There is growing dismay in Labor circles about the performance of the government, especially the poor performance of the prime minister.
It is certainly difficult to get overly enthusiastic about the achievements of this government in its first term. The missteps and failures have been evident, starting with the ill-fated Voice referendum.
That’s when Anthony Albanese shined.
But there remains a clear path to victory for the Labor Party, provided the Prime Minister can find his charm and his colleagues can stick to some fairly simple and easy key messages. Without appearing to be reciting political lines, of course.
Modern politicians are not good at appearing authentic at the best of times, but to win, this government needs to spread four core messages while recognizing that people are doing it wrong. A difficult task, but possible.
The Labor Party should point out that it has implemented new laws that protect workers’ wages, delivered two surpluses in its first two budgets, significantly reduced inflation without cutting the payments Australians depend on, and delivered cuts to income tax. fairer income than those proposed by the previous government.
In this column, I have previously pointed out the flaws of some of the above points:
- Labor laws are stifling businesses at a time when the economy is struggling.
- The surpluses are simply a consequence of rising commodity prices and will end in next year’s budget anyway.
- While inflation has fallen, it has done so more slowly than in other parts of the world, which is why our interest rates remain too high.
- And, yes, the changes to Scott Morrison’s stage three tax cuts spread the cuts more broadly, but Labor broke a clear election promise by making the change, meaning it can no longer be trusted they.
Anthony Albanese (back, he made it to question time in Parliament last month) must focus on four key campaign messages if he has any chance of winning a second term as prime minister.
Redbridge research predicts Peter Dutton is more likely to form a minority government than Albo
However, these nuanced criticisms of Labour’s best selling point do not take away from the fact that repeating these four “achievements” consistently throughout a campaign remains the government’s best chance of securing a second term.
In fact, it could be Albo’s only chance. Because without making this simple argument for re-election, his government is treading historic territory for all the wrong reasons.
It could become the first first-term government to lose re-election since 1931. That’s how bad things look right now.
Labor MPs are finding it increasingly difficult not to complain about where things are, especially Albo’s inability to change the situation.
For months now, the Labor Party room has been told to be patient because the building blocks for a comeback were already in place.
The claims are starting to ring hollow unless the Prime Minister and his team can get back to basics and stop being distracted by issues that do not relate to mainstream Australia.
Israel, for example.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong really needs to be sent on a very, very long and very, very far overseas trip between now and the next election.
The Prime Minister and his team must get back to basics and stop being distracted by issues that do not relate to mainstream Australia, such as Israel. Foreign Minister Penny Wong, in particular, must do her part by avoiding making stupid public comments about the Jewish state.
His recent comments comparing the democratic State of Israel to totalitarian China and Russia were at worst appalling and at best incredibly stupid.
Look where the Labor Party is now: a primary vote of just 27 per cent, according to the Resolve poll, is appalling.
Redbridge research predicts that a hung parliament is now a 98 per cent certainty after the next election, going so far as to say there is a greater chance of Peter Dutton forming a minority government than Albo.
The Labor Party therefore needs to change its approach and simplify its messaging to the four points mentioned above. With just a few months until the elections, the government is running out of time.
Workers would appreciate labor laws protecting their wages if they were informed about them. Selling protective salaries shouldn’t be difficult.
Passing on two surpluses is a sales pitch that is capable of succeeding after so many years of promises of achieving a surplus by both major parties that never came to fruition.
Remember the Coalition’s “wear black again” campaign ahead of a promised but undelivered surplus during Morrison’s last term?
Even if Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ pair of surpluses were driven by commodities, they were still real and could easily be sold as evidence of sound economic management. Any advertising agency could amplify that achievement.
Australians know inflation is lower now than when Morrison lost in 2022, and they know Labor’s changed tax cuts are now, more broadly, “fair”. They just need to be reminded of these facts by reducing the political messages.
The Prime Minister and his senior colleagues need to repeat this sales pitch until they get tired of hearing it. Former New South Wales Premier Neville Wran used to say that only then do voters finally start to pay attention.
And they must eliminate distractions, including Albo’s habitual mistakes, which project an image that he is disengaged and destined to retire.
He needs the public to believe that he has done a reasonable job so far, and that he plans to do more good work if he wins a second term.
It is not enough to demonize Dutton. Not now that he is neck and neck in the preferred prime minister ratings and the Coalition is ahead or even in the two-party vote.
Selling policies like cutting people’s HECS debts or pumping more taxpayer money into childcare leaves those who do not receive such largesse questioning what this government has done for them.
The four-point plan outlined above is aimed at most voters and gives them an excuse not to change the way they voted in the last election.
Let’s see if Labor has the campaigning skills to pull it off.