tunnel

Gladys Berejiklian’s shock exit likely makes his path even narrower and rockier, because in this election the Prime Minister won’t just be campaigning against Anthony Albanese.

He’ll be campaigning against popular and punchy Labor premiers – and potentially dodging their travel restrictions – who are set to play a more important role than ever on the federal electoral stage.

With an election able to be called any time between now and May, Mr Morrison is already setting up his campaign as a referendum on his “safe reopening plan”.

He’s recently switched back to “hope” and “light at the end of the tunnel” messaging, talking up freedoms Australians (read: NSW residents) are about to get back under the national plan.

It was even skewered in a Betoota Advocate headline, the satirical paper ‘reporting’ Mr Morrison “jumped at the chance to take credit for New South Wales’ imminent freedom day” in a press conference on Thursday.

Mr Albanese is talking up Labor’s post-pandemic “reconstruction” plans, an Australian-themed version of “build back better” slogans being rolled out in election campaigns worldwide.

Whenever it’s held, between now and May, will be in the midst of Australia’s wider reopening from COVID-19; the campaign themes for both sides will be pandemic, pandemic and pandemic.

But even structurally and logistically, this election will revolve around the pandemic.

Let’s think about the mechanics of an election campaign – leaders, buses, travelling, planes.

Western Australia’s Mark McGowan, Queensland’s Annastacia Palaszczuk and Tasmania’s Peter Gutwein have shied away from giving any indication as to when they’ll reopen their borders to states with high COVID rates.

That could stifle the travel plans of Mr Morrison and Mr Albanese, who are both based in Sydney.

Mr Morrison, asked about the situation on Perth’s 6PR this week, laughed it off: “It’s not really up to me, is it?”

“That’s up to the WA Premier as to whether he opens the borders or not, to anyone from the eastern states.”

Maybe by election day, those borders are open.

But imagine a situation where Mr Albanese and Mr Morrison are confined to only a few states of travel – NSW, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory, maybe South Australia.

It’d be unprecedented for a federal election where leaders criss-cross two or three cities a day, blitzing local media and revving up the troops.

Of course, prominent MPs in each state could be deputised; Peter Dutton and Jim Chalmers as the Queensland ‘captains’, for instance.

The major parties are also looking to conduct campaigns partially remotely, potentially using video conferencing out of headquarters.

But think about how state premiers, some elevated from semi-obscurity into titan status through the pandemic, could be used as battleground heavyweights?

Read more:

https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2021/10/07/state-premiers-scott-morrison/

FREE JULIAN ASSANGE NOW ÇÇ••••••••••••••••