EDITORIAL: Albo the Labor warrior shows his true colours
Mr Albanese’s speech at Labor’s national conference on Thursday was as significant for what he did not say as for what he did.
The real Albo was on show at Labor’s national conference on Thursday.
It was Albo in front of the true believers; the unions; the factions; pure and raw Labor.
It was as if Mr Albanese was back in the good old days when he got his kicks “fighting Tories”.
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It included the old sledge that non-Labor parties had “never been able to accept the legitimacy of a Labor Government”.
“They think we should know our place,” Mr Albanese said.
“They have never been able to accept that the trade union movement is central to the health and strength of our democracy.
“Because they have never believed that the working people of Australia deserve a say in the shape of our economy and the future of our society.
“The vast majority of Australians have nothing to sell but their time, nothing to give but their hard work.
“That’s how they make a living — one hour of effort after another. That’s how they provide for their family and put food on the table.
“They work their guts out, every single day.”
It was almost like they were about to bust out Solidarity Forever.
Mr Albanese unveiled a tactic to lump the major parties of the Right together as he took a swing at the surging One Nation.
“Beyond One Nation’s personality clashes, policy confusion, conspiracy theories and candidate chaos and regardless of who leads the Liberals to the next election, in every way that matters, the Liberals, Nationals and One Nation are already a Coalition,” he said.
Telling was the list of his Government’s achievements and priorities, including changes to negative gearing and capital gains taxes — without reference to the move being a major broken promise.
Instead, there was a lukewarm reference to it being contentious and “not the easy option” but “the right thing to do”.
There were boasts about (costly) services. About subsidies and free things. Climate policy. Closing the Gap. Diversity. Equality.
How even Labor’s first ever government was “not a ‘monoculture’”.
All good Labor fodder. As was the announcement of a new Fair Work Court — which at first glimpse seems like a union-friendly bureaucratic drag on productivity.
But there were merely fleeting, general references to the most important part of our economy — the resources sector which drives this country.
It was motherhood stuff like needing to “make the most of our resources” and ensuring “miners and tradies could keep our economy going”. Nothing meaty. No details.
The Albanese Government did not take significant industrial relations reform to the 2022 election.
It pledged its industrial relations changes would not give unions increased powers in the Pilbara mining sector.
That has not been the case.
Mr Albanese’s speech was as significant for what he did not say as for what he did.
It was a glimpse of the inner Albo. The danger is that if we get more of it the nation, and all of us, will be left worse off.
