Scott Morrison free to keep us relaxed and comfortable for years

Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese, right, in the House of Representatives at Parliament House, Canberra, on Tuesday. Picture: Gary Ramage

Scott Morrison wants to “circle the wagons” around Australia and rely on exclusion and the tyranny of distance to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Given there is no rule book to cover this rather grim situation, this strategy appears to be the only game in town. Neither wealth nor power make you immune to this nasty virus — ask recovered victim Boris Johnson.

The challenge it presents to nations is without precedent. Donald Trump was dismissive of the dangers but he was forced to change his tune.

Even if the President could enforce a prohibition on anyone flying into the US, he would still have to deal with long, porous borders. The US is still the Mecca for millions of South Americans looking for better economic conditions and political leadership. The irony for those Americans who support the building of a wall or reducing migrant numbers is that foreigners made the US such a mighty nation. Migration has been the cornerstone of population growth.

Testing every arrival is a mammoth task — probably beyond the capacities of bureaucrats. Given that you can practically walk into Australia from Papua New Guinea at low tide to a point near a Torres Strait island, I wonder if we are always certain about who is in our country, let alone know if they have all been tested. The number of entry points is too great to cover with the limited resources offered to our Australian Border Force. Given the number of containers tested and scanned, it would come as no surprise to me if people smugglers were still using this method.

Scott Morrison after question time in at Parliament House, Canberra, on Tuesday. Picture: Gary Ramage

The fabric of government in Australia is always at its strongest when the prime minister and the treasurer are working well together. The great partnerships of Howard and Costello and Hawke and Keating are testimony to the truth of this.

Once again we are witnessing a first-class partnership. Morrison and Josh Frydenberg are competent and work closely together. There is nothing flashy or even overly interesting about them. It just works. The John Howard mantra of “relaxed and comfortable” is once again echoing around the Canberra hills. What’s more, it is also echoing through the cities, towns and villages of Australia.

This is the massive challenge for Anthony Albanese and the Labor Party he leads. How do you win an election when there is no mood for change? Usually the answer would be that you pounce on the government’s mistakes, but this government is making so few.

This man Morrison is here for the long haul.