Michael McGuire: Albanese hasn’t done the job yet so voters can still dream that he will actually be competent

How did politics become so degraded that basic competence became the most voters could hope for, asks Michael McGuire.

This looming federal election is coming down to the lesser of two evils argument.

Let’s face it, no one outside the politically brainwashed believes either Prime Minister Scott Morrison, or Labor leader Anthony Albanese, are really up to the job.

Albanese is favourite at this stage, certainly the polls have him in front.

But that may just be because he hasn’t done the job yet, so voters can cling onto the dream that the Labor leader will actually be competent once in office. Call it the politics of ambiguity.

Morrison enjoyed that same benefit of the doubt before the 2019 election, but the electorate has had a fair look at him now and quite a chunk of them haven’t been overly impressed.

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas on the campaign trail before the state election with federal opposition leader Anthony Albanese. Picture: Emma Brasier

It’s probably not ideal when seeking re-election that the phrases most associated with your prime ministership are “I don’t hold a hose, mate’’ and “It’s not a race’’.

And those unasked-for character references are also piling up.

Outgoing NSW Liberal senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells made a splash last week when she unloaded on Morrison, saying he was “a bully with no moral compass’’ and that he was “not fit to be prime minister’’.

Fierravanti-Wells joins a long list of Coalition figures who have expressed their reservations, to put it mildly, about Morrison.

Current Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce called him a “hypocrite and a liar’’. Adding: “I have never trusted him and I dislike how he earnestly rearranges the truth to a lie’’.

Former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian called him a “horrible, horrible person’’ in text messages and that she did not trust him. She later said she had no “recollection’’ of the messages,

Now this is politics. To some extent the public doesn’t trust any of them, Liberal or Labor.

And the public also understands politicians don’t have to necessarily like each other to work together.

But there is a vehemence attached to the criticisms of Morrison that plainly contradict the “ScoMo’’ character he has created to persuade voters he is a “daggy dad’’ ordinary bloke.

None of which means Morrison will definitely lose the election, even though in recent months it has become apparent the PM is on the nose and it’s possible national voters are waiting with baseball bats in the same way they were waiting for Steven Marshall, looking to dish out some Covid-19 payback.

SA Senator Simon Birmingham, former Premier Steven Marshall and Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Picture: Brenton Edwards

But the economy is broadly going well, last week’s federal budget was an “every player wins a prize’’ exercise in financial management and then there is the Albanese factor.

Albanese has improved. He is delivering his lines more sharply, there are hints of policy, he’s a bit more on the front foot.

He has dragged Labor back to the centre after the Bill Shorten years. But he’s still Anthony Albanese.

The Anthony Albanese who’s been in parliament since 1996, was a key player in the ridiculous Rudd/Gillard years. A grey man, who lacks authority and charisma.

In many ways the best asset Albanese and Morrison have is each other. Which is bad news for the rest of us.

How did politics become so degraded that the best options our democratic system can produce is Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese?

Not that Australia is alone in this conundrum. The last US election pitted Donald Trump against Joe Biden.

In one corner we had a bloke who wanted to overthrow democracy. In the other, someone who can appear confused by the days of the week.

In the UK, it was Boris Johnson versus Jeremy Corbyn. A buffoon versus an incompetent.

One of the lessons from the state election campaign was that if a party produces a positive, credible leader then there is a chance people will vote for them.

But another may be that increasing numbers of people are disenchanted with the major parties.

The results of the independents in seats such as Finniss and Flinders shows, even if they didn’t win, that people are more alive now than ever to changing their vote.

The “voices for’’ movement federally which saw Cathy McGowan win in Indi and Zali Steggall beat Tony Abbott in Warringah are part of that as well. As is Rebekha Sharkie in Mayo.

That many of these independents are women as well demonstrate that people are looking for a change in the political scenery away from its overwhelming male dominance.

But the race to become prime minister is something else.

Maybe when voters are making up their minds in a polling booth, instead of starting with a “1” to indicate their favourite, they will instead start at the bottom and work their way up, finally arriving at the least worst option.