Getting down and dirty: Sneers and goading on the campaign trail
Less than a week into the official election campaign and the first serious slanging match has erupted between political combatants from very different weight divisions.
Deputy Premier Steven Miles has committed the government to implementing any recommendations of the Coaldrake inquiry. (Photo: ABC)
Prime Ministers don’t usually get involved in name-calling with state politicians, although Scott Morrison has a history of firing barbs at premiers, either directly or using behind the scenes surrogates.
At the weekend he turned to schoolyard taunts suggesting Queensland’s Deputy Premier Steven Miles should “grow up”.
Morrison was clearly stung by the barb from Miles who started this spate of verbal jousting with a snide (and inaccurate) observation that Morrison had “taken the week off” to run the LNP election campaign for Deb Frecklington.
For Miles it was some drive-by political sledging and he wouldn’t have expected someone in Morrison’s league to drop down a division and return serve.
A cool-headed national leader would have shrugged off a minor slight from Miles but Morrison is known for his thin skin when criticised.
By taking the bait from Miles, Morrison elevated the attack – drawing attention to the Prime Minister’s prolonged visit to Queensland, which began just hours after Parliament passed key budget bills late last week.
The Labor campaign is not happy about Morrison’s presence in Queensland because of his popularity here. Having him on the ground helps Frecklington, who struggles to engage with the public.
Whether Morrison delivers a tick up in the standing of the LNP or Frecklington will be shown over the next week or so but his constant proximity to the Opposition Leader cannot hurt – unless it’s seen as a nakedly political exercise.
That’s why Miles attacked and Morrison might have tripped himself up by taking up the challenge to get down and dirty.
Otherwise, Labor was particularly disappointed Morrison didn’t criticise Annastacia Palaszczuk for her hardline stance on borders – hoping to draw a contrast on the issue between the Premier and her opponents.
Morrison, who was hurt politically when he took on West Australian Labor leader Mark McGowan over borders, wasn’t about to walk into that trap and confined his commentary to the subtext of the policy.
However, the Prime Minister couldn’t help himself when attacked directly. He grabbed the script his Queensland minister Peter Dutton has used and said Miles should “grow up”.
It’s one thing to watch and shrug off a schoolyard verbal volley. It’s quite another to climb the fence and join in.
