Albo bails out Rockliff, neuters Winter

You have to hand it to the nation’s Prime Minister. He’s blindsided everyone by coming to Tasmania and announcing that his government will pay the shortfall in public school funding — that the state government has created — and, just for a kicker, pay for the state-government-promised heart centre in Launceston.

Premier Rockliff can’t believe his luck.

Only on Monday was he avoiding Labor‘s questions about the health funding, then enter stage right: the Prime Minister swoops in, cheque book in hand, only too happy spend big on his rescue.

Opposition leader Dean Winter can’t believe his luck either, for obviously different reasons. As soon as he finds a topic to try and latch on to, trying to make some hay, his federal leader comes in and knocks the leg out of his chief attack line. His arguments that the state government is incapable of funding the heart centre don’t quite have the same impact when it’s being funded, after all.

So on this, sadly for Labor, their chew toy has been taken away from them. They might criticisesomemore but it’ll end up being largely white noise, with any complaints about failing to fund the centre now rendered redundant.

Still, Dean Winter’s troubles aside, more money for public schools and healthcare isn’t bad news. Good for schools, Launceston General Hospital and for Tasmanians.

Just spare a thought for the Labor opposition. Fighting a war on two fronts ain’t much fun.

They find themselves with a Prime Minister keen to buddy up to the country’s most successful Liberal leader (Jeremy Rockliff, having won one election, is now equal first, but he wins on time served). Then they’ve got Rockliff, who is, by virtue of the fact that he’s one of only three state premiers to have won an election, is a de-facto election-winning machine, to contend with — only he’s got a cheque from Canberra to wave around.