By ABC's Barrie Cassidy Friday 5 Sep 2014

 

Photo: Julie Bishop and Joe Hockey represent the Coalition's strengths and weaknesses respectively. (AAP: Daniel Munoz)

One year into his first term in office, the Prime Minister has been typecast as strong on national security but weaker on protecting the standard of living of ordinary Australians, writes Barrie Cassidy.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is not the most objective observer to identify the Abbott Government's key strength one year into office, but just the same nobody nailed it quite as effectively as he did this week.

He stood in the Parliament during Question Time on Tuesday and said this in the aftermath of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 disaster in Ukraine which took 38 Australian lives.

When speaking to families, some of them made the point that they are very grateful to live in Australia, because they are not sure that any other country in the world would have had the same compassion as this Government has had, and the same efficiency, professionalism and compassion of our staff.

The manner in which this has been conducted has made me proud to be Australian, and I congratulate the Government.

At his next opportunity, Prime Minister Tony Abbott responded:

I would like to begin by acknowledging the gracious words of the Leader of the Opposition a few moments ago.

I know the phrase has been criticised but let me use it again - Team Australia.

We have worked very effectively as a Parliament and as a nation to do what we can to help people in the most difficult circumstances imaginable, and that work will go on.

The previous day - according to the Sydney Morning Herald - the Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, told the Coalition party room that Labor had "strapped itself" to the Government on national security and the left was "gritting their teeth". There may be some politics behind Shorten's approach, but that in a sense simply underlines the strength and astuteness of Abbott's pitch to the electorate.

It falls to the nation's leader to be the bastion against domestic and international threats; the senior diplomat on the world stage; and when required, sadly, the mourner-in-chief.

While some worry that he might at some stage rush to judgment, overshoot or forget to take the country with him, that hasn't so far been the case.

Whether it be repairing a damaged relationship with Indonesia, responding to the Malaysian air crashes, standing up to Russia, or confronting the brutality of the Islamic State, Abbott has been exemplary.

Likewise Julie Bishop, the standout minister. Not far behind her in terms of achievement and performance have been the Trade Minister, Andrew Robb, who secured significant trade deals, and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, who has broken through where his senior partner, the Treasurer, Joe Hockey, has not. It's just as well the two of them share a cigar together because that relationship will need to be managed.

On top of foreign policy strengths, the Government can now boast that it has delivered on two of the four major promises. It has abolished the carbon tax and the mining tax. Furthermore, on promise number 3, it has all but stopped the boats; and, on promise number 4, had it not been for Senate obstructionism, it would have made significant progress on repairing the budget.

The major problem is the product. The country has made up its collective mind. It's unfair. DiCaprio couldn't sell it.

That record ensures that while for a time the polls demonstrated the new Government was one of the most unpopular in modern times, it has bounced back and remains in touch.

The downside is obvious. The Government botched the budget and the way back won't be easy.

Despite delusional claims to the contrary, the problem was not the salesman; well, not entirely. The major problem is the product. The country has made up its collective mind. It's unfair. DiCaprio couldn't sell it.

The electorate understands that tough measures are needed to get on top of the debt and deficit issues. They get it that everybody has to play a part. But they are rusted on to the view that the poorer people in the community are being asked to carry the heavier burden; that the well off are getting the cosier ride.

The cross benches will save the government from some of the worst excesses. In the time available, the Government will have to upset some key interest groups and haul in some revenue from those better placed to pay.

The budget breakthrough this week on the mining tax and superannuation was important for the government because it signalled that things were once again on the move; that deals can be struck and gridlocks broken.

However, the deal played neatly into the narrative that the Government is looking after the rich to the detriment of the battler.

Few wage earners were cheering the end of the mining tax, but they will worry that hefty superannuation benefits will be lost into the future.

And even fewer will be placated by the line that they'll now get wage increases to spend as they like. Pull the other one, they'll say.

Abbott has been typecast as strong on national security. That appears to come naturally to him. He now needs to be just as strong on protecting the standard of living of ordinary Australians. And they will want more than the constant and generalised refrain that a stronger economy will take care of it.

Barrie Cassidy is the presenter of the ABC program Insiders. View his full profile here.

Report card: strong ambassador, dud budget - The Drum (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)