Will Peter Dutton Learn from Trump? By James Reed
Will Opposition leader Peter Dutton learn from the Trump election? The report below from The Australian says that he might, tackling the economic issues of the cost-of-living crisis, mass immigration and the accommodation apocalypse that led to tent cities. I am not impressed by Dutton, who failed to scream down Albo on these issues. He has been extraordinarily weak, when he could have crushed the government after the failure of the Voice referendum. He is not addressing the free speech issue, and as a liberal at least he should do that.
Time for Senator Price to replace him as our first Aboriginal prime minister! She showed in opposing the Voice that she is quite capable of the top job. Why am I the only one saying this at present? Ho, Ho, Dutton must go! The Price is right!
Send emails to Senator Price so she knows Aussies support her leadership challenge!
"Peter Dutton's election tactics will mirror the winning strategy of Donald Trump, focusing on inflation, the economy, immigration and disillusioned working-class voters, as the Coalition moves to tap Republican strategists to sharpen campaign messaging and ads.
The Opposition Leader will gear Coalition policies towards presenting a positive, new pathway to prosperity for Australia, contrasting with Anthony Albanese's broken 2022 election promise that power prices and mortgages would be "cheaper" under Labor.
A key plank of Mr Dutton's election blueprint will be to attack federal Labor claims that falling inflation is helping families pay their bills and mortgages, and to amplify the complaints of economic pain that working Australians and small business owners are feeling.
Labor's hold on seats with a high number of tradesmen, technicians, labourers and machine operators has been eroding since Kevin Rudd's 2007 election victory – and is now in danger of reducing further at next year's election.
Some ALP insiders fear the Prime Minister has focused too much on the Greens since the Queensland election, and is gearing policies towards picking off a handful of Greens MPs rather than winning target Coalition seats and sandbagging marginal Labor electorates.
In a bid to shore up Middle Australia support, Treasurer Jim Chalmers is expected to unveil new cost-of-living measures ahead of next month's mid-year budget update that will provide pre-election relief for millions of voters.
The Weekend Australian can reveal the Coalition, which has strong relationships with Republican Party officials, campaigners, pollsters and ad-makers, will seek comprehensive briefings on what worked and didn't work during the US election campaign.
While Mr Dutton and Coalition strategists acknowledge that US and Australian politics and campaigns are different, the global experience shows the economy and inflation are dominating the minds of voters.
As in Australia, voters in the US are still living with high prices that haven't come down due to the cumulative impacts of inflation.
Mr Trump on Friday emphasised that immigration and deportations would be his first priorities in office, and announced campaign manager Susie Wiles would be his chief-of-staff, becoming the first woman in US history to hold the post.
As the US president-elect prepares to install MAGA loyalists and China hawks to key cabinet roles, Canberra insiders are warning that Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles could struggle to forge strong relationships with their new counterparts.
Sources said the Albanese government's relationship with the incoming US administration would be tested, amid a more aggressive American posture towards China and the Albanese government's closer ties with Beijing.
After financial markets this week pushed out predictions of a rate cut in Australia until July, following next year's federal election, the US Federal Reserve on Friday announced its second rate cut, despite inflation remaining "somewhat elevated".
Pressure is building on the Albanese government to convince voters that inflation is moderating fast enough, with Australians still being hit with high post-pandemic prices and businesses collapsing in record numbers.
Mr Dutton on Friday repeated a line from his May budget reply speech, based on former Republican president Ronald Regan's 1980 campaign against Jimmy Carter, in asking Australians: "Are you better off today than you were three years ago?"
Mr Trump successfully seized on voter discontent about the economy and inflation, immigration and threats to domestic jobs and industries to reclaim states with high working-class populations including Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Mr Trump also expanded his support base across outer-suburban, rural and minority voters."
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