Former Labor MP: Shorten 'acting like a jilted teen'

HYPOCRISY is defined as feigning to be what one is not, or to believe what one does not, behaviour that contradicts what one claims to believe or feel.

Australian Opposition Leader Bill Shorten. Picture: DARREN ENGLAND

HYPOCRISY is defined as feigning to be what one is not, or to believe what one does not, behaviour that contradicts what one claims to believe or feel.

This human trait has been ever since feudal times.

The Medici and Borgia families turned political intrigue with a large dose of hypocrisy into an art form that many modern political parties and leaders try to emulate today, albeit under the cover of genuine, caring, compassionate and sensible policies.

The trouble is usually that they get caught out eventually, and often trip themselves up by trying to be all things to all people.

Now fast forward to May 1, 2019.

Former Member for Hinkler Brian Courtice. Picture: Brian Cassidy

With only two and a half weeks until the polls close on the federal election, Bill Shorten is finding that he lacks the skills of Niccolo Machiavelli and that straddling a barbed wire fence is not only painful, but impossible to achieve for very long.

It is quite clear that senior Labor figures approached Clive Palmer's party with an attempt to discuss some sort of preference deal.

When this fell through and Palmer decided to do a deal with the Liberal party, Bill Shorten behaved like a jilted sixteen-year-old.

When pre-polling started on Monday, surprise surprise, Labor was exchanging preferences with the Greens.

Hang on.

The Greens' policy is to wipe out the Queensland coal industry including power stations in 10 years.

That is a loss of 212,000 jobs and $43.4 billion to Queensland.

But Mr Shorten says he supports Queensland and supports jobs.

He also wants people to drive battery-powered cars.

The range of most battery cars is currently around 300km.

Then one has to wait approximately eight hours to charge the battery.

Perhaps he should have driven around our state first before he came up with this idea.

Over the next two and a half weeks Bill will have to tell Australians how much it will cost to move to 40 per cent or 45 per cent renewable energy by 2030 and how much lost revenue and lost jobs this will result in for Queensland.

Perhaps Bill should have studied Machiavelli a little bit more closely, or just said what he really believes.

That barbed wire fence can't be a comfortable place to be.

Originally published as Former Labor MP: Shorten 'acting like a jilted teen'