As I wrote some time ago, about new Australian PM Anthony Albanese: Nice bloke, terrible politics. His first few days in the PM’s chair are going a long way to confirm that view, particularly the first part. As we all know, there are just two rules of public debate today: the left can spew the most hateful venom imaginable, but anything said back is “hate speech”. Albanese seems set to re-write that rule.
When one of his senior MPs tittered a mean-girl jibe at the likely next Liberal leader, Albanese at least showed the decency of putting her back in her box, right away.
Anthony Albanese says Labor MP Tanya Plibersek’s comparison of Peter Dutton’s appearance to Voldermort is “not acceptable” urging politicians to discuss policy differences rather than referring to people’s appearances.
Like Jacinda Ardern, Australia’s female leftists are dab hands at giggling insults and whispering behind their hands at other people, but dissolve into tears and tantrums should anyone dare give them even the gentlest serve back. The left happily abused Tony Abbott as a “pedo”, yet when one placard pictured Julia Gillard as a witch, they haven’t been able to shut up about the “horrific gendered abuse” for the last nine years.
Ms Plibersek said the former defence minister looked “a bit like Voldemort” in a radio interview on Wednesday night responding to Mr Dutton’s plan to run for the Liberal party leadership unopposed.
“I think there will be a lot of children who have watched a lot of Harry Potter films who will be very frightened of what they are seeing on TV at night, that’s for sure,” Ms Plibersek told 4BC Radio.
It’s not even an original joke. Pauline Hanson’s Please Explain cartoons have been running this joke for months. But the difference is that Please Explain is a satire that mocks everyone in politics, it’s not a supposedly serious senior politician throwing cheap jibes at an opponent.
At least Albo did the right thing.
Mr Albanese, who promised to change the way politics is conducted during his election campaign, denounced the comments on Thursday and said it was appropriate for her to apologise.
“There are a few comments made by the former prime minister about my appearance, you might recall as part of the election campaign,” Mr Albanese told Sunrise.
“We should not refer to people’s appearance. Let’s discuss policy differences rather than… I want to change the way that politics operates.
“I am dead serious about it. I am dead serious about it. But, you know, people when they make a mistake, they should apologise and we move on.
Albanese also sent some praise Dutton’s way (where it’s going to be needed, as he takes up the poison chalice of leading a defeated party, post-election).
Mr Albanese also revealed he had a much better relationship with the former Defence Minister than Scott Morrison.
“Peter Dutton has never broken a confidence that I’ve had with him. I think it’s very important that the Prime Minister and the leader of the opposition are able to exchange ideas and information and get co-operation wherever possible. I want to lead the government that gets things done for Australia.”
The Australian
For his part, Dutton took the jibe in reasonable humour.
The former defence minister, pictured above, said he had accepted an apology from Tanya Plibersek over comments she made on radio last night comparing his physical appearance to Voldemort but argued it had crossed a line.
“I just don’t think you need to be nasty and mean and point out people’s deficiencies, in terms of their policies and their decisions if they’re to making decisions in terms of going to help the country fair enough but when you’re going through social characteristics that’s a different story,” Mr Dutton told 2GB.
“And you know, I was diagnosed with a skin condition a couple of years ago which is just a reality of getting older as well. So you know, I’m not the prettiest bloke on the block but I hope I’m going to be pretty effective.”
The Australian
Political “apologies” are a dime-a-dozen and usually about as sincere as Hillary Clinton ratcheting the corners of her mouth up into that terrifying leer she was once told the humans use to express friendliness. But, for Albanese’s part at least, his distaste for the name-calling seems genuine. It also seems to confirm what a great many people have said about him, from both sides of the aisle: in person, he’s an affable, likeable sort.
In other circumstances, he might turn out to be Labor’s Joe Lyons. Lyons (who started out as a Labor man, indeed) is still remembered as one of Australia’s most genuinely-loved PMs, a slightly comic character who was easily underestimated, but who had an almost magical gift for winning over warring factions. Lyons was also a Catholic of humble origins. But Lyons was also a fiscal conservative who as simultaneous Prime Minister/Treasurer steered the nation through the calamity of the Great Depression.
Albo doubtless has the congeniality — time will tell if he has the clout.