I have never understood why Richard Marles is deputy leader of the Labor party – a factional payback no doubt – but his performance on Insiders this morning was a lesson on what Labor needs to get better at.
For pity’s sake, stop saying Labor won’t increase taxes. It is bleedingly obvious that revenue will have to increase to pay for an aging population, amongst other things, and categorically rejecting tax reform is madness. Sleep-walking along relying on bracket creep and hoping multinationals will cough up some tax is not what a proactive government planning for a better future should do.
If you are going to announce that all aged care homes will have a registered nurse on premises at all times when there is already a significant shortage of nurses, you need a better plan than just wage rises which are not up to the government to decide anyway.
How will private providers pay for increased staff costs? What is being done to train more nurses and to provide an ongoing career path for those who choose aged care? How will you attract health workers to regional areas?
Marles answer on public school funding was pathetic. ‘We’ll provide a pathway for them to get what they are supposed to in conjunction with the states’ means to me that they think public school funding is not a priority. That is immeasurably disappointing and short-sighted as public schools cater for the vast majority of the disadvantaged in our society and are hugely underfunded compared to the private sector.
When asked about what job he would like in the new government, Marles looked like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He could easily have talked up Labor’s wealth of experience and talent – make it about the team rather than individuals – and then segued into the Coalition’s squabbling and poor individual performances. But he didn’t. He just spluttered, as he so often does.
Labor needs to stress honesty, accountability and the importance of independent advice. There is a wealth of issues to address there – pork-barrelling, federal ICAC, nepotism in appointments, contracts without tender, infrastructure announced with no business case, scathing auditor general reports, reports not released, enormous cost of consultants, neutering of the public service, attacks on the ABC – the list is endless.
I sincerely hope Labor candidates are well enough informed that they do not endlessly parrot talking points. There is nothing more disingenuous than hearing the same phrase repeated by any number of talking heads.
Do not fall into the Morrison habit of talking in analogies about blank pages or family car trips or whatever other inane rubbish he goes on with.
Be honest about the real problems we are facing and the headwinds coming our way. Don’t be distracted by the ‘how will you pay for it’ diversion. It’s a ridiculous question from a government that has run up a trillion-dollar debt. The answer should be that there are some things that must be paid for and the times dictate priorities.
Morrison and Frydenberg are cherry-picking a few stats from a moment in time to claim they are good economic managers. Labor needs to be ready to answer that.
Unemployment is going to rise as foreign workers return. Interest rates are going to go up to curb rising inflation. Housing pressures, both rental and mortgage, will increase. Action on climate change becomes ever more urgent as the bill for natural disasters skyrockets. Inequality will worsen with a less progressive tax system. Poverty will increase with no changes to income support payments. Debt is rising and so is the interest bill. And there is no plan for higher wages.
As for national security, Morrison’s arrogant neglect of the Pacific region has opened the door for China. In three short years, he and his backroom buddy Alex Hawke have completely trashed our relationship with both China and our island neighbours. (not to mention what the same pair did to the NSW Liberal Party)
I sure hope Labor get this right because the country, and in fact, the world, cannot afford another three years of Scott Morrison and Barnaby Joyce – a more short-sighted self-serving pair would be hard to find.
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