‘The day Scott Morrison truly became our PM’: coronavirus wages policy an immense show of leadership

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg meet in the PM’s office. Picture: Adam Taylor/PMO

Whatever way you slice or dice it, the Prime Minister’s $130b wages policy announced on Monday afternoon was a show of immense leadership. It doesn’t matter that others may have been calling for it earlier.

Fans (and foes) in the cheap seats often see the right play from their vantage point slightly before the stars run through the gaps or deliver a timely pass. Those same armchair observers likely wouldn’t have been capable of making the right decision under the intense pressure of game day.

Scott Morrison and his team have deserved criticism for missteps along the way: setting a poor social distancing example, late to the party to help flatten the curve, perhaps even slightly late in announcing the wages policy. Labor did first argue for it on March 22. And certainly everything from closing parliament and not allowing the opposition to join the national cabinet, to civil liberties violations in the name of beating the virus, need to be closely examined for mistakes made along the way.

Illustration: Johannes Leak

But those in power — especially during a crisis — need to be judged in overall terms, and with an understanding that mistakes will be made. Overall, the government is doing well, and perhaps more importantly, doing better the longer this crisis continues. And state and federal co-operation seems to be improving to. If that changes, pressure needs to be applied from all quarters of course.

The wages policy went against the traditional ideological preferences of a Liberal Party. Which only makes the decision to go down that path a stronger show of leadership by Morrison: breaking free of ideological bias to do what is necessary to save jobs and businesses, not to mention the economy writ large.

While there have been reports emerging over the role of others in the wages decision-making process — everyone from current and former union leaders in consultation with the government, to ministers and even advisers proffering ideas — the buck stops with the Prime Minister. It was Morrison who stood up and announced the biggest spending package in our nation’s history. And he knows he will be judged on its success or failure.

Either way, even if this whole process falls flat and we find ourselves in no better position because of the sheer quantum of cash rolling out the door, the wages package not doing its intended job, the PM was still right to try. It was and is well worth the effort, and the risk to the budget, and the legacy of the debt that will be built on his watch and burden us all for many years to come.

None of that matters when trying to save a life — in this case the life of the economy. The stakes were that high.

I find it irritating when political leaders hide behind experts, or deflect blame, or equivocate and miss important moments. Monday’s announcement — not a moment too late — was the polar opposite to all of that. Had the package been announced earlier the rush to judgment might have saved more jobs and businesses, that is true. But the scale of the risk in what was delivered needed more work behind the scenes to get it right. Or as close to right as the time frame allowed. Had Morrison stood up and sheltered behind the advice of economists as to why he was doing this, or indeed sought to share the stage with union leaders to deflect potential criticism from his right flank, that would have been weak.

He owned Monday’s decision, and he therefore owns the title of being our national leader - showing true leadership in this crisis.

Monday was the day Morrison truly became Australia’s Prime Minister.

Peter van Onselen is political editor for Network 10 and professor of politics and public policy at the University of Western Australia and Griffith University