From the voice to anti-Semitism, does this PM have any convictions?
Since becoming PM, Albanese has shown he’s entirely beholden to other vested interests. He can’t hide it, and he doesn’t appear troubled by it either.
There is no doubt that Anthony Albanese will confront voter concerns about his leadership. Not about his style, but what he did in office. Sure, the Prime Minister hasn’t embarrassed himself by trying to insert himself into five ministries, as his predecessor Scott Morrison did. (No wonder Morrison found it so stressful leading the country.)
No, the PM’s problem is of a different nature. Albanese has not taken command of even one ministry – namely his own. To be sure, plenty of policies have been pursued by the Albanese government. But which among them are Albanese’s?
Every leader is beholden to others, from factional comrades to other party members, donors to other loud vested interests. But since becoming Prime Minister, Albanese has shown he is entirely beholden to others. He can’t hide it, and he doesn’t appear troubled by it either.
It started with the voice. The proposal to change the federal Constitution was never Albanese’s policy. And it showed. The Prime Minister was out of his depth throughout the long debate. He was not across the politics on either the Yes or No side, and he appeared unconcerned about his poor grasp of the monumental nature of the constitutional change too.
This first test of Albanese’s leadership was a harbinger of what was to come. He continues to look comfortable being beholden to others, at times resembling a lower-level bureaucrat whose most difficult day at work is deciding what to wear on casual Friday – while others do the serious work.
Though Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has put forward the eminently sensible suggestion of conducting a thorough audit of all current spending and programs, Albanese could never do this. He remains beholden to those Indigenous activists and bureaucrats who make money and careers from the status quo.
Next, consider the Prime Minister’s problem with Kevin Rudd – a problem all of his own making. Rudd’s critiques of Donald Trump were self-indulgent and hyperbolic. Trump is not known for letting even minor grudges slide – unless there’s something in it for him. Though Rudd has forged high-level connections in the US across the political divide, what he offers now is a constant reminder that Australia’s representative in America thinks Trump is “the most destructive president in history”. Deleting tweets is not the same as changing your mind.
Given our relationship with the US is a critical one, Albanese’s dilemma about Rudd is our problem. If he removes Rudd, Albanese will look like a wimp to both Americans and Australians. And just imagine what Rudd might tweet about Albanese.
Rudd should step down. No one – not even Rudd – is special enough to stay in the role given his public attacks on Trump. And the chances of that happening? Instead, Albanese – and Australia’s best diplomatic efforts in the US – are beholden to a man who described Trump as the “village idiot”.
Next, take last week’s rampant anti-Semitism in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. As Rabbi Benjamin Elton, the chief minister of the Great Synagogue in Sydney noted in these pages on Monday, NSW Labor Premier Chris Minns showed leadership by condemning the wicked trail of anti-Semitic damage and destruction. “It is unacceptable, un-Australian and it will not be tolerated,” he said.
Albanese reached for weaker words, describing it as “disturbing” and “deeply troubling”. He could have been commenting on the state of the Rabbitohs after their penultimate placing on the 2024 NRL ladder.
Alas, Albanese can’t muster up strong words on anti-Semitism – beyond motherhood slogans that it has no place in Australia – because his re-election as PM depends on winning seats with large Muslim populations. Albanese may win some votes, but few will reward him with respect.
There was more weakness from Albanese when the ICC last week issued arrest warrants against Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant. Democrat President Joe Biden denounced it as outrageous moral relativism by the ICC to lump Israel and Hamas together. “We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security,” Biden said.
The Prime Minister of Australia was mute.
Albanese could have commanded this issue – and scored some political points too.
He could have said something like this: “Today, we are going to give notice that Australia will withdraw from the Rome Treaty that established the ICC. Our membership of the deeply flawed and highly politicised ICC is the unfortunate legacy of John Howard and Alexander Downer. We hoped that the ICC would not destroy its credibility by succumbing to anti-Israel politics. But it has.
“Therefore, we must now draw a line in the sand. Though we will continue to criticise the excessive actions of the Netanyahu government, we will always stand with Israel against threats to its security. We do not support these arrest warrants. The ICC has put us in the impossible position of having to arrest Israel’s leaders should they step foot in this country. Israel’s leaders are always welcome here.”
Albanese remained silent because he is beholden to the Penny Wong wing of the Labor Party that has long shown a withering disregard for Israel’s war of self-defence against terrorists who invaded Israel and murdered over a thousand innocent people on October 7, 2023
Next, take the recent Cbus scandal. The Australian Securities & Investments Commission is suing the $94bn industry super fund for allegedly not processing more than 10,000 disability and death benefit claims in a timely manner, leaving members $20m out of pocket.
This scandal was waiting to happen. Governance rules for industry super funds are no secret. Members of industry super funds do not get a vote on remuneration policies pursued by the trustees. They don’t usually have meetings of any kind. They don’t get to vote on anything.
No matter how incompetent or even corrupt the trustee of an industry super fund, or its directors, may be, there is no mechanism for the ultimate test of accountability – being removed by members. In a system where workers are forced to contribute 10 per cent or more of their earnings to super, it is grossly inappropriate that members are forced to be passive. Industry super funds would never agree to be bound by the rules that they sanctimoniously but rigorously enforce on ASX-listed companies.
Albanese can’t go anywhere near promising to fix the flawed governance laws that leave working class Australians worse off. Just follow Labor’s rivers of gold. Super industry funds funnel money to unions and unions fund Labor. In other words, Albanese is beholden to powerful vested interests that result in the national interest being sidelined – again.
It’s the same stinking mess of conflicts on donation reform. Albanese won’t even enter the political playing field on donations because he is a puppet for people far more powerful than him. It’s laughable that Albanese can speak of donation “reform” while carefully carving out union affiliation fees. But there it is.
The only policy that has the mark of an Albanese conviction is housing. Labor says its Help to Buy plan would help 40,000 first-home buyers and its Build to Rent plan would encourage tens of thousands of new rental homes. Let’s see.
Albanese often falls back on “shucks, I’m just a public housing boy” sentimentality as he exudes a Dorothy-like wonder at reaching high office. One can imagine the boy from the inner west whispering to his pet cavoodle, “We’re not in Camperdown anymore, Toto.” However, leadership has nothing to do with where you came from. It’s what you do when you become leader that counts.
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