Political leaks a sign of policy cracks

Week one of the election campaign did not see the coalition get off to a great start. But since last Sunday’s debate — such as it was — Tony Abbott is looking more disciplined, perhaps even more “prime-ministerial”. Meanwhile, things have gone from “not great” to “appalling” for Labor, with Julia Gillard being hounded by journalists armed with fantastic inside information about the workings of the current government. If week one failed to capture any policy substance, week two hasn’t even touched on policy fluff for Labor — much of the attention instead focused on Gillard’s role during Rudd’s abruptly curtailed reign. As the ABC’s Chris Uhlmann opines, the problem now bedevelling Gillard’s campaign is a growing community perception that Labor is a party of quick political fixes rather than real solutions. Already we’ve seen the mining tax rejig, the ‘Timor solution’, and Labor’s widely-panned citizens’ assembly on climate change. With three weeks still to go in this campaign, there’s a risk of more policy bandaids coming unstuck. It is Labor’s election to lose — and they just might.