‘Anger’ over economic issues could deliver power to Dutton’s Coalition

Former Queensland Labor premier Anna Bligh believes voter “anger” over cost-of-living issues could be enough to swing the federal election in the Coalition’s favour.

Acknowledging it would still be a challenge for Peter Dutton to secure the extra 18 seats required to take power, Bligh on Wednesday said it was not impossible.

Bligh said large swings normally went against long-term governments – she led a fifth-term Labor government to defeat in 2012 – or those experiencing leadership turmoil.

Australian Banking Association chief and former Queensland premier Anna Bligh says cost-of-living issues could swing the election in the Coalition’s favour.

But she said community concern about the cost of living, high inflation, and high interest rates could hamper the Albanese Labor government’s bid for another term.

“The anger about that could drive a different result,” she told an Australian Institute of Company Directors governance summit.

“I do think it’s a harder path for Peter Dutton, but it’s not impossible.”

While Bligh said it was also possible for Labor to again govern in its own right, she suggested the most likely outcome was minority government, partly controlled by one or more crossbenchers.

And she warned that Australian politics had shifted, making the crossbenchers more extreme than either of the major parties.

“They’ll be having to form it with people who are much further to the right or left of the governing party,” she said.

Former NSW Liberal premier Nick Greiner told the summit a minority government would not be good for Australia, particularly with ongoing global instability.

“I would think a major party – even if it wasn’t the one I support – being able to govern would probably be better than a seriously hung crossbench parliament,” Greiner said.

Former NSW premier Nick Greiner says a minority government would deliver worse outcomes on major policy issues.Credit: Wolter Peeters

While describing Coalition proposals to break up insurance companies as “BS … nonsense”, he said a minority government would deliver worse outcomes on major policy issues.

“Not being able to govern with any confidence is a recipe for not doing very much,” he said.

Bligh agreed, saying big decisions required governments “to spend political capital, and you actually have to have some in the bank to spend it”.

Bran Black, head of the Business Council of Australia, told the summit he expected both houses of parliament to be “difficult to navigate” during the next term, and “very, very challenging” for the government.

“To say that it’s complex is, I think, an understatement,” Black said of the election’s likely outcome.

Bligh, the outgoing chief executive of the Australian Banking Association, encouraged business leaders to seek a constructive and long-lasting relationship with both sides of politics, preferably after reaching a consensus on issues.

She said ministers were normally responsive “if you come in with one clear voice and you throw one sharp spear and you keep throwing it”.

Asked about social issues, Bligh said companies should be responsive to the needs and concerns of their customers.

But Greiner said it was wrong for companies to “take a stand” on divisive issues, suggesting the companies who campaigned for the Voice should have suffered greater condemnation after the proposal was rejected.

“I thought there was far too little criticism,” he said, calling business leaders and the Australian Institute of Company Directors “weak” for not calling out the campaigners.

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