Morrison’s media man warns Dutton that PM is gaining momentum

Scott Morrison’s former media boss has warned the opposition that voters are not angry enough with Labor to gift Peter Dutton an election win, urging an aggressive strategy to puncture Anthony Albanese’s momentum.

As the opposition leader on Monday pledged unspecified policies to lower energy bills, sources unauthorised to speak to media said his team was working on a subsidy for employers to hire tradespeople, aimed at small business and blue-collar male voters.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton was gearing up for an election campaign before Anthony Albanese delayed his call in the wake of Cyclone Alfred.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Some of Dutton’s MPs have become jittery about a rare uptick in political support for the government, as recorded by public polling and internal Labor research. The tightening contest followed February’s interest rate cut, an $8.5 billion Medicare pledge – matched by Dutton – and Cyclone Alfred that allowed Albanese to take a lead role as Dutton was in his storm-hit Brisbane seat.

Andrew Carswell, who led Morrison’s media unit, urged calm among Coalition MPs and said Dutton was biding his time to release policies closer to the campaign.

But, he cautioned, “I don’t think they can get away with a strategy that says ‘we’re not them’,” three years after Albanese defeated a Coalition government seeking a fourth term.

“That won’t be enough this time around because people are frustrated with Labor and Albanese, but they don’t have baseball bats in their hands.”

Andrew Carswell was one of Morrison’s top advisers.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“They need to be enticed to come across. And you need something to entice them to come across, not just pointing at what the government has or hasn’t done.”

Dutton has been more defensive in the last fortnight, responding to negative stories about share purchases and attending a Sydney fundraiser days before ex-tropical cyclone Alfred hit.

Adding to the Coalition’s unease was the poor result in the WA state election and what four senior MPs privately admitted was a poorly executed announcement last week on forcing public servants back to the office. The MPs said some voters had construed it as a push to ban flexible work arrangements popular among mothers, a point Dutton was grilled on as gender pay gap data was released last week.

Carswell said Albanese had set the agenda lately, something the former Liberal staffer thought the prime minister had been “incredibly bad” at, while Dutton had proved adept at steering the conversation.

The weeks before the March 25 budget could be critical, Carswell said. Neither party had made plans because Albanese was about to call an election for April before the cyclone hit. The election is now likely to be on May 3 or May 10.

“There’ll be a void in the next couple of weeks and the void is to the opposition’s advantage because it again thrusts Albanese out there with not much to say,” Carswell said.

“This budget will contain ... red ink as far as the eye can see. What type of narrative can you build off such a negative budget? So while I do think the government does have the momentum now, it’s about to hit a brick wall,” he said.

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