Albanese not happy facing a Chalmers challenge

Anthony Albanese struggled through a trainwreck interview last week. But was it caused by a well placed political hit on the Prime Minister?

The last week has been a  genuine insight into the sliding doors moment facing the federal Labor Party.

The negative gearing policy might well have been what was being discussed – but once again, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s ability to campaign and communicate, or lack thereof, was on national display.

It was also a live-fire exercise between the current PM and the next Labor PM, Treasurer Jim Chalmers.

As Albanese squirmed and sweated under the glare of Sky News host Peter Stefanovic’s questioning during a trainwreck TV interview, Chalmers was on the global stage brokering our economic future with our largest trading partner, China.

Very few things happen in politics totally unplanned. The “drop” floating negative gearing changes to James Massola at the Sydney Morning Herald – complete with not one but two “senior Labor sources” – was a very well-placed political hit on the PM.

This was no random leak. It was a deployment of precision ordnance.

Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese and Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers, wholooked like a leader on the world stage this week. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Martin Ollman

Of all the days this could have been  dropped, it was published as an exclusive the morning before the Treasurer boarded a plane for 10 hours. That meant the PM would be left all alone for an entire day to take the questions.

And the PM didn’t even have his Foreign Minister Penny Wong or deputy Richard Marles as human shields, being respectively in New York and London and unable to “comment on domestic matters” while abroad.

The PM is never good under pressure, even the slightest of pressure. He is fine with the set piece – reading out a slogan – but he’s not great when being held to account. Labor MPs watched on in horror as the PM slipped and slided, then snarled and chided reporters for the impunity of asking about yet another broken Albo promise.

He made things worse by his choice of words, the very same he used on Stage 3 tax cuts when he decided to deny for weeks any prospect of change only to then flip and shred his word to win a by-election in Dunkley.

Albanese is supposed to be the leader, but he looked lost and confused. His afternoon weirdness of “I’m not the Treasurer, ask him, he’s on a plane” was an open admission of his own impotence and that he had been so perfectly wedged by the timing of this leak.

The PM just kept digging the next day – while in China, Chalmers looked for all the world like our leader. Lobster bans will be lifted, all while our resources companies got a huge bounce as China announced a new construction stimulus package.

And then came the clincher and the clearest sign this was all planned. Chalmers let Albo twist and turn in the breeze a full 48 hours before he confirmed that yes he had indeed requested the negative gearing review.

Further, Chalmers revealed he had raised directly with his Chinese counterparts security issues and concerns about diplomatic tensions, even in the wake of recent hostile Chinese military actions and an intercontinental ballistic missile test from China with a dummy warhead that could as easily have reached Sydney as it did the sea beyond Samoa.

Prime Minister Albanese, in contrast, spent his China trip last year sucking up to President Xi Jinping and  lapping up the manufactured “handsome boy” compliments while wearing a stupid grin.

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets with China’s President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China. Picture: AAP /Lukas Coch.

Chalmers looked like a leader on the world stage this week, while back home Albanese just looked like a liar.

This isn’t the first time there has been so much tension between the PM and his Treasurer over tax policy.

At the height of the Stage 3 tax cuts  backflip, it was well known in Canberra that the two weren’t on talking terms.

Political theatre then ensued with Albo inviting Jim over for a date night  at the Lodge, replete with media coverage. But the fact that this was a rare occasion just added to the problems.

Albanese is infamously never across the detail, while his Treasurer is never caught on the detail. The only time Chalmers looks the least bit ruffled is when he is having to take the hits for his hapless leader.

Thus what better time to have your old media mate write up an exclusive about negative gearing changes so ­Albanese would have to do it all himself because you’re on a plane.

And it worked. The PM was a disaster as he melted before our eyes. He kept using the “not our policy, not my plan” language when previously he had been able to rule out the negative gearing change unequivocally.

Voters saw it, Labor MPs all saw it. The political hit job had gone off better than expected, better than those behind it could have hoped for.

The motto of the week and the campaign slogan of those becoming desperate for a change at the top of federal Labor?

“Albanese lies, Chalmers leads.”

GXO Strategies director Cameron Milner is a former Queensland Labor state secretary

Originally published as Albanese not happy facing a Chalmers challenge