Recently, Mark Fletcher posted an excellent and thorough post detailing the concerns of the ‘left’ with the appointment of Tim “Captain Freedom” Wilson as a Human Rights Commissioner.
My initial reaction to the appointment was one of horror that someone who considers free speech to be ‘the most neglected of human rights’ would be a core member of a body advocating for those facing genuine persecution. Considering we fail to extend Habeas Corpus to our asylum seekers, I would wager there are more pressing issues than section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act.
After dwelling on it a bit, I tried to reconsider. Mr Wilson has been a - fairly tepid - advocate on other issues of ‘freedom’ on occasion, and perhaps he was previously constrained for professional reasons.
But now, thanks in part to Mark’s post, I’m sure that I’m right. Mr Wilson’s appointment is, in the grand scheme of jobs for mates that accompanies every change of government, no big deal, but it demonstrates how much better at partisanship the Coalition are. Mr Wilson attempted to compare his appointment, as someone who wants the HRC abolished, to the appointment of a republican to the Governor Generalship. In reality, it’s more like appointing Dave Oliver to the ABCC.
The fact that upon becoming a Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr Wilson saw fit to highlight the plight of Andrew Bolt was custom built to go straight to the rage gland of people like me. And well done. Bullseye.
Alienating opponents is a smart political strategy. In the world of political communications, it’s less about the argument you’re making, rather than the ideological ground you’re arguing over. Appointing Mr Wilson, and firing up his opponents, ensures that we spend our time pushing back on issues of ‘freedom’ and asylum seekers’ rights. These are areas the government feels more than happy traversing.
Given free reign, those who would take up the anti-government fight would be trying to move the conversation to health, education, the environment and workers’ rights. Voters don’t really rate the government in these areas, so the government would rather steer clear. How many times, for instance, have you heard from Peter Dutton? The man is Health Minister, yet one could be forgiven for assuming he was a backbencher. They don’t want to talk health (also Dutton’s an empty suit). If those who oppose the government are het up about asylum seekers and Andrew Bolt, perfect.
There is, however, a flipside to this coin. The Abbott government, even more than the Howard equivalent in 1996, appears to be going out of its way to infuriate its opponents. By going after so many totemic issues with such vigour, they are producing an inchoate rage on the part of those who would oppose them, to the point that the parliamentary Labor party actually appear the most level headed group at the moment.
Right now that inchoate rage is precisely that; inchoate. But over the course of the next 2.5 years, as the government ceases doing unpopular things and begins targeting its election year budget bribes, that angry populace may cause serious troubles.
Back in 2007, opposition to WorkChoices is fairly accurately acknowledged as a key element in Howard’s downfall. But more than that, WorkChoices served as a catalyst to mobilise the growing number of Australians who were growing weary of Howard’s arrogance in dealing with those not electorally important to him.
The Abbott government is rapidly rebuilding just that anti-constituency. All it will take to set it off is one key issue – industrial relations, manufacturing, schools funding, or possibly the likeliest by 2016, climate change policy. One totemic event or policy in any of these fields or others could see an enormous push against a government that is already looking like it will need to start stroking the national ego fairly soon.
This isn’t to say they’re going to lose the election – it’s a pretty stonking majority – but making enemies in politics has its limits. Perhaps we’re about to find out where those limits are.
Ed Butler is a recovering economist and novelty blogger of the never-lamented Things Bogans Like. This article is an edited version and was originally published on AusOpinion.com.
