Piers Akerman: Albo’s polished election persona does not reveal the real man

Members of the media pack travelling with Anthony Albanese have revealed he has a less-than-impressive side of his new character off-camera, which Piers Akerman says he can attest to.

There are more reasons not to vote for a Labor government next weekend than Anthony Albanese could possibly fathom, but I have a quite personal motive.

As reader “Lin” from Western Australia reminded me a few days ago (not that my memory needed much jogging), “Albanese is a sleaze”.

Eleven years ago, the then-Labor minister and I appeared on Sky’s Australian Agenda program hosted by Peter van Onselen.

Simon Benson, then with The Daily Telegraph and now the The Australian, was another guest. In The Daily Telegraph on October 27, 2011, I wrote: “Albanese preceded me on the set and when it was time for me to take my place in the studio and Albanese to depart, he lingered long enough to mention that had he known which glass of water I was to be given he would have ‘done a golly in it’.

“A golly (for those unfamiliar with the vernacular of the schoolyard) is the thick, sticky mucus that some uncivilised people hawk and spit in the streets – although there are laws relating to hygiene against such a practice in most Western nations.

“As van Onselen, Benson and I exchanged glances of incredulity, Albanese must have had a very quick rethink about his comment and hastily remarked that he was ‘just joking’.

“The three of us said nothing at that time because we were due to go back on camera at any second and I do not wish to quote either of them directly as it would be unfair of me to expose either to reprisals.

Federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese does not have Piers Akerman’s vote. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“But it would be fair to say that both are free-thinking adults with a fair degree of worldly experience between them and both were set aback by Albanese’s comment.

“As a commentator, one grows used to receiving the sort of hate mail that would have a Labor backbencher calling for a federal police investigation or a Greens MP demanding the introduction of media censorship.

“Some of it is sickening, nauseating even. Some of it is filthy, some sordid.

“I see Albanese’s remark or, as he claimed, his misguided attempt at humour, as being a fairly true measure of the man.

“It beggars belief how such a person can rise within any political party to the levels that he has risen.”

According to an editor’s note added subsequently to the online edition of that column, Albanese later told the Telegraph: “If I’d known Piers would respond with this column perhaps I should have interfered with the water. Only joking …”

He was the only person present at the time to get the “joke” and for a person who sprays apologies around like a Grand Prix winner splashes champagne, the fact nothing came in my direction but gutter abuse tells more about the abuser’s character than that of the abused.

Most politicians (until recently) and most professional journalists (again, until recently) have been courteous to those whose views they may disagree with. Even a decade ago, that was the norm.

Albanese has a new election persona, Piers Akerman writes. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Since that incident, Albanese has adopted a new persona.

He claims he is no longer the Tory-hating individual he claimed to be in 2012 when he told a press conference: “I like fighting Tories. That’s what I do. That’s what I do.”

However, as members of the media pack travelling with him tell me, Albanese has revealed a less-than-impressive side of his new character off-camera and, as he said Friday, “a leopard doesn’t change his spots”.

Nor does Albanese.

I’ve met most prime ministers since Bob Menzies, hosted a number at my home (including Kevin Rudd) and feel privileged to call a few real friends. If I put my personal feelings aside, it would still be impossible to ignore Albanese’s profound ignorance about the economy, foreign affairs, or the most basic government processes.

Labor’s advertising reminds us that Scott Morrison has rightly defined what his job is not on numerous occasions – he’s not a firefighter, he’s not an SES worker etc.

But as PM, Morrison shouldn’t be. That’s his current job.

Of course, Albanese has never had a job outside the union movement and the ALP.

What is obvious is that he doesn’t have the skills, let alone the intellectual capacity, to hold the top job and he is definitely the wrong person to restore the respect which should be due to those who hold high public office.

He’s a grub. Just joking …