It’s time for someone to take control of our ship
HERE we are again. Less than three weeks after Prime Minister Tony Abbott faced threats to his job, political insiders are reporting the Liberal captain will face another mutiny.
How is our country to sail towards economic and political still waters when the captain does not have the cooperation and respect of the crew? The good ship Australia may strike unseen rocks if our navigator, first mate, captain and crew don’t concentrate.
Since the helm was last challenged, Captain Abbott’s journey has not been smooth.
Public opinion ratings for our PM were further damaged last week as he “shot the messenger” with the release of Human Rights Commissioner Professor Gillian Triggs’s report on children in detention.
Professor Triggs’s observation of both the Labor and Liberal governments’ damaging treatment of young people in immigration detention centres was scathing.
The criticism was not taken well by the Prime Minster or AttorneyGeneral George Brandis, who both expressed a loss of faith with the author’s professionalism.
Many saw the document differently. It could have been impetus for greater compassion toward juvenile detainees, a call for additional government assistance to combat psychological damage and the need for changes to the way people are moved through Australia’s immigration process.
Mr Abbott chose to assassinate the reputation of Professor Triggs.
As polls were released showing 77 per cent of Australians view Mr Abbott as arrogant, the Prime Minister visited cyclone-ravaged northern Queensland. His visit north appeared highly stage managed, uncomfortable and cold.
The waiting media pumped Mr Abbott about party disquiet, begging him to name the next colleague who would take the helm. Mr Abbott swatted away leadership tussle questions, suggesting comments about political feuding detracted from the pain experienced by the locals. His presence was to deliver a much needed rainbow to the storm-struck region. But no amount of baby kissing or standing by rubble altered his public perception.
Mr Abbott met his New Zealand counterpart, Mr John Key on the weekend. The prime ministerial get together provided each country a leader to observe the trans-Tasman battle over the Eden Park pitch. After declaring the cricket victor, the leaders formalised arrangements for a different kind of battle — rekindling the Anzac spirit by uniting New Zealand and Australian military forces for an Iraq mission.
Although ending terrorism would be a miraculous act, the move to take on the mission was observed as yet another of the captain’s calls Mr Abbott was going to stop making.
Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek commented that New Zealand knew more about our commitment to take troops to Iraq than Australia did, as the Prime Minister had not consulted with his country’s elected representatives.
Another of Mr Abbott’s no-morecaptain’s-calls gaffes had the strong and familiar captain’s call stench.
In linking Australia’s tsunami generosity with a request for clemency for Australian death row inmates, Mr Abbott caused offence to the Indonesian people and their president. The comment was supposed to remind Indonesians of our respect for life and commitment to assist vulnerable people; it came across as our Prime Minister attaching conditions to a gift, or worse, a form of blackmail over future assistance.
Political analysts believe Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has the numbers should a leadership challenge occur.
While Mr Abbott was in Queensland, Mr Turnbull stood in for him at an Australian Jewish News function. Perhaps AJN editor Zeddy Lawrence’s prediction, introducing Mr Turnbull as “our next prime minister” may come true.
Hopefully someone will soon start running our country. Jodie Whittaker is a former Geelong Advertiser intern who has completed her journalism degree.