Albanese's Animal Farm moment

On becoming what you hate

When the Albanese Government announced, finally, that it would revisit the Stage Three tax cuts and make them somewhat less indulgent of the richest people in the country, the immediate response of many in the media was to squeal about—what they would call, raise questions about—broken promises. How can you expect the Australian people to trust you if you break promises like this? Why should the Australian people believe you at the next election if you say you are going to do x, y or z?

Lisa Millar, on ABC Breakfast, in tones contemptuous, told Treasurer Jim Chalmers: “Well, you’ve delivered the Opposition their advertising campaign for the next election.”

As it turned out, the adjustments to the tax cuts were seen less as a broken promise than a sensible change to a flawed policy, and I think it is fair to say it was a moment of triumph for the idea that politicians should be allowed to revisit policy in the name of improving it, rather than being mindlessly accused of going back on th…