As I wrote yesterday, the Morrison government is neck deep in the unmentionable, if polls are to be believed. But then, that’s what polls said in 2019. It’s a foolish pundit who writes off Scott Morrison’s ability to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Still, can even Morrison overcome his last three years of often ham-fisted domestic policies? A good way to start is pitching to blue-collar female workers who are completely disregarded by unions and the Labor party.
Scott Morrison will use his first major speech of the election year to address voters’ anger over his handling of Omicron, and attempt to reset his political fortunes with new plans to strengthen the economy and the health system.
It’s a truism of politics that voters rarely vote governments in, they vote governments out. This is what Labor are clearly banking on and they’re playing the classic opposition game that allows them to snipe at the government without let up, while never being forced to answer hard questions about what they’d do instead.
It hasn’t helped that “Scotty from Marketing” has solidly allowed himself to be led by the nose by “public opinion” (meaning the screeching derangement of the left-media) on every domestic issue. His apparent strategy of giving state premiers enough pandemic rope has also entangled him badly.
The first part of Morrison’s announcement is aimed squarely at the academic elite.
In his “Building National Resilience” speech, Mr Morrison will pump $2bn into the government’s Research Commercialisation Plan to help avoid the “valley of death” for early-stage research shelved due to high levels of risk and uncertainty.
In a coup for Australian universities hit by the loss of international students during the pandemic, the research fund includes a $1.6bn three-stage competitive program to fast-track research, $150m for a CSIRO program helping start-up companies commercialise products and $296m for 1800 industry focused PhDs and 800 fellowships […]
“When it comes to driving commercialisation outcomes, the key policy challenge concerns the so-called ‘valley of death’ – where early-stage research is frequently not progressed to later stages of development because of the risk and uncertainty about commercial returns.
It’s too long been the case that Australia develops world-beating technologies — and then sells the IP overseas. But if Morrison thinks he is going to buy off the left-dominated university sector, he’ll be sadly disappointed.
Another issue Morrison outlined is indeed critical. It will also outrage the elite while appealing to ordinary Australians.
The Covid-19 pandemic and ongoing friction with Beijing has exposed major supply chain pressures in Australia, with the federal government teaming with regional partners and Quad allies India, Japan and the US to shift reliance on tech and other products away from China.
This is the brutal lesson Australia has learned from the pandemic — or should have. Being seen to decouple Australia’s economy from its poisonous reliance on China has the potential to be a big winner to many ordinary Australians. There is already a growing consumer backlash against Chinese-made goods, and public dismay at Chinese ownership of farming land in particular.
Unfortunately, China still has more than its share of greedy useful idiots who’ll push back mightily, if they think their river of BRI gold is about to dry up.
Aged care is another critical issue
Mr Morrison on Tuesday will also announce the government is making two payments of up to $400 for aged-care staff, which will be paid pro rata on hours worked. The first tranche will be paid this month and the second in early May […]
“In coming months, two bonus payments of up to $400 each will be paid to aged-care workers in government subsidised home care and to aged-care workers providing direct care, food or cleaning services in government subsidised residential care.”
The Australian
This is at least finally recognises the fact that nearly half of aged care workers work in the community, not in residential care. These workers, nearly entirely middle-aged women, have too often been ignored in favour of residential care workers, who are mostly RN’s with a powerful union. Community workers, on the other hand, are almost completely ignored by even their own union.
The cash payments are a start. If Morrison wants to fix his “woman problem”, ignoring the screeching of a well-off elite in the media and public service, and properly valuing the vital and back-breaking work of these long-ignored blue-collar women is just a good beginning.
