Every new prime minister — assuming they ever enjoy a period of genuine popularity — must at some point face the moment when the initial shine begins to fade. After a relatively stumble-free year, Anthony Albanese has, with the smooth efficiency typical of his administration, crammed a remarkable number of such moments into a single weekend. As April became May, Albanese and his team managed the impressive feat of failing to put a single foot right, achieving a combination of communication and policy that was so tone-deaf, so discordant and so oddly timed, it would make The Shaggs cover their ears.
April 27: That tone was set with Albanese lightheartedly telling workers at a newly opened biscuit factory about his own childhood living near a Wagon Wheel factory, benefitting from the generosity of workers, and weirdly kind of encouraging them not to do the same thing: “As kids we would go down to the workforce — now, [I’m] not suggesting that the workers here should do this for local kids — but we would just stand outside, and we’d always get broken Wagon Wheels and biscuits,” he said.
It was a kind of synecdoche of his rhetoric for the coming days: with Australia facing a housing crisis and a cost-of-living crisis, with inequality currently in its “roid-rage” phase, and Labor under increasing pressure to raise the JobSeeker rate above poverty levels, Albanese decided it was time to splash out on some luxuries.
April 28: Albanese confirms he is to attend the million-dollar wedding of radio personality Kyle Sandilands. Sandilands — whose history includes suggesting Magda Szubanski lose weight via a stint in a “concentration camp” and the jocular interrogation of an underage rape victim — had told his listeners that the flowers alone at his nuptials would cost around $150,000. Convicted drug smuggler Simon Main and former Kings Cross nightclub owner John Ibrahim were among the bridal party, helpfully flanking Sandilands in pictures that could be added to any coverage of Albanese’s attendance.
“Well, I’m not in charge of the invite list,” Albanese says.
“I’ll say this, a bloke who at one stage was homeless, living on the streets of Sydney, and has grown into someone who is a significant public figure, is a part of what is an Australian success story. So I was invited to the wedding, I said I’d go, and I keep my commitments, including to Kyle Sandilands.”
By happy coincidence, Sandilands’ breakfast show is one of the highest-rated in the country.
April 29: Albanese announces $240 million in funding for a stadium in Hobart (that the majority of Tasmanians don’t want) at a press conference held at the back of a sewage plant. He is heckled by protesters throughout: “We want affordable housing, not a stadium. Affordable housing!” Albanese attempts to push through — “I think you’ve had your say” — and return to a question about whether he intends to DJ at Sandilands’ wedding later that day.
Following the press conference, Albanese returns to Sydney to spend six hours at Sandilands’ wedding.
May 1: It is reported that the Albanese government plans to increase the JobSeeker rate by $50 a day, but only for people aged over 55. The Australian Unemployed Workers Union, for one, is baffled:
Instead of providing support to everyone who needs it, the government appears set on arbitrarily deciding that a certain cohort on welfare deserves (slightly) less starvation than others.
Nobody asked for this policy. And it appears that no advocacy or welfare group was consulted before its release.
Earlier that day, Sandilands and co-host Jackie O Henderson tell their listeners about what a “great time” Albanese and his partner had at Sandilands’ wedding. They also divulge more details about the wedding reception, including an oyster bar, caviar, expensive champagne and a three-course dinner, which included aged fillet, crispy barramundi, mushroom tortellini and a five-tier cake.
Sandilands recounts that after the event Albanese sent Sandilands photos of himself with the Sandilands’ eight-month-old son Otto and Sandilands’ mother Pam:
“I wrote back: Mate thanks for those pictures. Mum loved you guys. Keeps raving on and on about how wonderful you are. Hope you both had a great night,” Sandilands says.
Albanese apparently responded: “We had the greatest night ever.”
I’ve finally had it with him. That often told story about his single mum in the housing commission bring up her son on her own has had its day, is now thin and has no relevance. Today the mum would be living in a car or on the street, and Albo wouldn’t have got free university education. What’s with him? He’s betraying the Labor base with these stupid decisions. Who is advising him? Whoever you are get some sense into him. He’s my local member and I’ve today joined the Greens.
“Today the mum would be living in a car or on the street, and Albo wouldn’t have got free university education.” EXACTLY. Thank you.
It would also help if the ALP stopped its stupid hissy fit about the Greens and saw them as progressive allies with whom they disagree from time to time.
Unfortunately it’s exactly because of the progressive policies of the Greens that the ALP now regards them as the enemy to their centre-right policies.
The image above stands to be Albo’s equivalent of SmoCo’s coal in parliament image. Poor, poor judgement. At a time of financial hardship for many the PM is seen revelling and swanning about alongside an odious multi-millionaire and his dubious friends at a mega-cash-slash-bash.
You’re kidding right? He attended Sandilands wedding as a private citizen and did not courte photographers or media attention while there. Morrison’s coal waving in parliament was on a whole other level of insanity. There is no comparison here, and it seems you are intentionally being hyperbolic.
Richard is ‘right-on-the-money’ Cooper. He is not kidding, nor is he being hyperbolic (intentionally or otherwise).
Sure, obviously he had no idea there would be photographers or media attention. You’re kidding, right?
Agree that KS and quasi-friends are odious & dubious. But are they any less honorable than the talking heads over at 2GB and their ultra-con audience. This is clearly as scenario where Albo recognizes that the Kyle & Jackie audience are younger, less committed to voting and/or who to vote for. There is an electoral advantage in having his name recognition improved amongst this cohort. Nothing Albo does is not strategic. He is losing a bit of paint here but it will be to his benefit at the finish line in 2 years
A f#cking stadium. Sounds like the tactics of Rome before its demise.
Particularly as I have not spoken to a single Tasmanian who wants this white elephant – and it was announced not very from a park where families are sleeping in cars and tents.
“panem et circensum” I think
Just circuses though. No bread, no housing, no health, no education…………..
Don’t ever underestimate the influence of the AFL and their media cartel….being catered to by governments.
Six hours shmoozing with filth who don’t pay enough tax, when he should’ve been spending that six hours on fighting the Scum on behalf of all the folks who need the war on the poor to stop.
The housing commission single mum shtick rings ever more hollow. My suspicion of Albo became ambivalence, which became disappointment, which is now hardening into loathing. Get off the stage.
With you there, hopes gone up in smoke
Albo’s never been a particularly smart man or one gifted in even basic oratory skills, just a Labor party journeyman who somehow snatched the top prize. When he said in his early PM’ship that he had been underestimated throughout his life I hoped it was a possible clue that there was more to him than I gave credit. Sadly the underestimation was on the money. AUKUS and the toadying up to the US is frankly unbelievable even for a uninspiring Labor operative.
I think he had been dreaming of this day for so long, he’s forgotten why………………
Yea, perhaps the voting MP’s in the leadership contest back in 2013 were onto something when they overrode the popular vote of the labor members.