Scott Morrison has only two options before him to deal with the political pile-on from the Labor premiers.
To lead by consensus or lead by decree.
There is no longer even a pretence that the provincial leaders are acting in good faith as naked politics threatens to blow up the very structure that afforded them the platform they have exploited for self-aggrandisement.
Friday’s national cabinet meeting could well be the tipping point.
The image of unity that had received the overwhelming support of Australians a year ago has been shattered by an orchestrated politicisation of the process by premiers who are seeking to sidestep accountability for their incompetence.
Considering the behaviour of some leaders over the past month – more notably Queensland Labor Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk this past week and acting Victorian ALP leader James Merlino in the weeks preceding – the temptation for the Prime Minister to don the hair shirt would be great.
There has been a notable shift in the national attitude toward lockdowns over the past month. And it is likely that Morrison would have a large slice of the Australian public backing him.
But if past performances are any guide, the Prime Minister will seek the consensus approach.
The difference is that he will put the onus back on the states and territories to specify what magic vaccination number they would agree to in order to stop the lockdowns.
The hysteria that Queensland embarked on this week over whether AstraZeneca should be given to people aged under 60 exposed the extent of the parochial political agenda being waged.
There is a saying in Canberra that the “CHOs run the show” (CHOs being the state chief health officers).
The Prime Minister clearly realised this week that he too was at risk of being held hostage to his own health bureaucrats, as much as he has been to the national cabinet that he created.
His decision on Monday to offer an indemnity to doctors over AstraZeneca marked the beginning of a pivotal shift in his attitude.
This was the start of the gradual pushback and today’s meeting of the national cabinet will signal the reseizing by Morrison of the national leadership that the premiers have sought to erode.
But Morrison’s quandary is no less than that of Heracles’ dilemma as he sought to slay the Hydra.
Cutting off one head will simply produce two new ones.
He needs to burn the Hydra off at the neck.
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