Earth to Albo: your radar malfunctioned again. The PM can’t afford many more mistakes

September 3, 2026 — 5:00am

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The midterm blues that have gripped Anthony Albanese and his government have been induced by a host of factors, mainly the economy but also a bad dose of meloncholia.

Despite furious peddling, spending, dealmaking and spinning, the dial has barely shifted for months. One Nation is untouchable, the opposition so far remains unelectable, and Labor is increasingly unloved.

It would help if for once in his life Donald Trump lived up to his words and ended the Ukraine and Iran wars. But he can’t, so cost of living will continue to erode Labor’s support. If interest rates rise again – more likely now thanks to Wednesday’s stronger than expected growth numbers – and stay high, they could consume the government, turning to dust the prospect of it holding on to majority government in 2028, a given not so long ago.

Another reason for Labor’s decline and One Nation’s rise is the silly, avoidable, unforgettable stuff that detracts from whatever positive news there might be and which provides people with even more incentive, as if they need it, to turn off the major parties.

Albanese can still come good, assuming he accepts his competitors either inside or outside the party are not easybeats, that the 2025 election did not render him invincible and that acts of self harm can destroy leaders. Think Scott Morrison.

The Liberals are in much worse shape, paying the price for acting as if the 2022 election and every electoral contest since was........

© The Age