A rudderless government needs one thing: a new leader

Last week demonstrated Scott Morrison’s lack of judgment and reputation for mendacity on the international stage. This week served to put a spotlight on those same qualities domestically. What was supposed to be a reset week to take the initiative on climate, start the unofficial election campaign and wedge Labor turned into a further exposé of Morrison’s incessant lying and his lack of policy.

Morrison’s choice of electric vehicles (EVs) as the standard to raise on climate policy was bizarre. He trashed the Coalition’s own EV policy in 2019 in the quest to damage Bill Shorten, ridiculing and demonising EVs along the way. He was always going to be challenged as to why he’d backflipped, and he was, right off the bat. The PMO hadn’t even prepared a good response to that. It was a “Labor lie” that he’d ever campaigned against EVs; technology had changed, Labor wanted to mandate EVs and increase petrol prices.

All of those were lies. Even Morrison’s stenographers and apologists — to whom Niki Savva gave a serve this week — were explaining that, no, Labor’s EV policy included no mandates or price rises.

As with pretty much every Morrison announcement, there was little substance to the EV plan. Even the Financial Review criticised it.

That night, NSW Treasurer Matt Kean went on 7.30 and detailed the NSW government’s plan to lower the price of EVs, encourage fleet buyers to go electric and significantly improve charging infrastructure. Every time Kean speaks on climate policy, he makes it sound effortless as he spells out smart new policies to significantly reduce his state’s emissions, showing up the federal Coalition with every word.

“The federal government’s initiatives are good, but they can go a lot further,” Kean said. “I would encourage the federal government to be looking at doing things like providing direct support for people who want to purchase an EV.”

Funnily enough, that’s Anthony Albanese’s policy.

On Wednesday Morrison launched his new framing around climate and wider economic policy — announcing he was for “can do capitalism” rather than Labor’s “don’t do government”. Stenographers got excited — here was the canny wedge of Labor they’d been waiting for.

How “can do capitalism” reconciles with the tens of billions handed to companies that made money during the pandemic will presumably remain uninvestigated by journalists, as will the fact that that slogan was announced literally moments after Morrison had unveiled another $500 million to fund carbon capture and storage projects.

By Thursday, Morrison was randomly accusing Albanese of “backing in China”, when asked about Emmanuel Macron. The week of reset had turned into a rattled, desperate Morrison. Thin-skinned at the best of times, Morrison has the look of a man furious that his go-to political tricks aren’t working as well as they used to.

None of this should be happening. Australia is reopening off the back of very high vaccination rates and the economy is roaring back to life. A return to unfettered international travel is around the corner. The problems of the vaccine rollout are in the rearview mirror; Australia retains a highly successful record in dealing with the pandemic. Morrison has News, Nine and Seven broadly aligned with him, and the ABC cowed. The electoral record shows that incumbents have enjoyed record support throughout the pandemic.

So why does he trail in the polls and look like a magician whose hat is empty?

The problem for a government that should be in the box seat to win the next election is its leader. Morrison is damaged goods. He has no imagination and doesn’t know how to govern competently. His idea of leadership is issuing media releases. His relentless lying has started to be noticed by voters.

What’s weighing down the Coalition vote is Scott Morrison. His removal will do the government’s political stocks a world of good, giving voters the chance to look past a damaged PM to a sound economy and a return to normality. But it would also do Australia good, replacing a man with no vision or competence with someone prepared to genuinely lead.

Crikey readers froth at the mouth at any suggestion that Peter Dutton could be prime minister. But just because progressives and Twitter hate someone, doesn’t mean they’re unelectable — Tony Abbott demonstrated that.

Dutton’s the only one with the capacity to move on Morrison and remove the single biggest impediment to the Coalition winning next year. Time for the member for Dickson to do the numbers — properly, this time.