When the head of the Prime Minister’s communications unit leaves so close to an election, you know things aren’t going according to plan.
Former SBS journalist Brett Mason has been in the role for just nine months but has “resigned” to take up a communications role at the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Mason is Anthony Albanese’s second communications chief to leave since Labor won the 2022 election.
Her pre-win communications chief, Matthew Franklin, was replaced immediately after the win. Now that’s not retaining top talent!
The previous prime minister, Liz Fitch, resigned after the disastrous campaign promoting the referendum The Voice, which was roundly rejected by 60 per cent of Australians.
The fact that Mason has run for president just months before the federal election is a clear sign that all is not well within the government.
But the problem is not the team around the Prime Minister, but Albo’s performance, which is letting the Labour Party down. In addition, there are a number of underperforming ministers, such as Treasurer Jim Chalmers (at war with the Reserve Bank), Clare O’Neil and Andrew Giles, to name but a few.
Now we can add into that mix Education Minister Jason Clare as he destroys higher education, Australia’s second largest export industry.
They also include Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones, now at war with tax professionals, along with Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, who received a dressing down from NSW Labor Premier Chris Minns, no less, for banning a gold mine that would have delivered hundreds of millions of dollars to her state.
Former SBS journalist Brett Mason (pictured) has resigned as Albo’s chief commentator less than nine months into the role.
First Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured with partner Jodie Haydon) is moving on to his third communications chief in a year as Labor tries to turn around its flagging fortunes.
But the prime minister prefers to blame staff rather than himself or his parliamentary colleagues.
Moreover, the main problem of this government is not exactly the poor dissemination of its messages, but the lack of substance.
Changing those who twist and manipulate political messages to suit Labour’s agenda will not fix the policy failures that are worsening the cost of living crisis, the housing crisis and sky-high immigration.
If you believe Mason left on his own terms, then perhaps Labour doesn’t need a new image consultant, because that has to be an image strategy.
She will be replaced by Fiona Sugden, a former press secretary to Kevin Rudd and Bill Shorten. With a track record like that, she is sure to fix all of Labor’s problems.
Just in case there was a chance that new leadership in the Prime Minister’s communications team might help bring this government back into touch with the mainstream, that looks set to be snuffed out before it has even begun by the decision to promote former Guardian Australia political editor Katherine Murphy to the role of 2IC.
In the relatively short time since he moved from working for the Guardian to working for the Labour Party (sorry to repeat myself), he has already reportedly upset senior cabinet ministers by using his staff status to intervene in debates usually reserved for MPs.
Penny Wong was apparently one of the senior ministers who was not too impressed. I’m sure a promotion will put an end to that.
Murphy is not exactly known for her ideological adherence to the core political concerns of Australia’s middle class, although there are surely some Guardian readers among them. But she will at least ensure that Labor remains closely aligned with the Greens.
Former Guardian Australia political editor Katherine Murphy (left) is set to become Albo’s second-in-comms officer. Fiona Sugden (right) ran communications for Kevin Rudd during his failed 2013 campaign and for Bill Shorten during his failed 2019 campaign. She hopes to have better luck leading Albo’s communications unit at the next federal election.
Peter Dutton (pictured) has begun to close the gap with the Prime Minister in recent polls.
The day after Mason’s departure was announced, we saw why Albo needs to work on both his effect and his substance.
Asked in an interview how he feels about the polling problems, Newspoll revealed his worst dissatisfaction rating since becoming prime minister: Albo had all the (wrong) answers.
He said polls come and go, so they don’t really matter, before attempting to make a virtue of the fact that his government has not trailed the Coalition at any point during his tenure as prime minister. So they do matter?
What he said is indeed true, Labor has not gone after the Coalition according to Newspoll, but is it as clever to point this out as Albo seems to think?
If a future Newspoll poll reveals Labor suddenly falling behind the Coalition at any point between now and election day, or even afterwards if Labor wins, how will Albo respond to that?
His poor turn this time will need a creative twist next time.
Furthermore, the last two Newspoll polls have the major parties tied at 50-50, and the Resolve poll had Labor trailing on multiple occasions, even if Newspoll hasn’t.
With the kind of manipulation Albo tried to pull off over the past 24 hours, it’s no wonder he wants more help. But remember, a shoddy trader shouldn’t blame his tools.