OPINION: Mature politics from Anthony Albanese and Jeremy Rockliff

This is in stark contrast to Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, who is sticking with the long-held Liberal Party strategy of negativity and pitting different voting demographics against one another rather than pursuing collaboration for the greater national good.

I was talking to a couple at the North Launceston V Clarence game at York Park a couple of weeks ago who said: "You would think that Albanese, being a Labor man, would be against allocating federal funds to the Liberal's AFL team and Macquarie Point Stadium. But, then, you would think Rockliff, being Liberal, would be against the extra funding because he'd want all the credit." So I explained that I thought the two working together had produced something for the greater good, and wasn't that what being in power should be about? They nodded in agreement and said, "But it rarely happens."

The couple at the footy was right. In a rare and admirable moment, Mr Rockliff and Mr Albanese have worked side by side and showed the importance of collaborative, bipartisan politics for the greater good. Rockliff and Albanese worked together in the interest of all Tasmanians. But, of course, this isn't the first time our Premier and Prime Minister have worked together. They jointly announced a statewide rollout of a new employment model for general practitioners in training. The PM said the program would ensure people working in the hospital system could get the training they need to become GPs. The two also stood side by side recently to campaign for a 'yes' vote to give Indigenous Australians a voice.

If the tables were reversed and Mr Dutton was PM, and the Tasmanian Premier was Rebecca White, do you think any of this would have been done? Probably not. Mr Dutton is a Liberal Party warrior and would likely be unwilling to do anything that a Labor person at any level of government could benefit politically from. Playing nicely with the other side is not in his DNA.

The federal Liberal tactic of 100 per cent negativity, perfected by Tony Abbott, means it has become increasingly more challenging to move beyond the partisan divide on issues that would benefit the nation most. Stage three tax cuts come to mind immediately. Wouldn't it be nation-building for Mr Dutton to agree with Mr Albanese to not follow through with the tax windfall for the rich, therefore benefitting the majority of Australians? Yes, but it won't happen because Mr Dutton and his Liberal Party colleagues, along with conservative-friendly media organisations, want the wedge this policy has created for Labor. Why? Because as long as the Liberals get a win, what's good for the rest of us doesn't matter.

In his short time as Prime Minister, Mr Albanese has shown maturity and a willingness to work across the aisle to get things done; his work with Mr Rockliff is a shining example. The divisive nature of the Australian political landscape cannot continue if progress and development are to be made. Both parties have a responsibility to work together, but the Liberals, mainly due to having success with endless negativity in the past, won't let that happen. Australians will be the worse for it.