Anthony Albanese is at risk of losing his ‘man of the people’ persona.
He wants two – count them, two – referendums on symbolic issues: the republic and indigenous constitutional recognition.
His claim is this will create a national “platform of unity” and end divisions over the date of Australia Day.
The real daily double here is that he’s offering a sop to the left of his party and trying to beat the Greens at their own game.
Could he be getting ready for another tilt at the leadership?
The irony will be if he does get the numbers sometime in 2018 and roll Shorten he will have taken his party even further out of the mainstream.
If Albo (can I call him that while it still fits?) wants to hold a referendum on an issue that really matters to the majority of Australians and could make a significant difference to the direction the country is headed how about a referendum on – say – immigration?
MIKE JEFFREYS 