Piers Akerman: Only the Coalition has put the national interest first

Experience matters in government, writes Piers Akerman, and when it comes to Labor v the Coalition, there is a resounding winner.

Midway through the election campaign and a very clear picture of the political options has emerged. Only one group has put the national interest before every other consideration and that is the Liberal-National Coalition.

From the moment the starter’s gun was fired, the Coalition has focused on the needs of the nation — defence, border security, energy security and reliability, and the economy.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese, now emerged from his Covid Coventry, did not mention the national interest in his April 3 campaign launch — except to make the false claim that all of Labor’s plans were based on Australian values and lessons learnt through the pandemic.

How well did that work for voters trapped in the Labor state of Victoria, where Melbourne endured the longest lockdown of any capital in any nation anywhere on Earth?

If Albanese believes Premier Dan Andrews represents the best of Labor values, we can only look forward to an authoritarian, bullying federal Labor government with scant regard for the rule of law.

When is comes to experience, there is one clear winner between Scott Morrison (left) and Anthony Albanese, writes Piers Akerman.

He is trying to spin the line that only Labor does the “big reforms” which, like his claim to being an economic adviser to the truly reforming Hawke-Keating governments when he was in fact no more than a research assistant to left-winger Tom Uren (a junior minister who was not even a member of cabinet), is total humbug.

Trying to rope in the climate change catastrophists, Albanese didn’t once mention the reality that our nation relies on coal, oil and gas to function, and without them our economy would be non-existent.

As far as vision goes, there was no mention of nuclear energy, even though every one of our global competitors not only relies on nuclear power, but since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine they have moved to reopen coal mines and increase the use of fossil fuels and nuclear which in Green-Labor policy terms are all unmentionables.

But the real measure of Labor’s fitness for office is provided by comparing the experience of Labor’s team with that of the Coalition.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison actually held real jobs before entering parliament. Albanese had none. He was a student activist and party hack before being given a seat.

Morrison was responsible for immigration and border protection, he was treasurer, and he has held the public service and social services portfolios during his 15 years in parliament, 8½ years of which he was in cabinet.

Albanese’s most important position before entering parliament in 1996 was as a former assistant secretary for NSW ALP. He has been in cabinet for nearly six years and has served unmemorably in the infrastructure and transport, regional development and local government, broadband, communications and the digital economy portfolios, making negligible contributions which don’t come close to rivalling Morrison’s service.

Line up Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce’s record against that of his shadow Catherine King and the disparity is as great. Joyce has been in cabinet for nearly six years, King just 2½ months. The deputy opposition leader, former union official Richard Marles, also spent 1½ months in cabinet.

Joyce is a former farmer, accountant and rural banker, and has been responsible for agriculture, water resources, northern Australia, infrastructure, transport and regional development. King, in her brief time in cabinet, held the portfolios of regional services, local government and territories, road safety and regional Australia, after working as a consultant to an accounting firm.

When it comes to Home Affairs, Karen Andrews — a former engineer and small business owner who has held the industry, science and technology portfolios — you can put down your glasses, as they say at the race track. Her opposite number is Kristina Keneally, the worst premier NSW has ever been saddled with.

It’s much the same with Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and shadow treasurer, the glib Jim Chalmers.

Frydenberg has been in cabinet for seven years. Chalmers has zero ministerial experience and his sole and dubious claim to fame is that he worked for Labor treasurer Wayne Swan.

Swan, in his budget speech in May 2012, began with the words “the four years of surpluses I announce tonight” but not one eventuated. Zilch.

The promises Labor makes now are just as hollow.