Comment

Anthony Albanese is storming the Bastille erected by a sclerotic government more intent on its own maintenance of power and privilege than effectively advancing the national interest. The spectacle may not be as dramatic as that moment in French history that saw the old order swept aside in bloody revolutionary fervour, but its significance for Australia could be just as profound.

Our environment is in deep trouble. We are all suffering as a result. Elected officials at all levels behave as if tackling the problem is a luxury, an optional extra if time and resources are available after meeting the much more important challenges of growing the economy. We are not even treating the symptoms and there is no appetite to address the underlying causes.

The worst of what we’ve observed of the Murdoch media globally has made its way back into Australia. This is its tested ‘success’ formula. We should expect better from our media. We should be able to demand fair play, transparency and accountability.

Anthony Albanese is looking to foster ‘a new culture of co-operation’ for the future, rather than pitting unions against business. What’s good for the worker should always be good for the employer. It’s a guiding light he has followed during his senior political career.

As the Albanese government marks its first 100 days, 50 years after the election of the Whitlam government, it’s time for Labor to drop the outdated assumption that it has nothing positive to learn from Gough. The idea that Whitlam tried to do too much has been used since as an excuse to do too little.

The acquisition and exercise of power must carry with it significant responsibility. As Abraham Lincoln said, ‘Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.’

Three months into leading his new government, Anthony Albanese is riding higher than even his most ardent supporters would have imagined. This situation was given its vivid, if lurid, expression at a rock concert in Sydney earlier this week.

As questions ricochet around Scott Morrison’s secret ministerial powers, a rhetorical one hovers above: Why is anyone surprised? There’s been a pattern to Morrison’s activities for years, even just those we knew about.

Many seem stuck on the idea that it is a choice between the United States and China, and we should let the US dictate what we do. The Americanisation of Australia has gone too far – we are in danger of losing our national identity. We don’t need to choose.

With a day to go before he was due to return to work, Anthony Albanese was at a resort in Broome when he read a report revealing his predecessor had secretly made himself a co-minister in two key portfolios at the beginning of the pandemic.