Peta Credlin: Anthony Albanese’s economics background comes as surprise

In all her years as a Canberra insider, political columnist Peta Credlin says she never even knew Anthony Albanese had a background in economics as he recently claimed.

Will the real Anthony Albanese stand up?

In a matter of days, he’s gone from being an “economic adviser to the Hawke Government”, to “an adviser” to Tom Uren (who wasn’t even in Cabinet, or in an economic portfolio) before finally being found out as an “electorate officer” who was much more engaged in the machinations of the left-faction in NSW than anything to do with numbers in Canberra.

His only substantive economic qualification after 26 years in the parliament is a 40-year-old economics degree from Sydney University. But to pretend that somehow makes you an ‘economist’ would be like me making out a couple of poetry subjects makes me a poet.

Given I recall plenty of media inquiries about the ‘quality’ of Tony Abbott’s three degrees (despite being a Rhodes Scholar), I would be interested to actually see Albanese’s marks, given he’s made so much of this qualification.

Funny isn’t it, I never even knew he had this economic background, and I was a Canberra insider?

Labor leader Anthony Albanese. Picture: Toby Zerna

Indeed in the eight years I sat on the floor of the House during Question Time, in opposition and government, I don’t recall a single time Albanese either asked an economic question, or answered one at the despatch box.

Beyond speeches on infrastructure (his only real ministerial portfolio), there’s no demonstrated interest in economic policy either, and certainly nothing on his other key area of deficiency, national security; it’s telling that of the 10 shadow ministerial roles he’s had, not one was a treasury or defence or security role.

I encourage people to read his official entry on the Parliament House website aph.gov.au.

Comments too that his short stint as deputy prime minister (less than three months) and the couple of times he was acting PM, somehow qualify him for the top job are a joke; Barnaby Joyce could make a similar claim.

People who pad out their CV, and big note themselves only invite the media to dig harder. Albanese’s camp should be concerned what they’ll now find.

Watch Peta Credlin on Sky News, weeknights at 6pm

Originally published as Peta Credlin: Anthony Albanese’s economics background comes as surprise