It’s not radical to say that Labor and the Coalition agree on more than they disagree on these days.

That’s neoliberalism in a nutshell – both parties are tied to protecting the market and capital. Although the Coalition, as the party more historically tied to capitalism, is flirting with what comes next more and more – leaving Labor one of the last defenders of a system that has comprehensively failed us.

The parties agreed on passing cuts to the NDIS, which they both dressed up as economic sensibility. But in reality was just a choice – a choice to make disabled, the future disabled, and their families and loved ones pay for the inconvenience of being disabled, while defence and fossil fuel spending continues unabated.

Make no mistake – it was a choice. And one that was rushed ahead of any attempt to set up supports for people who are about to find themselves with very limited choices, if any at all.

The Coalition celebrated this by pretending it secured a win in bringing forward a fix that was already in the works and had no immediate time pressure. Labor has celebrated by putting Mark Butler forward as a potential leader.

We saw that in the gambling advertising “reforms” as well – both Angus Taylor and Anthony Albanese pretending this was about “balance” and that the people’s right to have a punt was protected.

Except it was never in doubt. None of the measures put forward were about stopping gambling – just the ads that surround the billion-dollar industry, which harm people trying to take control over their lives. But having made the choice to support big business over people, the leaders had to pretend they did it to protect your free will, even though it was never in doubt. At least the Coalition had public dissenters. Labor MPs couldn’t even manage that.

In the background, we have the usual leadership hustling. As........

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