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Sunday February 5, 2012

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  • David on It ain't over til it's over Lets not give this incompotent government another term. more
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  • Kevin H on Yes We Will .. Will We? I hope Labor wins and the GST goes up to 40-50%, petrol 5$ a litre and more, bank rates at 19.7% as it was with the last ... more

Citizens Assembly the 'turning point'?

Posted by: Steve Murphy, Politcial Analyst | 23 July, 2010 - 2:49 PM
Emissions trading

A decision by Julia Gillard to establish a so called Citizens Assembly as the basis of her policy to deal with what Kevin Rudd said was “the greatest moral challenge of our generation” - the vexed issue of Climate Change - could be a significant turning point in Campaign 2010.

Holding an Assembly is nothing more than a politically cute way to avoid making a decision now and having to sell that decision to Australian voters. It also fits nicely with her previously stated position of seeking a “deep and abiding community consensus” on the issue.

Ms Gillard is playing to those swinging and moderate voters who want action on climate change but aren’t as militant about it as the Greens. Those are the very voters who are largely in marginal seats and whom the PM is aiming to soothe with nice words and reassure that nothing will be done that will threaten jobs, and increase the cost of utilities thereby threatening their lifestyle.

Those disaffected voters who have deserted the ALP for the Greens over the past 6 months largely because of K-Rudd’s decision to dump the CPRS (Carbon Pollution reduction Scheme) will be outraged.

But given the preference deal between the Greens and Labor, the PM might not be too perturbed by that. As I’ve said on these pages before, beware the Greens/ALP alliance.

Those who are opposed to climate change action – and would never vote Labor anyway - will have the opportunity to paint it as a stalling tactic to get through the election and then jump into bed with the Greens. They’ll predict economic Armageddon. 

All in all it’s a political campaign fix on an issue for which she has no practical answer.

Swinging moderate voters need to consider what it is that Ms Gillard is seeking to build a consensus around. She has said she supports a market based price for carbon, but she hasn’t told us what kind.

What she’s doing is effectively saying let’s discuss the principle of a market based price for carbon as opposed to taking a leadership position and saying here is the market based mechanism for pricing carbon that I want to introduce and these are the implications.

It’ll only be after the election that we’ll find that out. This is the kind of action a politician takes when a politician doesn’t want to take action.

The difficulty for the PM is that there is a pattern of avoidance emerging in her campaigning. Effectively she is promising to do nothing on climate change until after the talkfest is completed sometime in the next parliamentary term.

Similarly, her position on boat people is not much more than a commitment to talk in an effort to establish a processing centre in East Timor, although that country’s acting Foreign Minister is reported today as saying “It (the processing centre) is not going to happen.”

That too will be determined sometime in the next parliamentary term, well after you’ve cast your vote.

The fact is, the Citizens Assembly is just a talkfest and the issue is likely to turn into one about Ms Gillard’s character, commitment and ability to show leadership. It’s a high wire act and she had better have a safety net below.

Leave a comment or question below and Steve will try to reply to you. Let him know if you want him to focus on a certain aspect of the election campaign as well.

Steve answers your questions

Steve Murphy Steve Murphy has been a journalist, commentator, senior political adviser and corporate communications consultant for almost 30 years. Read his election blogs, which he will answer your questions in.

Blog comments Your Say

  • Australia has 1.5% of the manmade co2 output so any decision we make will have no impact on the world. Whether we like it or not we are insignificant.

    mark Wednesday 4 August, 2010 - 8:49 PM

  • Labor wastes again our taxes on a talk fest.
    What came out of the Rudd's talk fest. NOTHING.
    Labor can not handle our money.

    Fred de Boer Monday 26 July, 2010 - 3:26 PM

  • Amazing that people are reacting so negatively about the opportunity to participate in decisionmaking processes. Research shows that most citizens lack confidence in politicians to make decisions for the public good. When opportunities are provided and we reject them, what are politicians likely to do? These processes attempt to answer the question, "What would citizens be likely to support if they have access to solid and balanced information, time to think about it and deliberate over it, and the chance to scrutinise the experts who have different opinions?" Voting and referendums may be 'representative' but they are certainly not 'deliberative'. There is a different between public opinion and public judgment. The trick is knowing which issues are worth the investment in time, energy and money, and which issues we can entrust to those we vote in.

    Max Hardy Monday 26 July, 2010 - 2:19 PM

  • Kevin Rudd's apprentice strikes again! She has learned a lot from Kevin Rudd. now she trys out his tactics

    Brendon Henry Sunday 25 July, 2010 - 6:28 PM

  • The deal between the ALP and the Greens leaves Victorians with only one option in the Federal Senate and that's to vote DLP!!!!
    The only way you get you're interests heard!

    Francis Brown Saturday 24 July, 2010 - 2:55 PM

  • I have a choice this election between climate chnage action (never) by Abbott or climate change action (eventually)by Labor. if I want action, I know which way I'm voting and "listening' to the community is never a bad idea.

    Glenn Conroy Saturday 24 July, 2010 - 1:51 PM

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