Crisis of confidence looms for Labor over immigration

Anthony Albanese in question time this week. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Anthony Albanese must realise by now that Labor is at risk of ­triggering a crisis of public confidence in the government, the longer it allows the immigration controversy to continue.

This reality is now driving a sense of desperation, with the Prime Minister lunging at anything to shift the immediate political battle. Trying to score points against the Coalition for its own past failings in immigration hasn’t done the trick.

Albanese now seeks to divert the media focus to territory he ­believes is more favourable to him, by engaging Peter Dutton on nuclear power.

The Prime Minister’s handling of the immigration disaster, and the ongoing protection of his factional ally Andrew Gileshas revealed a deep vulnerability.

Albanese believed that stability of government must be maintained amid the political crisis. There is a virtue to this approach.

However, without a resolution, public support for the government more broadly only risks being eroded further.

Giles’ mismanagement of a key portfolio may not be enough to undermine the government’s position electorally.

But at what point does it become emblematic of the management of other issues that have a greater bearing on the mood of the community?

This is clearly the question ­Albanese has been asking himself as the disaster tips into its second week.

Dutton realises too that there is only so much he can draw from this well. Both leaders have now pivoted.

Dutton, to Labor’s primary vulnerability – cost of living – and Albanese to energy, seeking shelter from the storm in a port it feels comfortable in.

Labor believes it is on solid ground when it comes to the nuclear question. But this is not without risk.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen’s use of factual gymnastics to prosecute the anti-nuclear case talks down to an electorate whose attitude demonstrates a greater level of sophistication on this issue.

Bowen’s claims, made in an opinion article published by The Australian, were loose with the truth.

He asserts that Dutton’s claim that Australia was the only G20 country without nuclear power, or proposing nuclear power, was wrong. He cites Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia as examples of non-nuclear G20 states.

It is true that Germany has closed nuclear plants, but now imports power from France, which uses nuclear plants.

Italy is in fact reviving its nuclear industry. Saudi Arabia is seeking to go nuclear at some stage and Indonesia and the US are partnering to potentially develop small modular reactors.

The Lowy Institute’s annual national issues survey is telling on this issue and suggests, as other polls have done, that Australians are now far more disposed to the possibility of nuclear as net zero technology than they once were.

Almost two-thirds of those polled were either strongly or somewhat favourable to Australia using nuclear power to generate electricity, alongside other sources of energy.

This mirrors a Newspoll, published by the Australian earlier this year, which showed similar levels of support.

Is Albanese really on safe ground with this issue when the same poll suggests that more Australians now want the government to prioritise energy bills over carbon emissions?

Bowen’s claims that the next election will be a referendum on nuclear power is inflated.

The primary consideration voters will make is on the management of the economy.

Again, the Lowy poll shows the government is on dangerous territory. Only 50 per cent of those polled believed the government was managing the economy well.

While Albanese is taking the right tactical approach to the immigration problems by pivoting to other points of political conflict, it is rapidly running out of issues over which it can claim any policy or political superiority.