EDITORIAL: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese found wanting as voters look for strength

In the five weeks since he returned to the Oval Office, Donald Trump has made no secret of his agenda to blow things up and start again.

That which once seemed certain is no longer so thanks to the US President’s relentless blitz of agitation against the status quo.

His unashamedly transactional approach to global affairs has upended the long-established world order.

Mr Trump’s sudden pivot towards Russia in that nation’s war against Ukraine has put the 80-year-old transatlantic alliance on the verge of collapse.

This wave of disruption has reached our shores too.

To say it is unsettling is an understatement.

A global trade war remains a real possibility. Despite Mr Trump’s comments that he would give “great consideration” to Australia’s plea for an exemption to blanket tariffs on steel and aluminium exports due to take effect next month, one has yet to be secured.

We wait with trepidation to see if Mr Trump will honour the AUKUS defence agreement struck with Joe Biden’s administration.

His rhetoric to date indicates that he will, but Australian diplomats will be acutely aware that we are living in an era where nothing is guaranteed.

Effusive words of praise exchanged between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese are now a distant memory.

A few months ago, Beijing sent Australia two pandas, a symbol of the improving relationship between the two nations.

Now, China is conducting deliberately provocative live fire exercises in the Tasman Sea, forcing commercial flights to be re-routed.

Then there’s our own homegrown problems.

Chiefly, the three-year cost-of-living crisis which has smashed household budgets and sent living standards plummeting through the floor.

Inflation is finally receding, but the damage has been done. It will take some time for wages to catch up and for Australians to feel they’re doing anything more than just treading water again.

The vibe has shifted and not in a good way.

Australians want strong leadership to guide them through these tumultuous times.

Instead, they’ve got Anthony Albanese; a Prime Minister whose primary characteristic is his listlessness at a time Australians need energy and guidance.

There’s a reason Opposition Leader Peter Dutton keeps calling Mr Albanese “weak”. Clearly, it’s an adjective that has struck a chord with voters turned off by the Prime Minister’s enervation.

The polls reflect the electorate’s frustration. The latest poll by Resolve has the Coalition with a 55-45 lead over Labor.

Tellingly, 43 per cent of voters said they considered Mr Albanese to be “weak”. Voters were far more likely to nominate Mr Dutton than Mr Albanese when asked who would be best able to deal with Mr Trump.

In these anxious times, voters crave strength and stability.

They’re not finding it from this Labor leader..