Events that happen at the beginning of a political term – like these bushfires and the smoke blanketing Sydney – struggle to remain long in public consciousness. | OPINION
There’s been speculation over the past week that bushfires, and Scott Morrison’s holiday, mark some sort of turning point in the climate debate. Well, perhaps. But remember how much changed between 2007 and 2010. Events that happen at the beginning of a political term – like these bushfires and the smoke blanketing Sydney – struggle to remain long in public consciousness.
That same amnesia will give Morrison some comfort after his Hawaiian sojourn. Going at all was probably a bad decision. Certainly it was atrociously handled. But it is not, by itself, the popularity-destroying disaster his opponents want it to be, for a simple reason: it’s too early. Partly that means time will shroud it, but mostly it means there is not yet a fixed impression of Morrison in the public mind that a mistake like this might crystallise and then exaggerate.
That standing depends on leadership, and competence, and all the things we expect from a prime minister. Mostly, though, it’s about character. Character will always be the most fascinating element in politics because it can’t be contained. You can sculpt your image as much as you like, but if the nation’s eyes are trained on you long enough your actual self will jut out somewhere. Patterns will emerge in your behaviour, and voters will spot them. Politicians may get better at the nuts and bolts of their jobs over time, but as people they remain remarkably consistent.
On the question of character I should return to a point I made six weeks ago, that has suddenly become more topical. When you compare the polled traits of Morrison and his opponent, Albanese, Morrison’s only large lead is on “good in a crisis”. It would be dangerous to squander that.The other lingering harm the mess around the holiday will do is to relationships between the Prime Minister and the media.
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