After the leaders’ debate final debate for Election 2025 on Channel 7 on Sunday, most of the Labor lackies in the opinion spaces, print, air, TV and social media have moved to write Peter Dutton off.
Why?
Because he did not know the price of a dozen eggs!
Was Dutton’s ignorance a breach of ten commandments, the biggest sin a politician can commit in Australia’s very literate, opinion space where the fatter your entitlement is, the left-ier you are supposed to sermonize.
Is it too difficult to find some of the biggest players, who have changed camps, like linen in your AirBnB.
Tripping a leader the way Dutton was, may be smart trick. But it was imperative for the moderators and other expert team members to remind the viewers of the 2022 election campaign when Anthony Albanese was exposed not to know the official interest rate and the unemployment rate in Australia.
Some sycophantic lackies argued then, that Albo was not sitting a test.
Not knowing the price of a dozen eggs is really no big deal. Not knowing the two rates – which are the two main levers to manoeuvre nation’s financial and fiscal policies – is REALLY A BIG DEAL.
In my opinion, no matter where their loyalties lie, they owed it to their profession, although of late, for many big names in Australian journalistic space, it may be more of a business rather than profession.
The result of election 2025 on May 3 may expose many gimmicks. I hope it does.
Now, to whether the slip will affect Peter Dutton’s chances on May 3.
The answer is – zilch, ZERO.
Peter Dutton’s campaign has had its fair share of problems which may determine the outcome. He is still in there with a chance. For me, he won the debate hands down. For me, the victory was sealed when in the rapid fire, the channel showed the image of Albo and Jodie’s new home at Copacabana and Dutton’s one word answer was – retirement.
It not only sheer showed political and intellectual brilliance of a leader, it called Albo’s bluff who has been misleading Australian’s throughout this campaign as the PM for the next three years; he is only Labor’s front until May 3. The deal with the person who will take over to run the country for the next three years has been done. I hope it is not Katy Gallaghar. I believe she has a lot of questions to answer in relation to the ‘quick’ payment of $2.4 million made to Brittany Higgins (almost) years before the court found she was assaulted at work place, albeit – not working, or during working hours, but only at work place, where she happened to be at a time of her own choosing.
Katy’s alleged dealings with Brittany’s then boyfriend David Sharaz, when Labor was in opposition, her alleged role as the middle person to provide access to the then opposition leader Anthony Albanese, are few of the many issues which come to mind.
Victorians lost their political warrior Kimberley Kitching who had alleged bullying by the ALP’s Senate leadership, which comprised senators Penny Wong, Kristina Keneally and Katy Gallagher. The trio was labelled as the “mean girls” by the late Senator as reported then by The Australian.
Back to Albo. The political fatigue is writ large on Albo’s face. His only focus these days seems to be his upcoming marriage.
That was also obvious to all Australians who watched Sunday’s debate.
To me, on May 3, voting for Peter Dutton will be voting for Peter Dutton.
On the other hand, a vote for Albo, is extremely unlikely to be a vote for Albo; it will be a vote for a faceless person, an operative in the Labor machinery, who, the party knows, Australians will not vote for.
Having watched Australian and Victorian politics for years, in 2022 I knew Daniel Andrews would not serve full term and asked him the question at a multicultural press meet on 19 September 2022.
The answer was, “as long as I have the confidence of my colleagues, I will remain the leader and the premier”.
We both repeated the exercise on June 16, 2023. The same question, the same answer, yes “serving full term”.
In 103 days, Jacinta Allan was the premier and Victorians are chasing answers to many decisions the premier made like a dog chasing its tail.
If opinion polls are to be believed, we all ought to get ready for a sitting PM’s private wedding.
Such is the story of election 2025!