The politics of gas have changed. Can Malinauskas catch up?

The Premier has failed to realise that the national conversation around gas has changed dramatically in recent months, writes The Australia Institute director Noah Schultz-Byard.

Most would agree that the Premier of South Australia, Peter Malinauskas, is an extraordinarily adept politician. Maybe, even, a generational talent.

He has a considerable ability to communicate clearly and control the narrative – capacities that are most plainly visible when his carefully considered political strategies are rolling out as intended.

However, when things go awry, the wheels tend to come off, if only temporarily.

Consider the fallout from the Premier’s role in the cancellation of Palestinian Australian author, lawyer, and academic Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah’s appearance at Adelaide Writers Week earlier this year.

Regardless of how you feel about political censorship of the arts – I am opposed to it, by the way – it is hard to argue with the fact that the Government’s response to the controversy misread the moment and came up severely lacking.

This resulted in the cancellation of the entire festival and a replacement event at Adelaide Town Hall that reinstated Dr Abdel Fattah’s previously rescinded platform.

Some explain away this strategic stumble by pointing out that the Premier, who is more comfortable at a football match than a literary festival, misunderstood the politics and passions of the arts community in Adelaide.

This may be true. But........

© InDaily