Albanese needed a diversion after his Qantas firestorm. The Covid inquiry came at just the right time

‘Labor wants to fight the next election on character,’ writes Karen Middleton – which is why Anthony Albanese’s colleagues are increasingly dismayed at a rolling series of negative stories. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

It’s the oldest trick in the political book: when you’re in trouble, create a diversion. The bigger the diversion you need, the bigger the trouble you’re clearly in.

So it was handy that on Friday the prime minister received the 900-page report of the inquiry he commissioned into the Covid-19 pandemic, just days before the scheduled publication of a book widely expected to generate him negative publicity.