Anthony Albanese has made a good start promising to change the way politics is done. But not all of the Albanese government’s symbolism has been well-calibrated, writes Parnell Palme McGuinness | OPINION
to intercept China’s attempt to build a Pacific power base. The disappointment of the Chinese suggests it was an effective gesture, or at least that there are grounds to hope that love-bombing the region has thrown Sino-Pacific plans off track.
Thank goodness for symbolism, eh? It allows so much leeway. Advocates in the Indigenous and welfare spaces can have simultaneously warm fuzzy feelings without killing each other’s vibe. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese lit the Commonwealth beacon in Canberra, as part of Australia’s Jubilee celebrations.Introducing some unintentional symbolism, the rechristened island is a fake island, located in the fake lake at the centre of the fake city. Perhaps there’s a signal of some sort in all that.
The Treasurer has said that he wants educational attainment and health outcomes to sit alongside economic data in the budget. These are two areas in which increasing spending has historically not necessarily translated into better outcomes.