Not Even the Unions Are Backing Albo

Another poll, another nose-dive for Anthony Albanese. The latest poll shows the Australian PM being rated as the weakest leader in decades. And this was before his disappearing act in the wake of a terror attack on a Melbourne synagogue.

An exclusive Newspoll conducted for The Australian shows Mr Albanese falling further behind the Opposition Leader on key character traits considered crucial to the leadership contest.

His rating as a strong and decisive leader has fallen five points to 44 per cent compared to Mr Dutton on an unchanged 60 per cent.

Like him or not, Peter Dutton is at least showing that he is prepared to stand for something, in contrast to the King of the Hollow Men, Albanese. The PM’s spinelessness is being judged accordingly.

This is the lowest score for a prime minister on this critical measure since Newspoll first began the series in 2008 after the election of Kevin Rudd.

Mr Dutton’s is the highest score for an opposition leader since Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull more than a decade ago […]

Mr Albanese has also become increasingly out of touch with voters, losing an important advantage over the Liberal leader on this as cost of living, the stalling economy and social unrest dominate the political landscape.

Mr Dutton maintained his lead as the more experienced leader and continued to score higher than Mr Albanese as having a vision for the nation and understanding the issues of most concern to voters.

With the two-party preferred poll showing Labor and the coalition running neck and neck, Albanese’s weak leadership may well be the deciding factor.

By trying to be all things to everybody, Albanese is winning over nobody.

Not even Labor’s paymasters, the unions.

Anthony Albanese’s “meddling” to install his preferred left-faction candidate in the seat of Barton has ignited the anger of one of the most powerful trade union leaders in NSW, who criticised his “blatant disregard” of party procedure and “disrespect” of card-carrying members.

Even the unions are seeing the writing on the wall.

The comments were made at the Australian Workers Union NSW Christmas party on Friday, where trade leaders also predicted Labor would struggle at next year’s election to avoid becoming a one-term government.

This is more than just a factional fight: it’s yet another instance of Labor leadership prioritising Quota Queens over actual talent and grit.

It comes after the prime minister last week sought to install ­Georges River councillor Ashvini Ambihaipahar via the national executive to replace outgoing Linda Burney in Barton.

Once again, Labor are trying to parachute in a candidate who ticks the intersectional boxes – female, brown, ethnic – over a hardworking, grassroots-popular white male. Which is what they did with Fatima Payman, for example. How’d that work out for them? How many times did voters have to reject Kristina Keneally before Labor got the message to stop parachuting her into (formerly) safe seats?

On Friday at the Christmas party, sources said state branch secretary Tony Callinan told a 100-plus crowd in a “fiery” speech that […] the Prime Minister had a “blatant disregard for party procedure and policy” and in moving to install a factional ally had “disrespected” Labor’s rank and file […]

Multiple sources – speaking on the condition of anonymity – said union leaders told the room they predicted a “one-term” Labor federal government, implicating Mr Albanese at the centre of the Barton uproar and the party’s dwind­ling poll numbers […]

Barton is at least the third preselection intervention by Mr Albanese, following similar actions in Tasmania and Victoria.

These ‘Captain’s Picks’ always work out so well, don’t they?

Then again, Labor would choose candidates on merit… if they could find any.