Albanese hasn’t had to deal with this affliction until now for two main reasons:he has run a competent government which hasn’t faced a major crisis;and the Morrison government’s stuff-ups and scandals continue to make news.
The fallout of therobo-debt royal commission – which handed down its final report on Friday and exposed “venality,incompetence and cowardice” throughout the former government and public service – is likely to be the last opportunity to talk about Morrison for any extended period of time.
The tide is now turning – not against Albanese,but against an unusually long honeymoon with voters.
Take interest rates:after more than a year of public and media backlash squarely focused on the Reserve Bank,the prime minister was grilled last week by breakfast television hosts on why his government wasn’t doing more to ease the pressure of soaring mortgages.
And take the Voice referendum:in an appearance on Network Ten’sThe Projecttwo weeks ago,Albanese encountered tough questioning on how the proposed Indigenous Voice to parliament would function.
And take thorny diplomatic issues:some national security experts are calling on Albanese to withdraw from his plannedtrip to Beijing unless China removes bounties on Hong Kong activists living in Australia. Somecriticise his government for not providing more support to Ukraine.
It is on the Voice and cost of living where Albanese is most vulnerable.