Albanese’s dream of calm politics halted by Peter Dutton in 47th parliament

Albo brought a pledge of a calmer politics, Dutton brought curly questions. Jim Chalmers brought theatrics. Half-way through the first question time of the new government, reality set in.

Anthony Albanese’s pledge to nurture a more caring, calm, and collective politics has run smack bang into the hard realities of Question Time.

Question time #1 of the Albanese government started out a bit like the first day of school after a long summer’s break.

There was, naturally, the testing of the new teacher (freshly minted Speaker of the House Milton Dick).

There was plenty of teasing in both directions and a class dobber in the form of Sports Minister Anika Wells, who called out across the chamber, “We believe in science … where are your masks?”

And of course there was the first day good behaviour which fell apart by the half way mark.

Anthony Albanese with Jim Chalmers during Question Time. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Any pretence by a “new politics” getting away from the shoutiness of old was done and dusted by the half way mark.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton opened the batting with a series of forensic questions about Labor, the building industry watchdog, and the CFMEU which were batted off by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who refused to take the bait.

Peter Dutton asked the first question of the new Prime Minister. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

The government, having kept Dorothy Dixers as part of its reforms to standing orders, used them to the fullest, congratulating each other and the Speaker to such a degree it is surprising no one sent out to Bunnings for a trowel.

Colourful Queensland MP got a question, too, under new rules to give the cross bench more of a look in, asking an enthusiastic question of the PM about a trip to Queensland to look at some sort of projects (what exactly they were was not completely clear).

Helpfully, Mr Katter shouted out, “and he stayed sober, too!” as the PM commenced his answer, bringing the proverbial house down.

By the thirty minute mark, Question Time was as noisy and robust as anything that came in the last government, though no one was asked to remove themselves for bad behaviour by the Speaker.

Anthony Albanese makes a point at his first Question Time as PM. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

So much for the “new politics”.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers brought colour and movement to the government’s responses, playing off the often insomnia-curing worthiness of some of his boss’s answers.

Jim Chalmers briought the theatre to the first Question Time of the Albanese government. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

It’s too early to make too much of it but the fiery Treasurer playing second man to a more sober (and not in the sense Mr Katter meant it) PM has a long and often successful history in the House.

Having found its attacks on Labor’s ties to the CFMEU and the frankly shocking behaviour of some of its officials largely ducked and parried by the government, Mr Dutton and his team tried other lines of attack including foot-and-mouth disease and the broken but apparently forgotten promise to bring down our power bills.

But by the end it was right back where it started, with the opposition whacking Labor over its failure to crack down on outlaw unions and the government claiming that in shutting down the watchdog it was just upholding the rule of law.

We might get an answer to that question on Day Two.