In the time it takes to clear your throat, the ownership of progressive politics in Australia has changed hands and poor old Bill Shorten is left singing to Malcolm Turnbull’s song sheets while trying to suppress an awful din coming out of the trade union inquiry.
Suddenly, it’s Labor (traditionally the owner of the progressive mantle) that is looking like it is hanging on to the old, while the conservatives (if you can still call them that) are talking about the future.
Not all this is just Malcolm Turnbull’s doing but he’s the man in the spot to take the credit and win the progressive votes that will go with it.
For instance:
- The Liberals are now talking about tax reform to fund the size and quality of government that Labor tends to prefer;
- The Liberals are talking up our international engagement through the free trade agreement which really opens up Chinese markets to Australian businesses;
- Conservative MPs will soon be at the opening of every connection point for that very Labor innovation, the National Broadband Network;
- Malcolm Turnbull will get to decide and put the question on same-sex marriage that so troubled his predecessor, even though the agitation for it came from Bill Shorten back in his glory days;
- And Malcolm Turnbull has put his party into the game of building infrastructure for growing cities. That, again, is a melody from the Labor playlist.
Bill Shorten has been forced into corner, by the Liberals’ moves. He’s had the decade’s business buzzword - innovation - snatched from him by a rival who has a real record as an innovator. (While Turnbull didn’t invent the internet, he popularised its use through Ozemail).
And it’s only a matter of time before Turnbull (or someone on his behalf) steals the crown jewels of progressive politics - the idea of an Australian republic - and presents a strategy that lets Australians vote again on the most fundamental of constitutional reforms.
Bill Shorten has been visibly ageing in office while Malcolm Turnbull has come into the leadership looking fresh, fit and vital.
So what is the Opposition Leader stuck with?
Aside from declining personal popularity, the best he can offer is to nod support for reform of tax, superannuation and marriage equality. And keep criticising the government for setting up an inquiry which is showing that his party’s backers include a reasonable swag of rorters and thugs.
At best it will be karaoke beside what is looking and sounding like the Malcolm Turnbull Show Band
This week’s revelations about the shopping sprees by National Union of Workers officials on their members’ funds only add to what sounds like a symphony of disappointment for Labor supporters who believe in its mission of protecting workers.
Of course it’s not all clear air for Turnbull. His progressive outlook confirms the fears of the conservative wing of his party about where their new leader might like to take them. But with poll numbers like this, no one is going to complain.
The test, however, comes in Paris in December when the great progressive has to navigate a course that gets Australia to act as the rest of the world wants on climate change.
We all know Malcolm Turnbull’s personal position. And we all know how much trouble it caused him and his party in 2009.
This might be Bill Shorten’s best and only opportunity to get back on to centre stage. But, at best, it will be karaoke beside what is looking and sounding like the Malcolm Turnbull Show Band.
Madonna King is a senior journalist, and has worked at News Corporation Australia, Fairfax and the ABC. She is the author of six books.
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