There is an irony in the Prime Minister talking about “trust” in the lead up to the 2022 election, writes political columnist MICHAEL MOORE.

EMERGING from the pandemic, opening Australia, the state of our finances and inappropriate or corrupt practices are issues that will all play out in the coming year.

However, trust is fundamental to maintaining a healthy democratic system as has been observed internationally with different governments struggling to handle the pandemic, the Delta and then the Omicron variants and the issue of vaccinations. The high vaccination rates in the ACT and across Australia are a good indication that, compared to other nations, Australians still have a relatively high trust in governments.

However, there are other issues that demonstrate the whittling away of political trust since the Morrison government came to power. From the time of Prime Minister John Howard and Treasurer Peter Costello, the conservatives pinned their colours on the absolute requirement for Australia to have a financial surplus. They pilloried Labor and anyone else who suggested that borrowing money to assist those in greatest need was foolhardy and financially irresponsible.

Under their market-driven policies, for example, car manufacturers such as Ford and Holden disappeared from Australia and we became more and more reliant on global markets. Manufacturing in Australia that has been lost over the last few years looks nigh on impossible to reclaim. It has been lost to ideological ineptitude.

Within a period of weeks, under the influence of the pandemic, the Liberal and National parties had done a complete backflip. Suddenly borrowing was a sensible path. And it would not mean increases in taxation. This was a remarkable about-face, saying one thing one day and the opposite another. Despite this, voters are asked to trust the government and to give the Liberal and National parties yet another term. 

Even more telling is the track record of the government on poor behaviour and allegations of ministerial corruption. Despite promises leading into the last election, there is still no Federal Commission Against Corruption. Instead of working to deliver on their promise, the Morrison government found ways to delay. Looking at the record of scandals and the propensity to “tough it out”, it is no wonder that they lacked the courage to proceed with such a Commission. Nor did they have the courage to be straight enough to say they have backed down on the policy.

Either way, it is a fundamental issue of trust. Voters gave them the chance to introduce an anti-corruption commission and they have abused that trust. 

The coming year will be marked by significant changes as we emerge from the pandemic. No-one enjoyed the lockdowns. NSW Premier, Dominic Perrottet, followed by the Prime Minister, saw a political opportunity and declared a change to his predecessor’s policy from “community responsibility” to “personal responsibility”. 

An over emphasis on personal responsibility suits some, but invariably undermines public-health outcomes. This has been true in issues such as wearing seat belts, drink driving, setting speed limits, dealing with tobacco harm and regulations of the building industry. 

The outcome of this emphasis on individual responsibility was an astronomical increase in COVID-19 cases followed by increases in hospitalisations and deaths.

How long are voters’ memories? The Prime Minister, who is asking for our trust, is also the person who delayed vaccinations, was not able to purchase and distribute enough rapid antigen tests and whose poor handling of the pandemic was really largely hidden by the success of the states and territories. Well, that is, until the premiership in NSW moved from the “liberal” approach of Gladys Berejiklian to the much more conservative approach of Dominic Perrottet.

Failure on the issue of trust is a key driver for the growing interest in Independents in the Senate and the House of Representatives. Outstanding Independents over the last few years such as Zali Steggall, Helen Haines, Jacqui Lambie, Cathy McGowan and Kerryn Phelps have helped restore trust as they play a stronger and stronger role in accountability.

The coming year will be a landmark year in Australian politics. The extent to which voters can trust those standing for election and our democracy will play a key role in the election and the associated policy outcomes.

Michael Moore is a former member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and an independent minister for health. There are more of his insightful columns on citynews.com.au