Labor has some questions of its own to answer, too

LABOR’S response to the latest Intergenerational Report on Australia’s demographic and economic future is pathetic.

The opposition remains in denial about national debt and budget deficits and its response is to discredit the report and retreat into obstruction.

While in government, Labor took the report so seriously that then treasurer Wayne Swan brought it forward two years to reset the economic debate. This year, however, it refused to engage at all in the points raised and merely used the report as an opportunity to revisit the “unfair” 2014 budget.

Of course, Joe Hockey and Tony Abbott mishandled the sale of the last budget and Labor had a singular political success in branding the budget “unfair”.

But almost a year on, as the Prime Minister and Treasurer retreat from those bungled opportunities and seek to reinvigorate the budget and economic debate, the ALP has not shifted from the rhetoric of fairness nor recognised the need for it to adapt.

In parliament, Labor’s priority was in lock-step with Greens leader Christine Milne, who already had attacked the report and forecasts for not containing enough on climate change.

Despite the report’s acknowledging the benefits of the Labor government’s incremental changes to welfare policy, such as raising the pension qualifying age and indexing family payments, Labor’s response was to attack Abbott’s moves in a similar direction and to discredit forecasts far more cautious than those of Swan’s Intergenerational Report.

As for the projections on debt and budget deficits and the unsustainability of Medicare, higher education and social services without policy changes, Labor does not want to engage.

Labor’s political tactic of attacking the budget on grounds of “fairness” and denying any need for change worked last year. However, given the government is finally adjusting its style and arguments, Bill Shorten also has to adjust his approach if he hopes to have anywhere near that success with this year’s budget.

Abbott and Hockey have been asked a truckload of hard questions and, finally, appear to be answering them.

Labor has to realise it is facing a few questions of its own.