If I had time I would sit down, do a bit of research and document how more often than not events seem to fall rightly or wrongly into place to favour the Liberal Party or what is now the Conservative Party waiting for another name.
On this occasion, a virus slipped in to help a down and out government on the ropes and just about to enter a recession. After almost three pathetic and corrupt governance terms, they are looking to take a fourth, and if you believe all the Albanese knockers, he hasn’t the charisma to beat Scott Morrison. Sorry, but we have heard it all before.
Which of these leaders had charisma?
John Howard.
Julia Gillard.
John Hewson.
Bob Hawke.
Gough Whitlam.
Bill Shorten.
Kim Beasley.
Kevin Rudd.
Malcolm Fraser.
Anthony Albanese.
Mark Latham.
Scott Morrison.
Who had the least, yet in terms of longevity was the most successful? In my view, John Howard was the least charismatic yet the most (in terms of longevity), successful. It is often the case that in polling, the popularity of a leader doesn’t always correspond with the party they might vote for.
People get carried away with popularity when as we get closer to the election the question of; “Who would you vote for?” is more important than; “Who would make the better Prime Minister?”.
In the last week or so we have witnessed a bombardment of attacks; call it character assassinations if you like, against Anthony Albanese that amount to nothing more than people’s feelings and have no basis otherwise. Take Troy Bramston’s article in The Australian 2 February 2021. It can only be described as a list of unsubstantiated claims that are nothing more than grubby attempts at character assassination.
In polls such as Newspoll, one can take little from them other than how people are feeling at the time. On the question of who is the more popular, Morrison must come out on top. He is well known, full of crap and has taken over the media, in the fullness of its reach. I mean, COVID-19 has by necessity demanded that the Prime Minister be proactive in leadership and feeding information to the press and the public. That means exposure. Its value in terms of public perception cannot be measured, but I sure wouldn’t like to be paying for it.
For his part, Albanese has and still is an example of how bipartisanship politics in the face of a national crisis should work. He has been firm but fair in all respects without any acclaim.
It is often difficult for an opposition leader to get a sentence on the national nightly news let alone during a pandemic. On top of that, he is fighting the Murdoch media empire’s might.
Yet despite all this people demand that he be more assertive. That he should be in campaign mode before the campaign has even begun.
Nobody in the party is more aware of the leadership rumblings within than Albanese. This was the entire point of last Thursday’s reshuffle.
Albanese has come up with a more purpose-fit alternative ministry. One that in my view that person for person is much better than the incumbents. Take a look at the frontbench and see if you agree.
No doubt many Labor MPs ask themselves if their current leader can beat Scott Morrison in an election this year. Despite the 50/50 Newspoll result, The Australian has written Albo off as yesterday’s hero to be replaced in a matter of days. If the 50/50 remains for three consecutive polls, you can say there is a trend. What a load of piffle it is. For those who look for a more in-depth analysis, I would suggest in part that people may have woken up as they did in the US to the enormous falsities that they were being told.
When a political party deliberately withholds information, the voter needs to make an informed, balanced and reasoned assessment of how it is governed. When it lies over a long period, disregards science and tells the people that everything is fake except what they tell them, they eventually react.
Labor MPs might continue to ask themselves and one another whether Albanese has what it takes to beat Morrison, but they should give him a chance. Like President Biden, he can call bullshit out for what it is and then calmly explain the truth of things. Why people need a raving voice of reply to counter everything a leader says is beyond me.
Biden has set an example that others should take notice of; “Let your words speak their purpose.” Trump’s words or lies then became exposed for what they were.
Frankly, I am sick of people proposing a leader’s dismissal before the fight has even begun. Give the bloke a go.
Joe Biden’s victory should be seen as a fillip for international action against the extremities of the right.
Now a few words about the Albo’s shadow cabinet.
Bowen is an excellent choice for when, as it must, the climate debate eventually becomes one of economics. He is a proven performer and debater of a wide range of policy.
Labor desperately wants the election to be a post-pandemic one that outlines a future Australia. In the reshuffle, Richard Marles has a super portfolio that narrates our future. No one better than the philosophical Marles to do that.
Burke stays in Industrial Relations as was his want with Chalmers still in the Treasury, leaving Stephen Jones to prosecute Superannuation. Plibersek loses her portfolio’s skills component to Marles, which is a bit of a slap on the wrist to a possible challenger.
Victorian left-winger Brendan O’Connor was handed the shadow defence portfolio. Both O’Connor and Albanese are in the same faction but have been indifferent corners in a few debates.
This reshuffle reflects the battle that lays ahead. In my view, the government is very vulnerable on many fronts, and the opposition has a team that can take it up to the government.
They need to be a group of enthusiastic men and women who believe that winning is a result of good leadership, supporting the leader and tackling your opponent with words that have the ring of truth about them.
The world is sick of leaders like Trump and Morrison. It’s time for a change.
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My thought for the day
One of the oddities of political polling is trying to understand how 50% of the voting public would willingly return a party that has governed so abysmally.
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