Gillard keeps mashing-up the message

Another strange week.

Talkback radio, and Internet comment streams, was filled with people screaming about the pollies going for a big pay rise. It was running about 4 to 1 against. If you're practiced in sophistry (and self-delusion) you can probably mount a convincing case for giving pollies an increase. Certainly, the benefits packages should be cashed out so we can see exactly what we're paying them. But it emerges this week, also, that Gillard has reneged on an equal pay for women deal because, she says, the nation can't afford it. A bit insensitive. Doesn't the monkeys and peanuts line work for low and middle income earners too?

Then there was gay marriage. Apart from the fact that much of the media kept conflating marriage with civil unions as if there was no difference, the real message from this episode is that the ALP is a mess on this issue. The secondary messages are that the Greens were leading the way on a left-wing issue and that Gillard, again, failed to demonstrate leadership. Now, it will drag on to the national conference in December 2011 and presumably beyond. 

Next down the issue list is carbon pricing. Is there anyone out there who knows what the government is doing on this issue? I think this is one of those do something now or shut up issues. A lot of people think carbon pricing just means that their electricity bills will go up. This still looks like an inner city Greens issue to me, with little traction in the outer suburban seats, where cost of living is the barbeque stopper (along with asylum seekers of course).

Then there was the great anti-siphoning issue, which we can only hope will be solved soon and without forcing poor voters to pay to see good sport on TV.

In the middle of all this, Gillard wasted an hour of her life launching an update to the MySchool website. For gosh sake, just leave the third order stuff to the Ministers. 

On the other hand, some ministers like Penny Wong and Greg Combet need to get out more. 

If it keeps like this for much longer, I'm going to think that all it is proving is that when it comes to front-bench performance that Rudd wasn't the problem, or the only problem. And worse, there will be another wave of cries for Julia's 'vision' from political commentators in Canberra.

Comments

[Bob Meade]

I'm not completely sure that getting Penny Wong out and about is a plus for the government.

She was front and centre all throughout the governement's first term up to the point where the global warming issue was abandoned when she could not manage to get the carbon trading legislation passed prior to the Copenhagen summit. That is, she could not get the Greens to vote for the legislation and with the governement Senators supply a majority.

Ms. Wong has no ability to connect with voters and no ability to explain complex issues to voters, for example the carbon trading legislation. AS a frequent listener to Senate debate, I suspect that her colleagues there are none to keen on her either. This is why she has the Finance portfolio. She doesn't have to be nice to anybody.

Combet, yes, he should be seen and heard more.