Bill Shorten has been given a gift that most opposition leaders only dream about.
Tony Abbott’s prime ministership has been littered with gaffes, ideological peculiarities and a vague air of incompetence — so much so that his own party wanted to dump him earlier this year.
There was that time the PM winked about a pensioner who worked as a sex worker to make ends meet. The time he claimed “good government starts today”. The budget mess that dragged on for an entire year. That time he awarded a British royal Australia’s top honour. His description of a female colleague as young, feisty and hot. The time he accused Labor of causing a “Holocaust of job losses”. And last week’s suggestion that a grocery code of conduct would fix the global economy.
But what has Shorten done with this gift? Well, not much, according to today’s Essential polling, which has him at a measly 27% voter approval rating.
As Shorten rushes to provide bipartisan support on national security, border protection and internet censorship, real opposition has been left to the Greens and a motley crew of minor party and independent senators. If the “me too” act is some sort of political strategy, it’s clearly not working.
As Crikey has written before, under Bill Shorten Labor has forfeited its role as an opposition entirely. And today’s polling shows that it’s not winning them any votes.
The bizarre aspect of this bottom-burrowing (pun not unintended) is that, as some ALP shill squawked “…neck & neck with Abbott..” means in disrespect, disgust, despair.
To compound the irony,the back-door boys (sorry..)in both Machines have the same problem, their best asset is the opposite number’s utter ineptitude, both odious, toxic as well as unappealing and disappointing.
Plus no credible alternative int heir own ranks.
True. Labor needs a firebrand of a leader. But then, historically, when visionary, energetic firebrands in the mould of Whitlam, Keating, or even Rudd/Gillard arrive, the Aussie electorate panics and reverts to relaxed and comfortable mediocrities, or these days, crazies. It seems hopeless.
Whenever Labor gets a leader with vision or some intestinal fortitude, it is not the voting public who panic, it is News Corp, the far right and corporate vested interests, who then work the hardest to thwart or bring down that government.
Shorten is back room wheeler dealer and very good at it. He may well have desired and worked to become PM from an early age but he obviously doesn’t have the requisite communication, strategic or plain personality skills for the job.
For proof of this statement just compare his performance as a Labor leader to Hawke or Keating or even Julia Gillard, stymied as she was by minority govt and the never ending overt attacks from Abbott and covert treachery from Rudd and crew.
Sorry Bill, currently there’s only 1, 2 or possibly 3 members of the Shadow cabinet with the requisite amount of “Mongrel” in them to lead Labor to assured victory at the next election: Obviously Albo, the Members choice (not the MP’s choice directed by the Labor Right Faction) is the prime candidate and I suggest Tanya Plibersek at no. 2 (although just imagine the resurgence of blatant misogyny from the LNP, Murdoch propaganda rags and shock jocks not to mention the filth that will spew again from low life Larry Pickering).
The outsider in my estimation is Jason Clare for no other reason than he comes across as competent, smart and a great communicator.
Given all the crap we went through with Rudd and the crazy dictatorial leader replacement rules he forced on the party, I guess we are stuck with Shorten but if the LNP and Murdoch pull off a UK type win with Shorten as our Milliband, all Bills ambitions will have achieved is further destruction of our way of life by the LNP and his consignment to ignominy
I wouldn’t wish that on anyone other than Abbott and Rudd who have both earned that opprobrium already
Toad’s Moley :- “But, I had a dream …… after I went to bed on a block of Stilton.”