Scott Morrison has forced Anthony Albanese to change political and parliamentary strategy on the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change.
For months, the Opposition Leader has been obsessed with targets he has demanded the Prime Minister either meet or commit to: national Covid vaccination levels that would end lockdowns, and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Suddenly, the Labor demands on Morrison have dried up. In parliament on Wednesday, the Opposition Leader didn’t ask one question of Morrison.
Repeatedly in 2021, Albanese declared that Morrison had only “two jobs – quarantine and vaccination, and he failed both”.
In parliament on Monday and Tuesday, Labor peppered Morrison with questions but, on Wednesday, there were none. All the Opposition’s questions, and none at all on vaccination, went to Barnaby Joyce.
The explanation is simple. On Wednesday, Australia reached the national rate of 70 per cent double vaccination, the first step in the national plan for opening up borders and the economy.
Morrison and Health Minister Greg Hunt were asked from their own side about vaccination levels, the lifting of restrictions and travel freedom before Christmas.
The nearest Albanese came to vaccinations and Morrison was to deride him later for “trying to take credit” for the lifting of lockdowns. A policy of backing failure for Morrison on vaccinations has left Labor with nowhere to go.
Labor was more enthusiastic about asking Joyce about climate change, regional jobs, windmills and Coalition divisions on claims it clearly fears the political difference on the commitment to net-zero by 2050 being neutralised.
Avoiding Morrison in question time exemplified the Labor fear that the more questions he got on climate change, the better and sharper his answers became.
Instead of facing an election where vaccination rates were dismal, the economy was in free fall and the premiers would be fighting the commonwealth, there is now the prospect for Morrison of vaccination success, a rebounding economy, lifted public spirits and a return of overseas travel.
That’s why Morrison didn’t get a question on his failure on quarantine and vaccination.
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