That for a party’s election campaign to be a success, the leaders would need to kiss the ring, and then News Corp’s coverage would decide the outcome of the campaign.

It was never true, but it was a truism for years.

In reality, News Corp would just see which way the wind was blowing and then back in the party that was already ahead, retconning its support as having MADE the government instead of just following the trend.

The strategy worked – for decades those in the political sphere would tell you of News Corp’s power in deciding elections and how the company, no matter how heinous or one-sided its coverage became, could not be ignored.

It became obvious that News Corp only ever had the perception of influence – rather than influence itself – once it switched its editorial position to campaigning for the conservatives, no matter what.

There have been countless state and federal elections where News Corp has thrown as much muck at Labor as possible and the full weight of its media influence at supporting the losers – the Coalition – and not moved the dial.

But the myth remains in many circles. News Corp cannot be ignored. Why? Because you have to make a play to be a player, even when the result is already known. Especially when it is already known.

Except for the US, which is its own basket case of mutable positions, Australia’s major allies will recognise Palestine when the United Nations General Assembly next meets in September.

There is an opportunity for Australia to deal itself in at this G7 shift in policy. Instead, it is sitting on its hands, waiting for “the right moment”.

What is that right moment? Anthony Albanese can’t say. He couldn’t answer it in any of the interviews he did on the topic in the past sitting week, including in his extended sitdown with 7.30’s Sarah Ferguson.

When previously pressed on why Australia had not acted in pushing against Israel’s plausible genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, Albanese has played the domestic political role. He constantly conflated accountability with domestic political gain, accusing those pushing for Australia to uphold its international legal and humanitarian obligations of grandstanding, or “sloganeering”, seemingly unable to imagine people wanting action for the sake of action itself, rather than any imaginary political gain months after an election.

Albanese has also undermined Australia’s own global influence, an issue that has not hampered our ongoing response to Ukraine, our pushback against Russia (MH17 anyone?), our frequent interactions with China and Indonesia, our involvement with NATO, our attendance at G20 conferences, or our history in peacemaking.

When it comes to Palestine, Australia inhibits the political purgatory of holding Schrodinger’s power – we have it, and therefore must make our recognition of Palestine count, lest we
“lose your capacity to negotiate and to influence outcomes to some extent” and also don’t hold it, as we “are not a significant player”, views expressed in the same interview.

It is an obsession with process that is not applied to any of Australia’s other global entreaties.

Australia has muscled its way into conversations, meetings and pacts to be a player in a bigger picture. Making itself a player in a global shift, involving key allies, makes Australia seem bigger than it is. Holding back until it is inevitable is what makes us a minor player.

Australia will recognise Palestine. It wasn’t an accident that Jim Chalmers said it was matter of “when, not if”. It was sanctioned.

Albanese won’t say it as explicitly just yet, but Labor’s leadership wants the message out. Which is ironic, given that Labor knows that message comes with a level of domestic political gain.

Because, putting aside that self-determination is an inalienable right, one already affirmed by the International Court of Justice and the very real, horrific reality that recognition of Palestine won’t end the slaughter, and it won’t get food, medical supplies and baby formula to Palestinians who are being deliberately starved by Israel’s policies, it is something Australia can do, at a time when the world has not done anything near enough.

Recognition itself is still being framed in the context of whether it is a “reward” for Hamas, and not that refusing to recognise Palestine could be viewed as a “reward” for Israel’s genocidal policies, even as Australia’s allies threaten to recognise Palestine if Israel doesn’t commit to an immediate ceasefire, free flow of aid and sustained peace.

The question remains – does Australia continue to do the least it can do, or does it make a play and become a player?

Because the Albanese government either believes Australia has influence, or it doesn’t. It believes it can make a difference in the world, or it doesn’t. Power isn’t always earned, but respect is. Wait too long and you end up diluting both.