No news is not good news for Prime Minister Scott Morrison
Fortune favours the bold, but when it comes to policy, neither the Prime Minister nor the opposition seem to have any appetite for big ideas, writes national political editor John Rolfe.
Opinion
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Unlike his two immediate predecessors, Scott Morrison has never worked as a journalist. Perhaps that’s part of the reason he’s proving more popular with voters than either Malcolm Turnbull or Tony Abbott.
It could also explain what appears to be a limited understanding of what makes news.
The Prime Minister wanted to get politics off the front page.
It’s a goal I would argue he’s achieving too successfully.
His softly-softly strategy is not only limiting the amount of bad news; it’s put a stranglehold on the good, too.
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Quiet government was a smart approach after the tumult of the Turnbull take-down and equally so during the election, given Labor was proposing such wild change.
But is it the right call now?
A lot of what the Coalition has brought to parliament this week is microwaved policy and, by its own admission, the government is short on ideas.
So it’s trying to drum some up.
Since the election the PM has ordered policy “deep dives” that begin with brainstorming sessions among small groups of backbenchers and wonks.
The first deep dives to become public knowledge cover stopping plastic from getting into the ocean, veterans’ mental health and indigenous youth suicide.
Without question, these are important issues. Australia can and should do so much more to tackle all three. Developing plans to make that a reality is to be applauded.
And the backbench is certainly pleased about being consulted.
I understand other deep dives are looking at skills, regional migration and the digital economy. There may be as many as 20 under way.
I do hope the ones I can’t tell you about (yet) are bold.
Because while it’s great to prevent plastic from polluting the sea, that’s not going to save Australia from the troubled waters ahead.
What’s lacking from that list of deep dives are plans to underpin the next wave of prosperity.
Since becoming The Daily Telegraph’s national political editor three weeks ago, I’ve had the chance to sit down with several Cabinet ministers.
One proposed we do a story about how Labor was yet to dump a particular policy it took to the election.
I thought that was a bit odd.
The minister didn’t seem to understand people might be more interested in the plans of the government they just re-elected than what the mob they didn’t elect isn’t going to do.
More generally, my takeaway from the conversations with these most senior members of government was they remained stunned about still being in their offices.
Other Coalition MPs I’ve spoken to in Canberra since Monday have said they are exhausted and can’t wait for Christmas to arrive.
They seem to forget all their Christmases came at once on May 18. The lack of energy is just as evident in the Opposition ranks.
The last time I sat in the press gallery during Question Time was 1998, age 21.
So I was looking at proceedings with relatively fresh eyes this week when parliament returned from its winter break. I was shocked at how limp Labor was. They are not holding the government to account.
Even their best effort of the week was a let-down. And not just for me, but for the PM.
On Tuesday, after several questions by Labor to government frontbencher Angus Taylor about alleged misconduct involving land-clearing on his property, the Opposition Leader moved a censure motion against the Energy Minister, accusing him of using his public office to advance his private interests and deliberately misleading the House.
Albanese said Taylor should resign “and if he will not, I call on Prime Minister to immediately sack the minister”.
Before getting to his feet to respond, Morrison slumped forward. It didn’t look like he was putting it on. Rather, it was the instinctive embodiment of his feeling about Labor’s feeble attempt to skewer Taylor.
“Well, Mr Speaker,” a dejected Morrison then said, “that would have to be the lamest build-up I have seen to that type of a question in this place before.”
So what should ScoMo be looking at? I would nominate three areas: energy, tax and productivity.
Sydney electricity prices fell 1.3 per cent in the June quarter, according to the Bureau of Statistics. The Energy Minister was cock-a-hoop.
However, they’d risen 100 per cent in the previous decade.
Yes, recently enacted reforms to the retail market have eliminated the worst rorts, but our power remains too expensive.
It’s doubtful the government will hit its targets to lower wholesale prices by 25 per cent.
And getting a better deal is more complex than it needs to be.
Then there’s the question of whether the government will rest on its personal income tax cut laurels or look at improving the revenue raising system more broadly. It could be the PM’s legacy.
Revving up labour productivity offers the same opportunity.
To deliver in these areas is not beyond the Messiah from the Shire, and I think Australians are ready to go with him. It’s time for an end to quiet government.
Because, as the Gladys Liu affair is showing, just because you’re not looking for a headline doesn’t mean it won’t come looking for you.
Twitter: @rolfey