Former Hawke-Keating cabinet minister Gareth Evans has accused the Albanian government of political timidity, condemning its instinct to “go into cautious, defensive mode and avoid the wedge”.
In a speech on Wednesday, Evans said the federal government had enough talented top-class ministers “to be a great reform government in the Hawke-Keating tradition”, spending political capital reasonably than hoarding it indefinitely until its value was eroded.
He added, nevertheless, that the federal government had adopted a defensive posture on issues akin to gambling promoting, election financing, census issues, the Makarrata Commission and all constitutional reforms, including those relating to the republic.
“Perhaps the most worrying of all, given the security and sovereignty issues,” was AUKUS, said Evans, who was amongst a gaggle of Labor critics of the deal, including Paul Keating.
“The government’s reward for all this has not been growth but decline in popularity,” Evans said.
He acknowledges that other aspects have also influenced the federal government’s current situation, including concerns about the fee of living and housing availability, which could be difficult for even probably the most competent government to address.
“But one cannot help but feel that more and more individuals are asking, what is that this Labour government all about?
“It is time for the party leadership to regain its drive and say: a prosperous, safe and, above all, decent society, the kind that only a Labour government can deliver.”
Evans served as Minister for Foreign Affairs within the Hawke and Keating governments and held various other positions; he can also be a former Chancellor of the Australian National University. He delivered the Barry Jones Oration in 2024. His speech, titled Looking on the Bright Side: the risks – and rewards – of political optimism, called for maintaining “a spirit of optimism about the art of the possible”.
“If we want to change for the better, maintaining hope is key,” he said.
“Whether we work in governments, parliaments, intergovernmental organizations, academia, think tanks, media, non-governmental organizations, or in influential positions of social responsibility in the private sector, or simply as ordinary citizens with a passion for decency, we must believe that what we do can and will make a difference.”