We know we’re pretty harsh on the current and re-affirmed Prime Minister Tony Abbott around these traps, but the truth of the matter is that the other side of the coin isn’t exactly blemish free either. The Labor party still seems to be struggling in the wake of the inner turmoil that ripped its Governmental term apart from the inside out, and generally speaking presents about as appealing as the Liberal Party did in the lead up to its (ultimately successful) Federal Election campaign. As an Opposition force, they are all bark and no substance, preferring largely to resort to the same style of loud shouting muckraking that the Abbott opposition employed to great success, and despite being lobbed softballs in the lower house in the form of ineffectual legislative performance, refuse to take the opportunity to better themselves in the eyes of the Australian public by offering up sound policy alternatives that show they’ve learned from their past mistakes.
In particular, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten hasn’t exactly provided the striking force in the seat that he perhaps needs to be. An article posted on this very website compared him to Game of Thrones‘ author George RR Martin – in that he talks constantly without actually doing any work.
But in today’s lower house Question Time, Bill Shorten fired up. Maybe it’s the culmination of the whole Libspill saga finally giving him the boost that he needs. Maybe he, much like Tony Abbott has claimed, is preparing to unveil a new, reinvented side of himself in the post-spill political world. Maybe now’s the time we’ll finally see some real, legitimate, interesting political discourse.
Or maybe it’s just sixteen months of ammunition built up that he let go all at once and tomorrow will see the return of a man far more sizzle than steak.
Nevertheless, this is a damned good 10 minute watch, in which Shorten pulls out literary references, offers up solid alternative policy, and lambasts a Government for saying so many things, and doing almost the complete opposite.
Please, Bill. If for nothing else than to prevent the rest of the Governmental term from suffering from the same frustrating, rhetorical stagnation its displayed thus far, please do not let this version of Bill Shorten – Opposition Leader be a one-off.
