If I was asked to describe the current election campaign in one word, it would be “disappointing’’.
And of course I would add, “again’’.
The worse thing is that despite having a parliamentary democracy our election campaigns now are no different from presidential ones in the USA.
We have more than 200 MPs representing us in Canberra but come election time they are virtually invisible.
Every day and night it’s Albanese this, and Dutton that.
Neither of them seems to have a real grip what ordinary Australians would like to hear from them.
Albanese especially needs to involve his local MPs a lot more in planning his strategy if he really wants to cut through to voters.
You’d think he would have learned his lesson after the Voice referendum debacle.
Looking at the opposition’s campaign, which is a little more community or grassroots oriented, I’d say Dutton is doing this a little better, but not by much.
But let’s have a quick look at how the two leaders are dealing with the elephant in the election campaign room: Trump.
It boils down to Albanese murmuring a bit of dissent, while Dutton claims he can get on better with the Trump administration.
While I can see the Dutton point because he and his party have not been bagging Trump over the years like the Labor Party have [Kevin Rudd and others] they are both pretty pathetic.
As we said in an earlier piece on the election, no guts, no glory.
Sadly, neither leader has the guts to stand up to the Americans.
It seems to me the “lucky country’’ syndrome is alive and well, and once again we are asked to choose as our next leader between Tweedledee and Tweedledum – more or less.
Talk about a great country run by mediocre men and women.
None of them are offering real (brave) solutions to our challenges.
And, shamelessly, they again bring out the usual promises just before an election to buy our vote.
Poor fellow, my country.
