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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Katharine Murphy

Life has gotten tougher and politics noisier. Can Australians still find the mindfulness to listen?

Opposition leader Peter Dutton
If only opposition leader Peter Dutton would resolve to become something more interesting than a pastiche of wreckers past. Photograph: Darren England/AAP

I’ve been away for a bit. When I returned to my office on Monday after six months, three things struck me. The first was how noisy politics is; specifically, the noise around the voice to parliament. Bam. Bam. Bam. Like a sonic boom, or better, a NutriBullet grinding fibrous plants indiscriminately.

The second insight was Anthony Albanese has developed a clearer pitch on the voice during the time I’ve been away. The third was Peter Dutton still has some Trumpian fan fiction he’d like to sell you. This voice is apparently “divisive” and “unknown”. I’m not sure if we were treated to the opposition leader’s “Canberra voice” pejorative specifically this week. But versions of it are still in the mix.

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