Politician swallows boofhead

How rejigging the Stage 3 tax package exposed the nothingness of Dutton and News Corp

“Would the people in the cheaper seats clap your hands. And the rest of you, if you’ll just rattle your jewellery.”

—John Lennon

I don’t think anyone serious ever doubted that the Stage 3 tax package needed to be amended if the Labor Government of Anthony Albanese were ever going to be taken remotely seriously as a Labor government. The prime minister loves to repeat the story of his humble beginnings to signal his commitment to the bottom end of town, but the retention of tax reform that overwhelming favoured the top end was making him look distinctly like someone who was pulling the ladder up behind him.¹

The pressure brought to bear by ordinary voters through social media, and the hints provided by polling and election results in outer suburbs, along with careful argument and lobbying by organisations like The Australia Institute and Per Capita eventually dragged Labor, kicking and screaming, to the right decision.

Something had to give, and the wonder of it is that it took so long.

Actu…