Labor’s hope and aspiration for an Indigenous voice to parliament has met the economic reality of another interest rate rise and average mortgages rising more than $3600 a year.
After just three days of the voice of hope taking Anthony Albanese’s political centre stage, the grim reality of people “doing it tough” bumped hope completely off the stage.
Since Friday the Prime Minister talked about little else than the voice, he released a referendum script for change, was asked questions about it and he used it to dominate Monday’s sitting of parliament.
But on Tuesday, even before the Reserve Bank’s anticipated announcement of yet another rate rise, Albanese was saying “people are doing it tough, we get that completely” and debt has to be brought “under control”.
He wasn’t asked about the voice by anyone, it wasn’t raised in parliament and it slipped into a political cul-de-sac.
During a time of dire economic conditions, Albanese has taken a huge gamble rushing forward the schedule for a voice to parliament and an equal risk to his own political credibility. Labor’s rapid agenda also threatens to entrench positions on the voice before people even have a grasp of what it will do or how it will operate.
Albanese argues he can “chew gum and walk” at the same time in relation to Indigenous issues with the voice on a higher plane to the ugly reality of the unacceptable levels of unemployment, poor education, domestic violence, and drug and alcohol abuse in remote communities. He and Jim Chalmers are going to have to deal not only with this national disgrace but also with a potential national debt disaster.
As the Treasurer delivered the grim news to parliament at 2.30pm of the RBA’s latest rate hike, he reinforced the threat rising rates posed not only to mortgage holders but also to the budget and national debt.
Albanese declares “we get it” when it comes to the rising cost of living. Peter Dutton warns that while the “government’s enjoying a honeymoon and living high on the hog at the moment, many Australian families and small businesses are doing it very tough”.
If Albanese and Chalmers fail on the economy they will be punished but, should economic difficulties confound the argument for a voice to parliament and it too fails, Albanese will be doubly damned for rushing the timetable. It will all be about hope and reality.
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