PETER VAN ONSELEN: The world’s on fire. Albo is tweeting about chip packets

Unintended irony is always funny to watch play out, especially in politics.

Late yesterday afternoon the Prime Minister tweeted about ‘shrinkflation’ in chip packets, complaining that these days there is ‘more air that chips in your chip packets’.

Fear not, Albo plans to confront the issue head on, telling his followers ‘we’ll fix it’, by imposing ‘stronger unit pricing’.

With so much to do in this important policy area, the PM noted there is ‘more to do’.

But Albo wanted Australians to know that he’s on the case: ‘We’ll keep working to get you a fair deal at the checkout.’

What a relief!

The 5pm tweet came as state government’s in NSW and Victoria grappled with looming Middle East protests that risk violating the law, in the wake of the ongoing escalation of tensions between Israel and Iran.

I don’t know if Albo had just taken the opportunity to crack open a bag of Smiths crisps to end his working week a day early – ahead of the Labour Day long weekend in his home state of NSW – by tweeting his disappointment at the lack of nutrients about to come his way.

Here’s Albo’s dramatic announcement

Or perhaps the tweet was merely an attempt to appear in touch with the daily cost of living challenges Australians who are not enjoying a prime ministerial high six figure salary are grappling with.

No doubt the post was recommended (and written by) one of the geniuses running Albo’s dozens strong comms team.

Either way, the tweet was filled with unintended irony.

It didn’t take long for X (formerly known as Twitter) to add a community note to the PM’s tweet, politely informing readers that unit pricing has been mandatory under the ACCC code since 2010, and ‘it does nothing to address high prices, shrinkflation or transparency’.

A closer look at the PM’s X account reveals that this isn’t the first time he’s had a community note added to information tweeted out. At best to add important context to the messaging, at worst to correct potential misinformation.

So in the midst of the government’s attempt to ram contentious new misinformation laws through the Parliament, the PM is at risk of spreading misinformation on his own social media accounts.

Whether you decide to laugh or cry at the decision making that led Albo to the all important issue of too much air dominating chip packets this week, it’s unlikely the tweet hit the mark.

At a time when voters are questioning Anthony Albanese’s leadership (his personal approval numbers are down), and Labor’s primary and two party vote has sagged, this is what we get.

Smoke rises following an explosion over the southern suburbs of Beirut after a strike on October 3

I don’t begrudge anyone wanting to enjoy a solid intake of crisps after a hard day’s work. I’ve been there myself.

Especially Albo, who has cut out such calories for most of the past four years courtesy of his strict adherence to a low carb diet to get into prime ministerial shape.

He’s talked about the lifestyle change many times – including yesterday, as he gets ‘shredding for the wedding’. 

I’m just not sure it’s where his focus should be right now.

Social media can be even more addictive that tasty crisps, so perhaps in his excitement Albo just couldn’t help himself.

Just another reason why the PM is also pursuing bans on children using social media.

Because he doesn’t want our impressionable youth jumping on a social media platform and doing anything that might embarrass, hurt or backfire on them.

Wise counsel indeed.