Election 2022: There’ll be a price to pay for Labor policy on the run

Anthony Albanese in Melbourne on Tuesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

Anthony Albanese is creating his own “events” in a campaign shaped and coloured by events.

But the problem for the Opposition Leader is that his own work suggests he’s not across the detail of economic management or even Labor policy.

Albanese’s shoot-from-the-hip declaration on Tuesday that the ALP “absolutely” supported wage rises of at least 5.1 per cent looked like a bit of media management to erase the running news stories that he’d failed to support the ACTU’s 5.5 per cent wage rise claim.

The initial failure to supply detail on wages policy was not the result of some gotcha moment from the travelling media pack, but came in an interview on the ABC which was legitimately reported and pursued on the campaign trail.

The short-term media management failed dismally and created an even bigger problem of both appearance and substance on wages, inflation and jobs.

Albanese distanced himself from the 5.5 per cent figure of the ACTU, but blundered into a commitment to support “a wage hike of at least 5.1 per cent to keep up with inflation”.

With the RBA predicting inflation to go to 6 per cent no matter who wins the election, the danger of higher wage rises fuelling inflation (which damages the most vulnerable in the community) and employers immediately describing a 5.1 per cent rise as “unsustainable”, Albanese sank into a confused mire as his colleagues had to explain what he meant.

The flow-on effects of a wage rise of 5.1 per cent to business, superannuation costs and union-backed agreements seemed to escape Albanese after the ALP campaigned on wages for five years.

Labor argued that having a debate about wages was a good thing for Albanese and would put the spotlight on whether the Coalition would support wage rises. This was the same argument Scott Morrison used when interest rates and inflation rose – that is, talking about the economy would help the Coalition.

Well, there was no doubt the Coalition’s support took a hit when rates and inflation rose and people began worrying about the cost of living.

There was no doubt Labor took a hit in the first week of the campaign when Albanese didn’t know the unemployment figure and official cash rate. Likewise it was bad when he couldn’t set out ALP policy on the National Disability Insurance Scheme. It’s likely this act of policy on the run will have a similar impact.