[ad_1]
This year’s award goes to Anthony Albanese, the man who would be prime minister by biding his time, backing his judgment, and blitzing the job.
Writing Crikey’s annual politicians of the year is usually relatively easy once every three years: it’s hard to avoid handing it to whoever won the federal election that year, although in 2016 I gave it to Pauline Hanson who, like a cancer we thought we’d beaten, once again defiled the body politic, and metastasises to this day. Crikey readers were outraged, believing the nomination of the most effective politician should be the one they like the most.
No such luck this year. How can it not be Anthony Albanese, who developed a plan to beat Scott Morrison, stuck to it when progressives were angrily demanding he start throwing the toys out of the cot, and won government?
Albanese was patient, backed his political judgment, used the Rudd formula of keeping a small-target strategy where he didn’t want a fight and going large where he did want one, and when he stumbled, he admitted it, took guard again and waited for the next delivery. It’s hard for Labor to win elections from opposition in Australia against News Corp and a generally hostile media, which is why it happens so rarely, but now Albanese’s name’s on the list.
Sign up to keep reading.
Get independent journalism throughout 2023. Join us right now for 50% off a Crikey annual subscription.
Join us
[ad_2]
Source link