On the basis of his first two days, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that Tony Abbott is up against himself in this election.
If he had faltered under pressure, that would be one thing, but his early stumbles on industrial relations have come before the real pressure is even on.
Late on Friday when it became clear that an election would be called the next day, he moved to close off an inevitable attack angle on him. An Abbott government would not touch Labor’s Fair Work IR laws during its whole first term and then, only after an explicit mandate from voters obtained at the subsequent election.
The timing was perfect marking a promising start to his campaign. Labor was gearing up for the mother of all scare campaigns claiming Mr Abbott planned to bring back WorkChoices under another name. So Mr Abbott’s move was a pre-emptive strike designed to remove fears that he was an IR wolf in sheep’s clothing. And it carried the added benefit of ensuring his inclusion in the front page election coverage on the morning the poll was called. Smart.
If there was a cost, it was that surrendering on IR would betray small businesses pushing for greater flexibility and tarnish Mr Abbott’s reputation as a conviction politician. But on balance, applying the political tourniquet was judged to be well worth that price. Its objective was singular. Remove doubt. If voters heard the message, Labor’s gathering IR scare campaign would struggle for traction. Indeed it would look shrill and desperate.
Yet now, that doubt he sought to erase is back in earnest - invited in by the Opposition itself. Despite an embarrassing gesture yesterday of signing a piece of paper in a radio studio - itself a hangover from his admissions about sometimes telling porkies except in written statements - Tony Abbott has confirmed that, unlike the Fair Work legislation itself, the accompanying regulations, where a good deal of the system is contructed and regulated, are not off limits.
In one fell swoop, Mr Abbott had undone all his good work. Like it or not, IR is back on the scare list and the burden of proof has once again shifted to the accused. Mr Abbott must prove he is not slipping and sliding or concealing dark plans to strip out your penalty rates.
As the pace quickens in this election campaign, Liberal loyalists will be biting their nails and hoping these wobbles are not a precursor to the wheels falling off altogether.
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