The rustling in the trees you hear is the result of a collective sigh of relief from Australia’s political journalists as parliament returns today, and the material of day-to-day politics returns with it. But the last mile is the hardest mile — there is only so much material one can wring from “what to expect” primers. So recently the papers had to get a bit creative.
The front pages of the Nine papers today are dedicated to the results of polling they commissioned. “Bold reform low on voters’ agenda” we are informed by The Sydney Morning Herald. So if nothing else, the piece make a bold argument for Australia to take its place among the Cockburn headline award winners, alongside “Surprises Unlikely in Indiana”, “Worthwhile Canadian Initiative” and “Dramatic Changes Fail to Materialize on Hill”.
Inside today’s edition of The Agestretched across pages 4 and 5, is an in-depth study of Anthony Albanese’s office decor, which noted one key way in which the PM leads his predecessors:
When Anthony Albanese returns to parliament this week, commanding a historic 94-seat majority, he will sit in front of a shelf surrounded by more sports memorabilia than any prime minister in living memory.
Spare a thought for political reporter Nick Newling, who must have suffered whiplash when his editor told him “good stuff, this is fun, now you have to cover the ongoing fallout of Israel’s latest slaughter of civilians in Gaza”.
Over in The Australianmeanwhile, alongside the news that Labor was affixing a plaque to the picture of former leader and sentient bin fire Mark Latham after allegations of domestic violence were levelled against him (which he denies), Jenna Clark was tasked with what can only be described as a “Frankenvibes monster” of a piece. Exploring Albanese’s “relaxed, confident” approach to the coming parliament, it starts on the appearance of Albanese’s son Nathan:
There was a breath of fresh heir in Canberra on Monday when Nathan Albanese made a rare public appearance. Braving the freezing conditions in a Normcore uniform accompanying his dad for his first day at work as the leader of the 48th parliament.
The son of Anthony Albanese and former NSW deputy premier Carmel Tebbutt is Labor royalty. He’s as precious as the Imperial State Crown for the prime minister as he kicks off his second term as leader with a pep in his step as he looks to approach governing in a more relaxed, open collar mode this time around.
Before reaching its terminus, the piece takes a scenic drive around Albanese’s 2022 “glow up”, that time he played tennis in Perth the same day the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne was firebombed, and his fiancé Jodie Haydon’s fashion choices in China.
One possible explanation for this slightly airy tone appears in the day’s other political coverage. The Nine papers report Opposition Leader Sussan Ley’s remarks to her party this morning, opening with three pars summarising her speech — in effect “we’re at the bottom of the mountain, the only way is up”. The remainder of the piece is dedicated to Ley’s “seemingly tenuous grip on the leadership”, filled (anonymous, naturally) with quotes from Ley’s colleagues speculating on when she will be challenged. All agree it would be a bad idea right now, but it is still the topic of the piece — not, and God forbid, policy.
And in The Australiana big chunk of the front page is dedicated to the apparent “purge” of dissent on the Greens’ “transgender zeal” (cool band name, btw). The same theme is revisited in a commentary piece.
Grouped with this coverage is an interview with Sarah Witty, the Labor candidate who unexpectedly unseated former Greens leader Adam Bandt in the May election. People had “had enough” of him, apparently.
Again, you may note in this coverage of Labor’s major opposition on either side that any notion of the ideas they might bring to the coming parliament is an afterthought, if it figures at all.
And with the parties responsible for holding Labor to account under new leadership, in transition (or outright disarray depending on who you ask), it may be a while before that changes.
What have you made of the media’s political coverage since the federal election?
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