The two policy failures that will doom Albanese will be the non-reduction in energy prices and The Voice debacle. The latter will prove divisive whether the referendum succeeds or not. If it fails the usual suspects like the ABC will say shame on you Australia. If it gets up it won't be long before something proves the critics right such as lack of progress on aboriginal disadvantage.

I'm not sure Albanese will resign if it all goes badly then again we didn't expect Ardern to go suddenly. Long term the federal parliament may have more pragmatic independents and fewer party hacks. If so it may not be a bad thing.

Whitlam was barely interested in migration, which dropped as low as 13,000 in 1975. Albanese is an immigration lunatic, pushing migration past 300,000, in total opposition to what voters want, and what the economy needs. See the latest TAPRI survey, out March 1.

I hope that he crashes and burns within three years. He is dreadful. Whereas Whitlam was sophisticated and entertaining, and looked and sounded like a leader while he was wrecking the country, Ockernese is a hick, lacking any redeeming features at all; he is just wrecking the country.

Ocker, in that whiney voice, often asks what the rest of the world would think of us if we don't do what he wants us to do. I'm more concerned about what the rest of the world thinks of a country with a yokel like him as Prime Minister, and how he got to be there with less than a third of the primary vote.

All our politicians have proven to be rubbish since the Howard years. Now, we don't have a leader who even looks or sounds like one.

50 years after Whitlam we're copping this, what will they cop in 50 years after Albanese ?

Why Albanese & Marcia Langton haven't become a couple is beyond me !

Sorry, post meant for this thread.

Fderal Resolve poll for Nine newspapers, conducted January 17-22 from a sample of 1,606 people, gave Labor 42% of the primary vote (steady since early December), the Coalition 29% (down one), the Greens 11% (steady), One Nation 6% (up two), the UAP 2% (steady), independents 8% (steady) and others 2% (down one).

Whitlam increased the pay of federal public servants by 30%. He gave his blessing to Indonesia's takeover of East Timor. His resources minister Rex Connor attempted to nationalise the mining industry. He blames the governor general rather than himself and his incompetent ministers for his dismissal, helping to lower public respect for the GG's position.
Whitlam was one of our worst PMs and his few good deeds do not compensate for his many bad deeds.

Here's the thing, it's no longer about winning or losing elections but having the guts to buck the establishment and remove the insane embargo on clen cheap carbon free nuclear energy (MSR thorium) Just as all oils aint oils all nuclear aint nuclear.

There's more than one way to skin a cat and we can do nuclear many different ways and without more waste, but savagely reducing it!

I believe, Witlam was a goose with an ego a danger to shipping, and Elbow is an egg laying chicken who does politics (photo ops, makes announcements about announcements) way better than running the country!

Reminds one of a kid in a flashy car doing burnouts because he's got more money (ours) than brains. It's all for show and no go!
Alan B.

What Bernie says.
Alan B.

Whitlam was an egotistical twit, driven by ideology, hampered by the typical academic's lack of practicality. Something of a Don Quixote charging at half a dozen perceived windmills simultaneously, tripping over his academics stupidity. I think he respected the opposition, & was trying to do good as he saw it.

Albanese is an entirely different object. He is a hater, a nasty bit of work, out to injure anyone not in his camp. He wants to avenge what he sees as injury done to him & his, in his younger days, despite actually being given considerable support by the community.

Like Gillard & the NDIS, he is out to injure middle class society financially, & in any other way he can. He will recklessly throw our money at anyone if he thinks it will buy him a vote, his immigration plan is a result of this activity.

Long will we suffer from KRudd & Gillard stupidity, if we actually survive the onslaught of Albanese's hate.

"The Australian Council of Trade Unions has made the bizarre claim that company profits cause inflation, and the only way to beat it is to increase wages."

No, it is not bizarre at all. Excessive profiteering, which is definitely happening at the moment, does cause inflation.

Increased wages help alleviate the pain of increased inflation.

Increased wages= increased consumption. Increased consumption = inflation.

The only real way to restore equity is to massively reduce energy costs. And if the fossil fuel barons won't allow that then we must go down the nuclear energy road ASAP.

Nothing prevents that than a few conflicted, and I believe, bought and paid for pollies or braindead dimwits who haven't the ticker to pull back against their string pooling puppet masters.
Alan B.

Aspley,
I agree it's not bizarre, but your description isn't quite right either.
'Tis not the amount of profiteering which results in inflation, but the increase in it.
And though increased wages can help alleviate the pain of increased inflation, they can also exacerbate the inflation. A better objective, albeit a harder to achieve one, is to ensure more of the benefits are passed on to customers.

______________________________________________________________________________

Alan B.,
We're years (perhaps decades) away from commercialising MSRs (thorium or otherwise). They will eventually be of great benefit to the world, but they're unlikely to be competitive with solar power in Australia.

>Increased wages= increased consumption. Increased consumption = inflation.
The absence of meaningful increases in wages in the last few years disproves the above claim. In the general sense there's some correlation, but there are other factors at play, and recently it's the other factors that are dominating.

>Increased wages= increased consumption. Increased consumption = inflation.

add to this increased incompetence = increased cost of covering incompetence !

A conservative, who was most likely a Young lad when Whitlam was elected. Singing from the same old Tory song sheet, "How bad was Gough", he introduced universal healthcare for Australians, just one of his faults. No mention of the fact he saved young Australian lives by getting use out of the Vietnam War, the Coalition had murdered over 500 Australians in that disgusting conflict, but they don't count. He fails to mention Whitlam replaced the most incompetent post war government we ever had, the reprobate McMahon, I could say more about that bloke and its not to do with politics. Here we are 50 years later and a Tory is trying to associate Albo with Gough. "Whitlam was LABOR, Albanese is LABOR, Whitlam was BAD, therefore Albanese is BAD." I'm sure we can all read about it in the Murdoch Gutter Press, its being well publicised on 'Sky Disater' and in 'The Daily Telecrap' .

No suggestion from the writer that Albanese should be replaced with Mr Potato Head, Dutton, and his gang of thieves. You guys can live in hope, you never know the Fascist loving 'Pig Iron' Bob might be reincarnated one day and save us all.

Whitlam didn't save conscripts, he bought the voices of the many who wanted the benefits without the effort & he could afford to introduce Healthcare before he squandered everything that was in the coffers.
That's not governing, that's appeasing the hangers-on !

Indy,

You said so yourself you dodged military service, don't be such a hypocrite. You and your National Service, something you demand for others, but safely avoided yourself. You have to be a Tory, who else would think like that.

To Paul1405,
You should study history more. It was the McMahon Liberal government which took the decision to withdraw Australian troops from Vietnam - see https://www.naa.gov.au/learn/learning-resources/learning-resource-themes/war/vietnam-war/cabinet-decision-withdraw-australian-forces-vietnam-1971
Whitlam simply became the PM who was in power when the previous government's decision was put into effect. Same as Trump took the decision to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan but his successor Biden implemented the decision (badly, it must be said).

Speaking of Tory's Maggie Thatcher is incredibly rational and poised under attack by members of the public in this interview by Thames TV.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhLRtUUdDsY

Interesting article GY.

Anthony Albanese's style is totally different from that
of Whitlam's or Bob Hawke's. Mr Albanese is not as flamboyant
and tries to keep under the radar. However he does seem to
be inclusive and not only asks but listens to advice. He consults
with others.

No matter
who would be in charge in this country today - there are so many
problems and challenges that they would face from the housing
shortages, high prices, energy and renewable, China, climate change,
the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, and so on. The
country has gone through pandemics and survived. Hopefully this
will continue with the right decisions being made. Which I am
sure will be made as policies are a feature of this government as
opposed to the previous one which was running on words not actions.
And definitely wasn't listening.

Instead of asking "Will Albanese walk in the footsteps of Whitlam?"
Perhaps what we should be asking is - "Will Peter Dutton walk
in the footsteps of Scott Morrison, who was running on empty?"
And thus far for the Coalition things are not looking good.

Aiden

Increasing profits could be a cause of inflation, but in the present case I don’t think they are the main cause. It’s true that profits have increased hugely in recent years, but that is almost all in the mining sector. For the rest of the economy, profit growth has been pretty much in line with sales growth (though wages growth has been slower).

(From this week’s ABS business indicators data - https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/business-indicators/business-indicators-australia/latest-release#data-downloads)

If Coles or McDonald’s increases profits by increasing prices in Australia, it could cause inflation here. If BHP increases profit by increasing prices charged for iron ore to Chinese steel mills, it probably won’t (though some of the increase in mining profits reflects high oil and gas prices which are affecting Australian domestic prices, especially on the East Coast).

Almost all developed economies have seen steep growth in inflation in the past year, and unless there has been a global outbreak of rampant profiteering it’s likely that other factors are the main cause both here and overseas – the Ukraine war, supply chain snarl-ups post covid, and massive fiscal stimulus in recent years.

That why respected economists like Saul Eslake dispute the Australia Institute’s assertion that profits are driving inflation.

https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/finance-news/2022/07/18/inflation-profits-wages/

The cost of energy, driven by the ridiculous love affair with wind & solar is driving inflation, & it & shortages are only doing to get worse while we continue with these stupid daydreams that they can power our civilisation.

Hassy,

As a 1960's petrol head are you suggesting a return to those good old gas guzzlers you liked to fly around Mount Panorama in? How is it Old Cock up there on your own personal "Saharan Sand Hill".

Anthony Albanese's style is totally different from that
of Whitlam's or Bob Hawke's.
Foxy,
Style doesn't affect policies, mentality does ! Some pretty woeful examples for the past few Federal Governments !

BM

After murdering 523 and mentally and physically injuring thousands of other young Australians because of Vietnam, do you think we should praise the sycophantic Coalition government of the pathetic McMahon for agreeing to follow the Americans out of that sh!t hole with our tails between our legs, a sh!t hole they helped create. It was Whitlam who brought them home, not McMahon.

indyvidual,

You've missed the point.

Anthony Albanese's style is connected to his mentality.
And as I stated - he does listen to advisers and is
inclusive. He's not a one man show. He's a team.
And in the short time that his government has been in
power he's done a good job. The problems that he is
facing at present are not of his making. They're world
wide problems.Yet Australia is doing well.

he does listen to advisers
Foxy,
Isn't that what gets everything into a mess every time ? People who know are never being consulted !

Rhian,
I suggest you take a closer look at http://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/business-indicators/business-indicators-australia/latest-release#data-downloads as it clearly shows the opposite of what you were claiming: the large increase in profits is not just in the mining industry, but in almost every industry.

There is of course no doubt that the Ukraine war was the primary cause of inflation last year, but it doesn't explain why inflation is still so high.

________________________________________________________________________________

Hasbeen,
The cost of energy was certainly driving inflation last year, but your blaming solar and wind indicates you're a bigot: you foolishly ignore all the evidence and instead resort to the outdated stereotype that wind and solar are expensive and therefore they, not the skyrocketing gas prices, must be to blame!

What will it take for you to overcome your bigotry and return to reality?

Do try to wake up Aidan.

The cost of power is highest in every country that invest more in wind & solar than any other. Germany & Great Britain followed by the low countries have the most expensive power anywhere other than California, also heavily invested in the rubbish renewables.

If there are bigots in this discussion it is those who have foolishly swallowed the renewables scam, to actually believe in the foolishness.

Of course there are those wind advocates who have invested in the scam, & are making a fortune in tax payer handouts from complicit governments. Where are you.

Aiden

The Australia Institute’s analysis compares profits with December 2019, just before the pandemic, which seems to me a reasonable starting point. The AI used national accounts data to September 2022 (the latest then available) so the numbers are a little different to the ones in the business indicators survey, but the pattern is similar.

According to the ABS data, between the December quarters of 2019 and 2022 (seasonally adjusted):
Mining profits rose by 126%, to $65 billion
Total profits rose by 76%, to $119 billion
So non-mining profits rose by 39%, to $55 billion, and mining accounted for more than half of all corporate profits during the quarter.

Over the same period:
Mining sales of goods and services rose by 69%, to $131 billion
Total sales of goods and services rose by 28%, to $948 billion
So non-mining sales of goods and services rose by 23%, to $817 billion

In December 2022
Mining profits were 48.3% of sales, compared to 37% in December 2019
Total profits were 12.6% of sales, compared to 9.2% in December 2019
Non-mining profits were 6.7% of sales compared to 5.9% in December 2019

So yes, there was a small increase in non-mining profit margins, but this measure is quite volatile and 6.7% is comfortably within its range of 4.6% to 7.4% in the 10 years to December 2019. The AI’s claims of a “profit-price spiral” do not stack up.

If Albanese has an ounce of sense, following in the Goaf's footsteps would be last he'd do !

Thank you GY for an interesting article. Good to see Bernie Masters knows his history. With the advantage of 20/20 hindsight it is easy to see just how bad Whitlam, Rudd and Gillard were for the future of the nation. It's a bit more difficult now. Climate frolics, modern monetary theory - problems coming home big time (inflation), Russian war and Chinese belligerent hegemony for starters. In my view the most urgent problem facing Australia is "the voice"
I believe all true Aussies including me, are very indebted to Senator Jacinta Price, The Australian commentators especially C Mitchell and J Albrechsten, plus much valued real historian Keith Windschuttle for their cogent analyses of the underlying objectives of the promised referendum for the creation of a constitutionally imposed VOICE within the Australian Federal Parliament. There is now abundant evidence that, as posed, the referendum will permit direct challanges to the Parliament, facilitate sovereignty claims for various parts of Australia, and divide the nation racially based on a subjective definition of aboriginal descent. The latter of course will only stop when all Australians claim some Aboriginality which is of course impossible - so it will be forever. Long before then a sovereign Australia will have ceased to exist. Yet PM Albo has been in my view deliberately deceptive about this issue.

A far right nationalist refers to his "true Aussies (including me)". Given your rabid hard right opinions, coupled with recent election results including in WA, I would say you're in the half a percent minority, just like Dutton. The vast majority have voted for progressive candidates and are firmly in support of the Federal Labor government.