conviction and energy/ passion.
And yes agree following twitter you get a far better idea of labors thoughts and positions – but thats largely preaching to the converted isnt it?.
Agree severaly limited and/or neutral access to mainstream or legacy media to present policies or commentary for explanation.
If Australia had competent or broad media we would be aware of major party policies and ongoing comparisons; all we get is confusion and/or noise precluding analysis and understanding with a focus upon personalities, which maybe the point?
Although I can imagine an unruly free-for-all, if I were sitting in Fray’s chair, I would ask the subscribers what they would describe as the ideal article in terms of an introduction, content and a conclusion – allowing for a wide variety of knowledge bases.
Even at Cky only ONE side of the argument is presented which is, enviably, evidenced by the comments.
My pet peeve with ‘journalism’ or ‘journalists’, who may possess an undergraduate degree in the social sciences, is their lack of knowledge round research process, critical and data literacy. Development of these skills normally require a post graduate education including at least a minor thesis (preferably including data analysis too).
True test is the argument or position they offer (thesis), then themes to support; are they grounded by actual evidence through multiple sources and end with clear recommendation(s)?
Agreed more or less. Standards have declined across the board. What was 3rd year 40+ years ago is about masters standard now. I’ve seen it for over a decade.
As to a respect for research it is worse than you suppose. Empiricism has disappeared from the humanities and been replaced by variants of post modernism – where all views are deemed equally valid (geesus!).
Such a consideration has to be taken into account prior to arriving at the content of the hard sciences.
From observation, I doubt if there is one employee at Cky with a througher understanding of Yr10 science and maths; o/wise I would like to know who it is.
It is unclear, at least to me, just what your article adds to that of Keane’s of yesterday. Between the lines the article seems to be “pro Albo” but with a dollar each way.
As to your remark “True, Albo hasn’t been lucky this year” the opposite is the case. Albo has had god-given
opportunities to illustrate the idiotic proceedings of the Libs from trade and foreign affairs to the conduct of C-19. Such is quite a range of topics. Albo could have assembled his own epidemiologists (no shortage there)
and formulated a policy with costs as to what were knee-jerk reactions from Premiers and the PM.
Ditto for regional development, water, bush fire contingency and god can think of what else. However, such an approach requires (in about this order) innovation, originality and an eye for detail. I met the guy about a decade ago (not that Albo would remember) and I was not impressed. Frankly, as an opinion of yours truly, I doubt that Albo has the aptitude for any of the three criteria that I have identified.
To be fair, Shorten was little or any better. Complex legalisation pertaining to security or welfare or anything,
unthinkably or blithely, got the nod from the ALP benches. I am amazed that ScoMo or Dutton are able to out-smart anyone but the evidence is only too apparent.
As for alternatives, Chris Bowen and Jim Chalmers are options against Albanese. Tanya Plibersek is an option (gotta have a woman nowadays – only fair isn’t it?) but she, correctly, likely views the current job as a poisoned chalice.
My favourite, for this race is Joel Fitzgibbon if only because he is the only elected member of the ALP who know what the f. he is doing in Federal parliament. A partnership with Charmers could prove to be quite strong.
The major consideration is that that lessons ought to be learned from that clown Corbyn whose head is (at best) somewhere in the politics of the late 60s and which means nothing to the guy in the street OR, for that matter, to Gen Z.
The Libs ?
They died with Howard.
Don’t you mean the the Conservative Party ?
Fraser, speaking at a business function in Melbourne (mid 90s), made it clear to the audience that he no longer recognised the Libs.
For Fraser, Liberal philosophy and politics died well prior to Howard.
Well he resigned from our GOP.
You’re right, Albo had his chance with C-19, especially after the disaster of aged care responses to the pandemic. He chose to let the PM get away with claiming they had it all under control, and a plan – when they didn’t have one.
Fitzgibbon is a Liberal and no leader. He shou,d be pensioned off as he has no vision for Australia and our future. He stands only for the coal oligarchs
Compared to Albo?
On the 2nd point, given Australia’s near negligible contribution globally to emissions, the coal thing is no big deal. Yeah, the product will come to an end but not by Monday. There is some economic dependence for the region yet. That much amounts to (political) pragmatics.
As for neo-lib ALP members – semi Green come to that – just where would one begin. About 30 years ago the Left lost the plot; i.e. went ‘progressive’ (in their own words) and even Rundle can’t tell anyone what that term might mean.