Madonna King: Does Australia need a leader like Trump who just gets things done?

David Crisafulli hasn’t been premier for long but by now we should know what the plans are. Why the wait? VOTE IN OUR POLL

New Sunday Mail columnist Madonna King. Picture David Clark

The political listening tour is over. Dead and buried, courtesy of Donald John Trump, one of the most divisive leaders in world history.

But whatever you think of America’s 47th president - and he wouldn’t rank on my birthday invitation list, however desperate for numbers - his determination to make change, from day one, offers a new political leadership landscape.

Just consider what he’s done in a few weeks.

Cracking down on immigration. Hundreds of controversial pardons. Withdrawing from the World Health Organisation. Halting federal aid. Creating a Department of Government Efficiency. A freeze on federal jobs. A return to office-based work for federal workers. Ordering a missile defence shield be built. Up-ending tariff concessions. Withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement.

The list goes on. Restricting gender-affirming medical care. Postponing a ban on TikTok. Declassifying records. Renaming The Gulf of Mexico. Trying to pick up a touch of real estate - namely Greenland, Canada, and Gaza. And he’s vowed to make the US the world crypto capital.

US President Donald Trump. Picture: Jim Watson/AFP

So detailed is his action plan, that he this week signed a presidential order for plastic straws, declaring paper straws “don’t work’’.

Trump has changed the rules. He’s acted with warped speed - and that will now be demanded by voters from Allora to Zillmere.

Just for a moment, compare the boxes ticked by Trump - not the policies - to the path ambled down by our state and federal leaders, each time they win.

First comes the mandatory listening tour, which sometimes involves buses and town hall meetings, and phone calls and for the really modern politician, online chats.

Whatever the medium, isn’t that prodigiously ironic given the imperative to listen before we actually cast our votes?

But then, after listening with two ears, our leaders announce a grand 100-day action plan.

This is where David Crisafulli has really starred. Eight days before that magic deadline, he declared he was in a “race against the clock’’.

But the small print pokes fun at both that comment, and the pace of change.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli. Picture: Supplied

Sure, big items like releasing real-time hospital data, and legislating its adult crime, adult time promise were crucial, as were many reviews.

But if Trump can announce his plans, post-election, in minutes, how come we have to wait months?

And it’s both comedic and kooky to put a cabinet meeting on an action plan.

Now Trump certainly doesn’t base his decisions on what other people think, but nominating a cabinet meeting as a crucial priority action, on winning government, is akin to checking you are wearing shoes to the office.

So, and not to sound Trump-istic, what about this plan, for this week.

Protect people in their homes.

Tell us where the Olympic venue will be.

Fix North Queensland. Fix the Bruce Highway.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese should be noting how to get things done, too. His track record, if we take the Voice as an example, doesn’t inspire overconfidence.

Albanese has about as long until the election, as Trump has had since being elected. Heaps of time.

So fix the cost of living. An SECNewgate Mood of the Nation February report this week found 81 per cent of us (87 per cent if you are aged 35-49) see it as a key vote driver at the federal poll.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton. Picture: Martin Ollman

Fix housing. Pull whatever lever you like - interest rates, inflation, young homebuyer grants. Old homebuyer grants.

Work with David Crisafulli to fix crime, because this will be our first federal election, where a state issue like crime will be a key determinant of how people vote.

Given how the polls are looking, Peter Dutton should also stop talking in big bold themes, and focus on what we get if he takes the big house in Canberra.

What’s the details of this nuclear plan announced last year? Or is that changing given the dip in support (down five per cent over the past year)?

How does the former Queensland police officer plan to fix crime? What role should the Commonwealth take?

Or how might it get easier for our children to buy a home, one day?

What does he mean when he says he’ll get the country moving? To where? For goodness sake, I hope that’s not code for adding it to Trump’s real estate pickings!

Lower, simpler and fairer taxes? We need a touch more information, Sir.

Promises. Pledges and Protestations. Labor or Liberal.

We don’t need some - or perhaps any - of Trump’s burped executive orders. But we do need leaders who will take office, roll up their sleeves, and earn their keep - from day one.

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Originally published as Madonna King: Does Australia need a leader like Trump who just gets things done?