Joe Hildebrand: Federal election campaign’s shock development

A shock development is perhaps the ultimate sign of just how quickly this election campaign has escalated into a truly wild and unpredictable ride, writes Joe Hildebrand. SEE THE VIDEO

What did the Dalai Lama say in the pizza restaurant? “Make me one with everything.”

And His Holiness may well have commanded the same thing of this election campaign, which has gone from being an insult to the word lacklustre to almost literally explosive.

Not quite, thank God. This was of course of the alleged plot to assassinate Peter Dutton, which is something far too serious to do justice to here. You can read my column on its chilling implications tomorrow.

The important thing is that the Opposition Leader and his family are safe and well but the shock development is perhaps the ultimate sign of just how quickly this campaign has escalated into a truly wild and unpredictable ride.

A huge part of this has of course been thanks to surprise third party candidate Donald J Trump, whose on-again-off-again tariff war has taken on the form of vast geopolitical slapstick. Global markets are convulsing like a freshly caught fish.

Liberal leader Peter Dutton at Prok steel manufacturer in Perth. Picture Thomas Lisson / NewsWire

Trump’s staggering act of self-sabotage is not just crippling his own stocks as much as the sharemarket’s, but also conservative and populist would-be allies around the globe. They, like Dutton, have been forced to turn against the US President even as they are saddled with the taint of being too close to him.

And Trump’s sudden reversal of the tariffs has done nothing to ease fears about his credibility. If anything it just makes the whole thing look like the sort of crazed cartoonish hoax orchestrated by a Bond villain from a secret underground lair.

US President Donald Trump has become a surprise third party candidate in Australia’s federal election. Picture: AP

Likewise Dutton’s own backflip on work from home arrangements and public service cuts has done little if anything to stem the damage inflicted in the first two weeks of the campaign.

A YouGov poll released today has the Coalition drifting further behind, trailing the government 47.5 to 52.5 two-party preferred.

These numbers might be treated with scepticism did they not follow both Newspoll and Redbridge results from the weekend which both showed a 48-52 per cent margin in Labor’s favour.

It is a cruel example of one of the great quandaries of politics: Do you stick to unpopular policies and at least be seen as what Sir Humphrey Appleby wryly called “courageous” or do you respond to what the electorate demands and risk looking weak?

In truth it is almost always a lose-lose proposition.

Liberal leader Peter Dutton (centre) visits Prok steel manufacturer in Bayswater Perth. Picture Thomas Lisson / NewsWire

Meanwhile some of the Coalition leader’s erstwhile champions are criticising him for caving over the policy. With friends like these …

Thus with two weeks down Dutton has gone from pole position to the back of the pack.

But there is nothing as dangerous as a cornered animal and all eyes are now watching and waiting for the Coalition’s next big line of attack.

It may well be their last chance to get back in the fight.

Originally published as Joe Hildebrand: Federal election campaign’s shock development