Labor’s electoral defeats aside, Australia is a most predictable place.
Tuesday the House of Representatives passed the “Morrison” income tax cuts and to no one’s surprise Thursday night it was the turn of the Senate, where it passed with no amendment whatsoever. The COALition, with the complicity of every party and independent (the Greens and independent Tasmanian MP Andrew Wilkie excepted) ruthlessly threw four out of every ten Australians under the bus. Australians like this young couple and their infant son:
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Indeed, although Labor (1) opposed the cuts when they were first announced in 2018, (2) campaigned against them in the past election campaign, and -- after losing the election -- (3) demanded the bill be amended, they also added their vote -- unnecessary, on top -- to those of the COALition (as it happens, the bill already had the support of enough crossbenchers: Centre Alliance, Cory Bernardi and Jacqui Lambie.)
It’s, of course, a humiliating, embarrassing episode. Albanese -- get this: a member of Labor’s so-called Left faction -- begins his party leadership making a laughing stock of himself. That’s not a promising start, but to play that role is his prerogative and he may well excel at that.
By itself, however, that is not my concern. At least three things worry me more.
Firstly, is the humiliation Albanese chose to inflict on those, who -- like me -- voted for Labor. Lately, we’ve all heard about “mandates”. The COALition, some say (federal Labor deputy leader Jim Chalmers included), has a mandate to cut taxes. Personally, I think talk about mandates is just waffle but if Chalmers -- or Albanese, for that matter -- really believes in the COALition’s mandate, he should explain why Labor forgot the most important mandate, the one Labor voters gave them: to oppose those cuts, even if it costs us.
In reality, their explanations are superfluous. Labor MPs Dr Mike Freelander (Western Sydney), Sharon Bird (Wollongong), Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter), and Peter Khalil (Melbourne) and Senator Glenn Sterle (WA) already explained. After nearly losing their jobs, for them, it’s a matter of ingratiating themselves with their employers. Or, as they put it, regaining the faith of their constituencies: electorally unfaithful traddies allegedly struggling on $120K(!!!) a year. You know, the kind of voters whose vote is based on their pocket, not on their convictions; the kind of voters the COALition can successfully entice into defecting.
Again, that’s their prerogative, but by turning their backs on 4 out of every 10 Australians, Labor invites those Australians to turn their backs on them.
Unlike battered wives, we can easily leave a dysfunctional relationship. Speaking on my own behalf, as one of the third/fourth decile of the income distribution, I can’t imagine how Labor could ever enthuse me again into voting for them. But I’m perhaps better placed to do that than most. As a committed Leftist and union man, I still have one relatively politically feasible alternative: the Greens, who at least kept their word.
(To their credit, some Labor politicians, like Josh Wilson and MP and former ACTU president Ged Kearney reportedly attempted, unsuccessfully, to avoid that surrender.)
Those less committed than me may turn to other, much worse alternatives. That, too, worries me, for I can understand their predicament, even as I fear their potential choice.
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As disturbing as all that is, it isn’t the worst. The elections were held in mid-autumn (whether by design or by chance, I don’t know, but the decision to hold them on May 18th, I suspect, can’t have hurt the COALition) and we are now just starting winter. Last summer seems all but forgotten.
If Labor’s first instinct, when confronted by the COALition on taxes, was to cave in, the prospects they will -- or even attempt to -- uphold their promises on climate change action are dubious. Once again Fitzgibbon’s arguments, which carried the day this week on taxes, can be expected to succeed as soon as Labor is called to oppose the COALition’s suicidal climate change non-policies.
Next summer is less than 6 months away. Nature won’t be so easily snubbed, as we were.
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Against my decision one could argue that realistically the Greens haven’t got any chance of winning elections. That’s true, but it’s not like Labor is an unstoppable election-winning machine either. Under those circumstances, at least the Greens have shown themselves willing to honour their word and act as an opposition party. As little comfort as one may derive from that, it’s a lot more than Labor is willing to offer.
(It seems there’s something in the notion of “opposition” Labor cannot grasp, instead invariably trying “bipartisanship”. Unfortunately, the COALition and particularly former PM Tony Abbott never fell for that folly. Their voters should credit them for that.)
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Last Tuesday (July 2) Australian interest rates broke a new record for lowest ever, when the RBA announced a new interest rate cut. Now the official interest rate is 1%. Two records in two months.
Predictably, the four big banks exercised their discretion on whether to pass on the cuts to borrowers or to pocket the difference. Just like last time, they had no problem slashing deposit interest rates.
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Self-funded retirees shall start squealing at any moment. Aspirational voters repaying their mortgaged McMansion, however, may still get their 30 silver coins (plus tax cuts) … as long as unemployment remains subdued and they vote for the COALition in three years time. Aspirational voters who haven’t yet got their “big” Aussie dream better pray not only unemployment doesn’t get worse, but the housing bubble doesn’t reflate.
The price their souls fetch isn’t that great, uh?
The only difference with June is that this time Frydenberg didn’t show up on TV pretending he has something to say. He was busy celebrating Labor’s shame and our misery, I suppose.
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