Learning from mistakes is supposed to be one of the basic differences between humans and other animal species. It’s what sets us apart, well most of us anyway.
Yet it’s extraordinary how often in politics the same mistakes get made over and over again, with few lessons ever learned.
Nationals leader David Littleproud take a bow… his comments on Monday were decidedly misplaced and stupid.
One of the Albanese government’s biggest mistakes happened before they even won the 2022 Federal Election when they pledged that they would reduce power prices.
The comments were made by a series of ministers, including then Opposition Leader and now PM, Anthony Albanese.
The Coalition has used the 2022 election commitment as a political battering ram ever since; barely a Question Time has gone by without the broken promise raised.
Yet here we are, on the eve of the 2025 Budget with the next election set to be called shortly afterwards, and Littleproud has made the exact same mistake.
Littleproud has promised that if elected, the Coalition will reduce power prices within 12 to 18 months. How mind-bogglingly idiotic.
David Littleproud (above) has now copied the pre-election mistake Albanese made tp voters three years ago, writes Peter van Onselen
Littleproud was asked on ABC radio: ‘If the Coalition is elected for this next term, can the Coalition guarantee that energy prices will go down under your government?’
Evading the deliberate set up ‘gotcha’ question with all the skills of a bull in a china shop, the Nationals leader replied: ‘If you increase supply, yes – and that’s what we intend to do.’ And that’s what he intends to do. Not a lot of wriggle room there if the Coalition wins and fails to cut power bills.
He went on to explain exactly how he’ll do it – something about increasing gas supplies. Don’t forget Littleproud isn’t even the shadow minister responsible for energy.
The details of his how-to explainer didn’t really matter. Littleproud has now copied the pre-election mistake Albanese made three years ago. If the Coalition does win the next election you can see this clip getting aired over and over again if energy prices don’t fall, as has now been promised.
And it’s a pretty sure bet that they won’t, no matter who wins.
Perhaps Littleproud is banking on the Coalition losing the election so he and his team won’t be held to account for the errant promise he just made?
If Littleproud thinks his words won’t come back to bite him that’s an added layer of silliness attached to the mistake he’s made.
If he honestly believes a Coalition government can ensure energy prices fall within 12 to 18 months, Littleproud is a dreamer because falling energy prices in the current economic climate is more than a little far fetched. Especially within such a short time frame.
If Littleproud thinks his words won’t come back to bite him that’s an added layer of silliness attached to the mistake he’s made
Once upon a time politicians could make random pledges without necessarily being held to account for their thoughtless musings in front of microphones. But in the media age we now live in, few words go unnoticed.
Littleproud’s comments are probably already logged in a Labor Party dirt unit file, ready to be pulled out and used whenever needed.
