1 Whenever you think the political world has gone quiet, a bit of scratching on the surface reveals that the early frenetic pace set by the Albanese Government has kept up its earlier pace.
Having said that, politics is unquestionably quieter now than during the Coalition years when a scandal seemed to foist itself on our lives daily, but the work is just as intense. Take this month, for example. Prime Minister Albanese has already spent four days in India. He and Prime Minister Modi received rapturous applause while doing a greeting lap at the beginning of the fourth test match in the 132,000-seat stadium in Ahmedabad.
It was as much incredible public relations as it was business between the two nations.
Some call it a defining month for Albanese. But with several overs left before the close of play, he has already put a big score on the board with some big decisions. As David Speers, writing for the ABC says:
“We’re in the midst of a defining month for the Albanese prime ministership. The announcements he makes and the decisions he takes over the coming weeks will shape the Government’s fortunes and Australia’s future.
Consider the various balls being juggled right now and what’s at stake.”
In three days, he left India after seven speeches in three cities; Ahmedabad, Mumbai and New Delhi, in which he put a valuable score on the board. Over twenty-five of Australia’s top businessmen were with him, intent on investing in India’s tech boom and trade with the world’s second-highest populated nation.
At the kind invitation of Prime Minister @narendramodi, we will be visiting Ahmedabad, Mumbai and New Delhi.
Trade with India presents Australian businesses and workers with tremendous opportunities for growth.
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) March 8, 2023
Albanese is undoubtedly unafraid to take on a long inning. Trade investments, collaboration on audio-visual, co-production of films, maritime cooperation, defence, renewable energy and education, and an intention to wrap up a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement before the end of the year.
Anthony Albanese is scoring at a brisk rate, and he needs to. But he could be forgiven for having a few things on his mind besides trade and investment with India.
Then before a ball had reached the boundary, he was off to the United States to announce the purchase of new submarines with President Biden and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. As part of the Aukus pact, it will likely cost more than 100 billion dollars, with South Australia featuring in the build.
As a nation with little security, Australia must spend big on our defence to gain the military capability it will need for the decades ahead. Nuclear-powered submarines are costly, but Albanese promises to reveal the cost in the May budget. Another problem is the question of our sovereignty.
This will upset China for obvious reasons, and the Opposition will prefer something other than a British submarine design, but they look to be onside now.
Last week, the Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles made this point in Parliament:
“Australia will become just the seventh country to have the ability to operate a nuclear-powered submarine. We have never operated a military capability at this level before.”
He is correct, of course. It is a new stage of our ability to defend ourselves against would-be aggressors. For Australia to have “at least eight nuclear-powered submarines” “by the mid 2030s” gives us much food for thought, and every Australian should see our ability to defend ourselves in a new light.
The Government, of course, makes the point that there is no difference between wanting the best available defence equipment possible and wanting a better relationship with China.
Beware the ides of March (to quote Shakespeare).
Ostensibly, March is shaping up as a vital month for decisions on defence, and our economic future, with so many demands for a slice of the pie that can only take so many bites. And let’s remember the trillion dollars of debt. Then there is “The Voice” question. The working group met last week to finalise its recommendations for the wording of the question to be put to the government. It is said that Albanese will be happy with whatever they come up with.
The other matter requiring urgent attention is the plan to strengthen the “Safeguards Mechanism for big emitters.” Minister for Climate change Chris Bowen and Greens leader Adam Bandt have been at loggerheads for weeks without compromise. With a deal that needs to be finalised within three weeks if the July deadline is to be reached, it’s time for the Prime Minister to step in.
“If the legislation fails to pass, it will be far easier for a future Coalition government to undo the Safeguards changes. The chance to give investors some certainty will be lost.”
2 Malfeasance: This word and its dictionary definition are for those who say there is nothing in civil law with which public servants and politicians can be charged. I refer to Robodebt and the evilness of the Liberal Party.
a) Misconduct or wrongdoing, especially by a public official.
b) Evil-doing; the doing of that which ought not to be done; wrongful conduct, especially official misconduct; violation of public trust or obligation; specifically, the doing of an act which is positively unlawful or wrongful, in contradistinction to misfeasance, or the doing of a lawful act in a wrongful manner. The term is often inappropriately used instead of misfeasance.
c) The doing of an act which a person ought not to do; evil conduct; an illegal deed.
3 Normally, after swimming laps, my ears are inclined to block. It occurs even when flying, and it has affected me since childhood. However, my ears refused to unblock this time, and I had it for a month or so. While watching Stuart Robert give evidence at the Robodebt Royal Commission, they finally popped. “Did he say what I think he said?” I asked my wife, who happened to be watching with me. “Yes, he did,” she answered.
“Robert was asked to explain why he had repeatedly defended the program – describing the ultimately successful class action as a “political stunt” and citing statistics pointing to a tiny error rate in debts raised against individuals.
“I had a massive personal misgiving, yes, but I’m still a cabinet minister,” Robert said.
[Catherine]Holmes replied: “Yes, but it doesn’t compel you to say things that you don’t believe to be true, surely? It’s one thing to stick to the policy and say this is how we do it and we are confident in the program but to actually give statistics which you couldn’t have believed to be accurate is another thing, isn’t it?”
Robert replied, ‘As a dutiful cabinet minister, ma’am, that’s what we do.’
Commissioner Holmes replied: “Misrepresent things to the Australian public?”
How astonishing. Didn’t he know that the law required him to tell the truth? No wonder trust in Government is at such a low ebb. There was a time when ministers resigned over the simplest of immoderate acts.
Here we had a Minister openly admitting that he and his colleagues lied, as a matter of course, if cabinet solidarity was required. And saying so to a Royal Commissioner, no less.
All Prime Ministers have introduced codes of conduct to which they are expected to adhere. Stuart Robert apparently had no idea any existed.
Yet there he sits in Parliament House, displaying all the purity of a white dove when he should have been thrown out of the party by his leader but cannot because they all did it.
I will be anxiously waiting for the final Robodebt report in late June. Not for reasons of revenge, but for justice to be done.
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My thought for the day
Why is it we find such compelling reasons to treat each other badly?
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