As the Albanese government approaches the midpoint of its second term and following last week’s gathering of its constituent parts, it’s time to submit it to a health check. While I’m nothing but a humble spin doctor, I’m here to offer my diagnosis.
In a time of global instability and political turbulence, Labor presents with strong vitals – a commanding majority and stable posture. Since its last public examination there have been no catastrophic incidents demanding major surgery.
An external scan shows there are some concerning spots to keep an eye on with the global outbreak of a new strain of divisive populism. While the spread of this contagion appears to be receding, this should continue to be monitored.
In terms of heartbeat, the government is registering a stronger pulse after embracing a new fiscal regime, rebalancing the tax system to unwind investor privileges, a position that had been discarded in 2019 after some overextension. Further work is recommended.
This brings us to the internal probe conducted in Adelaide last week. Focusing on gas policy would needlessly torture our metaphor, but the agreement to plug this issue cleared the party bowels of any obvious blockage.
Having been to ALP conferences back to the halcyon Hobart casino days of the 90s, I cannot remember the organs working so smoothly with complex and corrosive inputs being processed without any visible discomfort.
The one political polyp on an otherwise clear reading is Ed Husic. His irritation level, a consequence of the party’s own factional processes, risks becoming chronic. It is clearly causing referred pain to the leader.
While Husic could not summon a supporter for his motions, the lack of a more balanced diet on the Gaza genocide and Aukus shakedown means these lesions remain untreated with a real risk they could turn into something nastier.
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Of course, fitness for office is more than holding exotic viruses at bay. As the global order faces material and cognitive decline, the government must ensure it remains physically active.
Central to this effort are the health offerings that powered its last, and highly successful, physical in 2024. The Medicare card was the PM’s constant companion through that campaign, and he still whips it out on special occasions.
Remember that the government set itself its own ambitious benchmarks before the election, including a promise that 90% of all GP visits would be bulk-billed by 2030. A second chart from this checkup offers some promising feedback.
There is no romantic narrative around the provision of public services, no inspiring songs are written or populist fronts. When the system is working, no one notices. But at a time where most government performance is reflexively marked down, this is a sign of good health.
A broader challenge is for the government to recognise the ergonomic risks of its ascendant position. When too relaxed, one can become sedentary and atrophy. This is why more focused resistance work is recommended.
Whether its energy, housing or our relationship with the rest of the world, it’s critical the Albanese government continues to seek points of friction to test its thinking both inside the party and the broader community. The launch of Fair AI, a group within the party driving thinking around the multiple impacts of technology, is the sort of exercise that should be embedded into the daily routine.
Finally, the key to a healthy life is as much psychological as physical, and the one thing that differentiates this government from any other comparable political party in Australia is its sustaining self-narrative. It should continue to view this as an elixir.
For a second opinion, who better than former treasurer Wayne Swan – a specialist who has been in the belly of the beast through sickness and health for more than 50 years – to offer his own prognosis to the faithful while receiving life membership last week?
First, he urged the party to be honest with itself, recognising it only earns a hearing by championing economic justice. “Real wages. Medicare. The social safety net. An unswerving focus on the living standards of working men and women.” That’s the fibre.
Second, he challenged the ascendant room to keep working on its core. As he pointed out, the membership is declining, ageing, dying. Finding new sources of energy is critical to the party’s longevity.
Finally, he shared this insight from his decades of door-knocking: “People will tell you the key is whether the voters like you. It isn’t. The most important thing is whether they think you like them.” What he is really saying is that wellbeing emerges from within.
I know the body politic is a delicate creature, exposed to global events and local misadventure, a media that craves adrenaline and social platforms that are even more toxic. A clean bill of health is only ever temporary, and every day of government is one day closer to mortality.
While this is all true, on all objective analysis, this government is in robust health. Provided it remains conscious of its lifestyle choices, it should continue to age well.
That’s the boring truth – but who doesn’t want a boring health check?
