James Morrow: Voters need clear messages from Dutton on voice, cost of living

Anthony Albanese is using celebrity endorsements as a distraction from the real dangers of his proposed voice to parliament. Peter Dutton must call him on this as well as hip pocket pain

If you want to know why the prime minister is so keen to keep people talking about the Voice, just look at what else it is keeping them from talking about.

On Saturday, it was revealed that 10 million middle-income taxpayers will be as much as $1500 worse off thanks to Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ decision to let a tax offset expire in the middle of a cost of living crisis.

On Monday, the news hit that the planned closure of the Liddell coal fired power station was going ahead, putting further pressure on power prices that were supposed to have dropped by $275, according to Anthony Albanese’s election promises.

Oh, and on Tuesday, word came out of Victoria that Premier Dan Andrews was in quiet talks with Canberra for a bailout because, as it turns out, keeping the state going through some of the world’s longest lockdowns cost money.

Meanwhile, what’s the prime minister — who’s now on holiday — been up to?

Anthony Albanese enjoys the atmosphere during the round six NRL match between Canterbury Bulldogs and South Sydney Rabbitohs on April 7. Picture: Getty Images

Rolling out Indigenous sports stars to sell the Voice as if it were a new brand of breakfast cereal and not a major constitutional change which even the voice’s biggest academic supporters admit could interfere in just about anything it chooses.

This is the classic politicians’ magic trick.

The Rev Bill Crews Foundation welcomed and fed more than 450 meals for an Easter Lunch after Easter Sunday Service at his church in Ashfield with some of the more vulnerable in our community as the cost of living crisis bites. Picture: Jeremy Piper

Don’t look at the cost of living or all the divisive academics calling “no” voters racist and demanding a treaty.

Instead, look at this marvellous line-up of Indigenous sports stars all urging you to say “yes”.

For Albo, it makes total sense.

Because again, the more time people spend on the razzle dazzle side of his signature policy, the less time he is being questioned about the cost of living.

And so far the strategy has been working, so much so that the Prime Minister was able to tweet a photo of himself dining with Sheik Shady Alsuleiman at an Iftar dinner last Wednesday with barely a ripple.

MrAlbanese breaks bread with Sheik Shady Alsuleiman. Picture: Twitter

If the name Sheik Shady rings a few bells, he’s the chap who Malcolm Turnbull said he regretted hosting at an iftar dinner when he was prime minister, over controversial comments.

But he is also president of the Australian National Imams Council, which is reportedly now training up 200 imams to spruik the voice to the nation’s one million Muslims, so do the maths.

This strategy also means that people are not paying attention to the very real problems with the Voice, including the really divisive rhetoric being served up on an almost daily basis by the Voice’s most ardent supporters.

Last week, in a softball interview with Radio National’s Patricia Karvelas, Noel Pearson attacked the Liberals for their “Judas betrayal” of the country and called Peter Dutton an undertaker.

Similar scenes played out on Monday night when Anne Pattel-Grey told a Q&A audience that there was something morally wrong with “no” voters.

“This is a moral and ethical agenda and this will determine the integrity of Australia,” Ms Pattel-Grey, who teaches at Melbourne’s University of Divinity, told the audience.

“Whether they vote yes or whether they vote no is going to be to the individual’s question of integrity.”

Noel Pearson delivering a talk about Mabo, at his old school, St Peters Lutheran College in Indooroopilly, Brisbane. Picture: The Australian

Again, they say it’s the “no” side that’s tearing the country apart.

All of this presents a two-pronged challenge for Dutton.

Yes, Julian Leeser’s abrupt departure will cause a day or two’s noise for the Liberals.

It is a real mark the former shadow attorney general that he sat through last week’s party room meeting, appeared to be on board with the plan to oppose, and then decided for reasons best known to himself to pull the pin six days later.

But assuming (and this could be a big assumption) there are no more defections, Leeser’s leaving gives the party clear air to forensically attack the voice while also attacking Labor for the rising cost of pretty much everything under its watch.

On both counts, the Coalition may start to find voters more receptive than ever.

Polls show that there is a narrow but soft majority in favour of the voice, and the general physics of referendums means that they lose rather than gain support over time.

To turn this around Labor wants to cement in voters’ minds the equation that a vote for the voice is a vote for reconciliation and against Peter Dutton.

This is dishonest, of course, but so too is much of politics.

Not only can one be in favour of reconciliation but against the voice, there is a strong argument that by locking the voice into the constitution, true reconciliation will never be achieved.

There is more.

The sarcastic groundswell of reaction to Marcia Langton’s weekend threat that a “no” vote would mean no more welcomes to country (really!?) suggests large numbers of Australians are weary of what has become nothing more than a bit of corporate piety.

If the Coalition catches these winds while also hammering relentlessly the cost of living, the government’s extended honeymoon may soon come to an abrupt end with a very large bill slipped under the door.