As the first week of parliament of the year comes to an end, one thing has become clear: Albo has his mojo back.
The Prime Minister, historically known for his affable and cheerful nature, was clearly upset at the end of 2023.
He had waged a long – and ultimately unsuccessful – campaign to introduce an indigenous voice to parliament, and was under intense pressure after an ill-timed Supreme Court decision saw 141 criminal asylum seekers released onto the streets.
But the summer holidays were clearly rejuvenating for the Labor leader.
He went to work alongside his senior team, Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, and developed a strategy to help alleviate some of the cost of living pressures faced by everyday Aussies.
The Prime Minister has welcomed the New Year with open arms and arrived in Canberra with a pep in his step after his new tax policy resonated with the public
By the end of 2023, the Prime Minister seemed exhausted and deflated (photo after losing the Voice referendum)
The decision they arrived at was never going to be an easy conversation with the public.
Breaking an election promise he had made no fewer than 36 times since taking the top job (and up to 100 times during the campaign) exposed him to an unprecedented level of criticism.
Opponents have been as scathing about the decision to change tax cuts in phase three as the Prime Minister’s inner circle expected.
But he has them under control, and they know it. Not supporting the policy – which puts money back into the pockets of 90 percent of taxpayers – would damage the coalition.
And Mr Albanese has been urging them to do so all week.
“If you were honest, you would vote against our measure and commit to reversing it,” he crowed several times.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton returned to Canberra on Tuesday and revealed he would support the changes to help Australians. He has vowed not to reverse them if elected, but said he will unveil details of a new tax policy in the coming months.
The Prime Minister, historically known for his affable and cheerful nature, was clearly upset in late 2023 (pictured in December 2023)
The Labor Party, and not just their leader, knows this is a victory and has repeatedly used the Coalition’s support as a rebuttal during Question Time in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
“I find it interesting that the opposition is complaining and complaining so much about a policy that they actually support,” said Senator Katy Gallagher.
“You (said) this was such a betrayal, treachery or deception and now you are voting for it. “If you really thought this was wrong, you would vote against it and say you would withdraw it,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong added.
‘If they think we are wrong about this, why don’t they vote against them in Parliament? They have learned nothing from their decade of division. They are trying to revive Morrison-era policies. That’s not a policy, that’s a defibrillator,” Dr. Chalmers said.
But no one is happier than Mr Albanese himself.
He got to work with his senior team, Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, and developed a strategy to alleviate some of the cost of living pressures faced by everyday Aussies.
Peter Dutton had little choice but to support the changes
He risked his reputation on the policy, and all early indicators suggest it has paid off.
The real test will come in the upcoming Dunkley by-election, which Dutton and his team say was the catalyst for these changes.
At the end of last year, the Prime Minister’s responses to questions and criticism were incisive, tired and poorly constructed.
He often avoided criticism completely and returned to a worn-out complaint about ‘the mess we inherited’.
Not anymore.
In the first fiery week of Question Time, Mr Albanese was quick-witted, well-informed and in touch with his audience.
He first compared Mr Dutton to Jack Nicholson’s character in The Shining in a bold critique, brandishing an imaginary ax while shouting: “Here’s Peter.”
And on Thursday he said: “They can change the way they vote, but they will never change who they are.”
Mr Albanese made several jokes about the ABC series Nemesis, which revisits the era of Coalition rule, and former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s searing one-word description of Mr Dutton as a “thug”.
“You almost wore out Gina Rinehart’s table,” Mr. Albanese joked.
When Mr Dutton tried to question the relevance of Mr Albanese’s comments, the Prime Minister was simply dealt another blow.
“Having such thin skin makes it very easy to see the glass jaw,” he said.