Albanese finds the centre ground

As premiers tangle Scott Morrison in the politics of Covid-19, Anthony Albanese is working the ground to bring a more coherent narrative to the ALP’s next election campaign. In a series of interviews, the Opposition Leader has continued his efforts to drag Labor to a more centrist position across a broad range of difficult policy fronts including China, coal, climate and Israel. There is a long way to go but Mr Albanese is showing a welcome preference for substance over ideology on issues that have dogged the opposition since its largely unexpected defeat in 2019 under Bill Shorten. The Prime Minister is experiencing a rollercoaster ride with positives on the economy and the government’s overall performance on the pandemic being challenged by state lockdowns and widely held perceptions of failure, however unfair, on quarantine and the vaccine rollout. Mr Albanese is demonstrating he knows federal Labor must do more than simply join the chorus of complaint in the daily news cycle.

The Opposition Leader would have gained some comfort from analysis of recent Newspoll surveys showing Mr Morrison and the Coalition under pressure. As we reported on Monday, a review of surveys conducted between April 21 and June 26 puts the Coalition and Labor on an even electoral footing, with Greens preferences pushing the ALP to a 51-49 per cent lead despite the party lagging the government on primary support by 36-41 per cent. The major parties are tied in NSW, and Mr Morrison’s standing in Western Australia and Queensland has slumped when compared with the last analysis covering the period January 27 to March 27. After preferences are distributed, the Coalition is ahead of Labor only in Queensland, where it enjoys a lead of 53 per cent to 47 per cent. The ALP must win back seats in the state to have any chance of taking government.

In recognition of this fact, Mr Albanese embarked this week on his first visit to Queensland’s mining territory, the heart of poison for the ALP in the 2019 federal election campaign. Mr Albanese is working to craft a message he can sell to coalmining centres that deserted Labor at that election and the green-leaning inner-city voters who prioritise action on climate change over rural jobs. Mr Albanese’s pitch is that coal will be around for many years but blue-collar regions should set their sights on becoming the manufacturing powerhouse of tomorrow making green technologies such as wind turbines and solar panels. The desire to add value to the nation’s raw materials is certainly not new, but in an era of growing economic nationalism Mr Albanese’s pitch fits well with rising concerns about the nation’s unhealthy dependence on China.

After flirting with differentiation, Mr Albanese has fallen into line with the federal government on its China policy. In an interview published on Friday, the Opposition Leader said dealing with China was going to be a “challenging relationship regardless of who is in government” and he backed the Biden administration’s “competition without catastrophe” ­approach to Beijing. Mr Albanese said the foreign policy of a future Labor government would be based on the “three pillars” of the US alliance, regional engagement and support for multilateral forums. He said Labor was at one with the government on key issues on the China relationship, including on the South China Sea, Hong Kong, human rights and protecting Australia’s sovereignty. “We need to also acknowledge that China, under Xi, is more forward-leaning and that pre­sents challenges for us,” Mr Albanese said.

The Opposition Leader also is hosing down radical elements in his party who are calling for a boycott of Israel over its treatment of Palestinians. Mr Albanese told Nine Entertainment media a boycott was counter-productive and was not supported by anyone in his party room. He dismissed the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign as one based on racial targeting, something he did not support.

Mr Albanese is showing signs the ALP has at least heard the message of electoral failure and respects that the electorate will not be taken for granted. Labor’s support for the legislated stage three tax cuts signals a move away from the politics of envy that cost the party dearly. To be competitive Mr Albanese must continue to show he understands the importance of being pragmatic, just like Mr Morrison.