Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton’s ‘unity ticket’ on anti-Semitism killed by Labor block
The so-called unity ticket between Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton on anti-Semitism has lasted less than 24 hours.
After yesterday collectively trumpeting their disgust at the behaviour of the Greens’ over the war in Gaza, Labor MPs on Thursday morning voted to shut down the Coalition’s motion for an inquiry into anti-Semitism on university campuses.
So much for the united voice on what has become a stain on the fabric of Australian society.
That is not to say that sincerity was lacking in Albanese finally calling out the militant behaviour of the pro-Palestinian protests and the anti-Semitism that has been given licence by the Greens.
“Enough is enough,” the Prime Minister declared on Wednesday.
“All of us have a responsibility to prevent conflict in the Middle East from being used as a platform for prejudice here at home.
“There is no place or anti-Semitism, prejudice of any sort, Islamophobia, in our communities, at our universities or outside of electoral offices.”
So why didn’t Albanese use his unique megaphone as Prime Minister and leverage the platform of parliament to do this last week? The week before? Six months ago?
While the behaviour has gone begging for a response, Albanese can’t escape the appearance that a crude display of politics has driven his timing.
Labor has been desperately seeking a road out of the political quagmire that the government has been bogged in for the past two weeks over the immigration scandal.
It is no coincidence that the PM and the Labor frontbench were ready to unload after a Dorothy-dixer from Teals independent Sophie Scamps in Question Time on Wednesday.
Coalition MPs have no doubt that this was a question workshopped between the government and Scamps beforehand.
Albanese got the image he wanted. The portrayal of unity as both he and Dutton unleashed against Labor’s mortal enemy, the Greens.
It became the dominant story from parliament for the day, and Andrew Giles was given a breather.
Albanese clearly engineered this outcome, demonstrating yet again what a shrewd politician he is.
While Dutton had no choice other than to join the chorus of criticism of Greens leader Adam Bandt, having led the charge against anti-Semitism until now, what has gone unremarked is the salient fact that Dutton’s position on Albanese’s lack of will and courage on this issue hasn’t changed.
Until this moment, the rhetorical difference between Labor MPs and the Coalition on this issue couldn’t have been further apart.
As recently as Sunday night, Dutton was accusing Albanese of a “significant abrogation of national leadership”.
In the end, the message and imagery from the parliament were the right ones for the two major parties to project. It needed to be said, and was more powerful as a statement having both leaders stand in condemnation. But this should have been done long before today, and repeatedly.
And now considering Labor used its numbers to shut down Liberal MP Julian Leeser’s motion on Thursday morning for a judicial inquiry, less than 24 hours after this so-called moment of unity, one has to wonder whether Labor has any intention to put action to words.
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