Kenny must ensure Government speaks with one voice in future

SCORING spectacularly against the last government was about as challenging as hitting the broad side of a barn at point blank range.

It didn’t take a lot of skill or finesse. As the former opposition are learning, governing is more complicated. Opposition is about finding fault, bottling anger and persuading the electorate of an as yet untried alternative. The grind of government requires more, a lot more than the hit and run of opposition.

Good government to be effective requires good policies, coordinated people and smart politics to be in lock-step over time. It requires not only knowing what the right thing to do is; it requires the political courage to do it. It takes a range of talents and capacities that far outstrip verbal bomb throwing.