Prime Minister Tony Abbott reflected during his National
Press Club address of Monday that his colleagues should stop ‘navel gazing’ and
get on with the job of governing. Similarly, Treasurer Joe Hockey suggested
this morning that his colleagues should focus on governing stop engaging in
commentary and start focussing on fixing the country. Frankly, they’re both
wrong. A solid session of Liberal Party belly button action is exactly what is
required if the Abbott Government is to achieve anything during the second half
of its term.
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| It must do something... |
A government should be the product of the people's will, representative of the people who elected them. For better or worse, the voters
interpret that government through the prism of the media which covers it.
Tony Abbott and his team have tried three times in under
three months to change the perception of his government: there was the Reset
speech, the scraping of the barnacles, and his speech this week at the National
Press Club. Each of these was meant to herald a new era in the Abbott
Government, and each has failed.
The reason is simple. Australian voters have become
extremely cynical when it comes to politicians and the promises they make. This
applies to both sides of the political spectrum, and particularly to the
central mass of swinging voters. Politicians have not honoured the promises
they made prior to elections, and have introduced new priorities after they are
elected. The distance between the words and the actions has increased, and
voters have noticed.
The old saying applies: “If you keep on doing what you’ve
always done, you’ll keep on getting what you’ve always got.”
Voters – at least those who haven’t already tuned out – have
heard the repeated promises to be more consultative, to listen, and communicate
more effectively, but they’ve seen the same old behaviour that they’ve already
rejected. The mini reshuffle confirmed the Prime Minister’s preference for male
Ministers; the backdown on GP co-payments occurred the day after the Prime
Minister stated his support for it; Prince Philip’s knighthood emphasised Tony
Abbott’s lack of consultation and poor political instincts; constant process
stories about Peta Credlin, and the appointment of Mark Simkin displayed a lack
of back office discipline; persistent headlines about a leadership spill invite comparisons
with the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd years, and this week’s dismissal of the hated Paid
Parental Leave Scheme illustrates a willingness to break more commitments,
undermine a key policy and announce new policy without any detail.
And that’s since December 1.
From all indications, few, if any members of the Abbott
Ministry have admitted that there’s a problem, much less know what it is. There
are solutions, but a classic Liberal loop of denial, obfuscation and dishonesty ensures
their own demise. There is no option but to change, although a change of
leadership is not necessarily the solution.
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| The stuff of nightmares |
The Government must accept that it needs to win back the
trust of the electorate if they are to have any chance of retaining government
next year, and that takes three simple steps:
- Admit that the problems exist
- Commit to making a change
- Implement practical solutions
Each of these requires a degree of serious navel gazing, including
some brutal introspection and honesty, along with consultation and collaboration,
and a new approach to communicating with the electorate. Regardless of whether
the problem is identified as plummeting poll numbers, dislike of Tony Abbott,
the failure to pass key elements of the 2014 budget, or bizarre captain’s
calls, the entire Abbott Government must change how they govern.
How hard can it be?
Commentators have suggested that Mr Abbott’s speech at the
National Press Club was targeted at his back benchers rather than at voters,
with statements like this:
"Let's stop the navel gazing, let's forget the internals and let's
get on with governing the country."
Most of the Ministry has fallen meekly into line, pledging
their support for the PM, although some of those endorsements have been less
than convincing. Like Mr Abbott, they continue to attend to their duties and brush of media enquiries while the backbenchers and party elders continue to express their doubts.
Could it be that the lowly backbenchers enjoy more distance
from the seat of power, a wider perspective on the government’s fortes as well
as their weaknesses…and more opportunity for navel gazing?
