Assume, that when a leader chokes up and the lips tremble over community hardship and suffering, there's a cynical staffer back in the office thinking 'this is gold'.

Coronavirus: All the latest updates on COVID-19 for Tasmania

Politics is a barnacle of a thing that will ride out any crisis.

It varies according to the circumstances. New Zealand and the UK have a national government but no state governments.

Hence in the current crisis Prime Ministers Jacinda Adern and Boris Johnson enjoy endless benefits from incumbency and they are the stars of the show on an uncritical stage.

Both leaders are pursuing drastic eradication policies because they can.

Their messaging is clear and free of the clutter of other stars on the stage. It is easier for them to school the population on the end game and how they plan to get there.

Scott Morrison's stage is crowded. He suffers message confusion, while grappling with eight state and territory governments; half of them Labor.

Watching Federal Parliament last week it struck me, that while Labor committed to the Government's fiscal package it was never in their DNA to allow Morrison to restore his stature as a commander.

So the underlying nature of politics snaked along like a social curse, and this is the case no matter who is in charge in our federation.

Last week Anthony Albanese reminded the PM that in opposition during the Global Financial Crisis the coalition attacked the Rudd Government over every stimulus measure.

In January Albanese cleverly refrained from over-cooking the heat Morrison faced over the Hawaiian holiday.

It was evident on his return from Hawaii that the man who doggedly won the miracle election last year had lost his mojo, albeit his confidence.

After a hostile reception in fire epicentres he jettisoned his usual composure and became aggressive, which made him look rattled. After Hawaii he couldn't take a trick.

So, from drought, fires and flood came the virus and yet another chance for Morrison to retrieve his authority.

The odds are against him. Three state governments and the two territories are Labor, all with that competitive DNA pulsing through their bipartisanship.

Don't appear obstructive but don't make it easy for the PM either.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews used school holidays to close schools and hence hijack Morrison's national cabinet.

Andrews is also forging ahead unilaterally with his own lockdowns.

The national cabinet should be a unifying tool for Morrison but it's turning into a circus, giving Labor more scope to unsettle Morrison's leadership.

The schools issue is a gift for Labor. No matter who is right it is a recipe for more confusion.

In Parliament Labor employed the good cop-bad cop approach.

Two bipartisan speeches from senior Labor MPs were followed immediately by Anthony Albanese who delivered a jarring, partisan speech about the failings of the PM.

That barnacle DNA again.

Queensland has a state election in October. Western Australia next March; NSW in 2023 while Morrison and Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia face elections in 2022.

All leaders want Australians to survive and recover, but they also want to win the next election and they know that incumbency at this time will either make or break them.

Albanese scored a big hit on Morrison when he calmly drew attention to the PM's absence overseas while Australia burned.

It was a cheap shot but it highlighted the PM's arrogance with an overseas holiday in times of a national crisis.

Albanese is banking on a second hit.

A knockout. If Morrison fumbles his leadership over the biggest threat to world order since World War II his chances of re-election in 2022 are sunk.

He won't recover.

For someone of Morrison's ability, a talent ground out with his uncompromising stand on refugee boat arrivals, he appears lately to lack nerve and composure under pressure, as if Hawaii haunts him.

Stature in a crisis should be an elementary Morrison trait. But confidence is a Midas touch.

Lack of it is a curse.

In contrast, Peter Gutwein told Tasmanians last week to honour the sacrifice of thousands who lost their jobs, by pulling together to fight the virus.

It was strong, crisis leadership, which Morrison seems to struggle with. We know he's got it but we can't see it.

Gutwein closed our state borders weeks ago.

Morrison's management of national cabinet appears weak and chaotic. Gutwein is using Morrison's refugee model to ban non-essential arrivals in Tasmania.

This emulates the Johnson and Ardern eradication regime, but last week Morrison was still playing catch-up.

NSW dangerously bungled those infected cruise ship arrivals but Morrison wouldn't bag his friend Gladys Berejiklian.

If he can't use his undoubted strength of character to truly lead us through this unprecedented world horror he won't be leading us again in 2022.

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