The exigent demands on Anthony Albanese’s leadership are now profound. And it is only amid testing times that the calibre of a leader becomes apparent.
Albanese now finds himself confronted with deep and immediate political and community divisions – on two fronts.
As unrelated as they may be, both the reignition of latent community tensions over the Hamas terrorist attack and the overwhelming rejection of the voice referendum now command careful management and unblemished political advice.
There are two constituencies at stake – an electoral one and an internal Labor one.
Albanese on Monday used parliament to try to project a sense that he is in control, is acutely aware of the significant responsibilities he bears, and appreciates the gravity of what is occurring.
It will be a message he takes to his caucus on Tuesday to reassure a collective that is not only bruised from the political defeat at the weekend over the voice, but ideologically divided over the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
There will be those upset by the referendum outcome and others angry that their leader forced a losing issue on their electorates. Many of the same MPs are those now also mindful of the electoral management they must engage in over the Middle East conflict.
Albanese must quickly move past his anger, frustration and the blow to his confidence over the voice while maintaining a unified Labor position on the Hamas terrorist attack. Israel’s ground offensive into Gaza is going to test Labor’s internal partitions.
This is going to require an attention to the political imperative that some accuse Albanese of having lacked throughout his leadership. He cannot afford to allow a sense of detachment to persist.
Albanese can’t be faulted on his response so far to the Hamas atrocities. Jewish leaders have praised him both privately and publicly. Yet the PM has somehow found himself accused of presiding over a whole-of-government response at the federal level that has been portrayed as weak and unhurried.
This is a reflection more on the response by some of his colleagues rather than his own.
Some of them have clearly got the message from the top.
The united show of support for Israel on display in parliament on Monday reflected a recognition that as a party of government, Labor needed to do more.
It also demonstrated that Albanese has some internal clout, considering the MPs who have been most silent on support for Israel so far made the most impassioned defences.
But management of these issues for Albanese is about to be complicated by his international travel schedule.
From the end of this week until people start switching off for Christmas, he will be out of the country for a considerable period.
This presents a compounding challenge. His ability to manage colleagues and communicate with the public is about to become more difficult. And this is even before the issue of addressing the cost-of- living imperative.
The voice and the Hamas terror attack are specific issues that go to his political abilities.
Albanese can’t afford a situation where other problems arise that reinforce doubts about his judgment and his political skills.
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