'It's the economy, stupid'. Or is it?

Paul Keating’s infamous “recession we had to have” was in 1991, when even today’s 32-year-olds were only 16. It was hardly at the forefront of their minds then and probably isn’t now either. Not to mention today’s 18-year-olds who were just two-years-old when Keating told it like it was.

Another campaign slogan: “Think globally, act locally” may also be looming larger.

As climate change and the environment rise as issues with voters, particularly young voters, the government is confronting a new challenge. Having been climate change sceptics initially and historically not seen as the “greenest” of political parties, Howard and his colleagues are left scrambling to play catch-up.

The Age/ACNielson poll highlights their problem. More than twice as many voters (58 per cent) indicated that Labor is the best party to handle the environment, compared with just 26 per cent for the Coalition.

Voters can see that climate change is real. In the last week, the last month and last year, voters have experienced or seen drought, cyclones, water restrictions, melting ice caps and record summer temperatures. To them it’s not an abstract.

The government’s industrial laws also are real. Voters have seen, heard or experienced the impact of WorkChoices.

In contrast, the “bad old days of Labor” are an ancient memory, or at best an abstract.

So, when Howard and Costello rail against the risk of an economic disaster under a Rudd Labor government, they are conjuring an abstract. And voters don’t seem too scared at this point. They are concerned, but not enough to prevent them from voting for Labor at this stage.

That’s not to say Howard cannot turn it around as he did in 2001 and 2004.

His challenge is to convince Australians that it is indeed: “The economy, stupid”. And that his continued stewardship is essential.