When John Howard asked voters the core election question "who do you trust" it seemed a simpler age.
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In 2004, distrust and disdain of dependable sources and entities, like scientists, doctors and public broadcasters, certainly existed but they were not at the current disheartening levels.
Trust is a winning election theme worth replicating. Scott Morrison, the former NSW party director knows this. It certainly worked for Mr Howard against Mark Latham.
But it was not because Mr Howard was particularly honest or that Mr Latham was particularly dishonest.
After three terms in office, Mr Howard had consistency and legacy. In 2004, Australians were not up to try anything new. The argument had not been made that Labor was a viable alternative. And then in 2007, the balance shifted to Kevin-07.
He is asking Australians to look at his and the government's legacy in the context of net zero, but the framing is very much around economic management.
It should be safe territory for the Coalition, and - thanks to focus groups - it is broadly accepted that the Coalition is seen as better economic managers. Mr Morrison spoke about this theme on the safe territory of Paul Murray's show on Sky News.
"You know, you can trust the Liberals and Nationals for an economic plan to deal with this," he said.
"I mean, the environmental issues are very important. But what really matters now is, who's got the best economic plan to deal with this? Who do you trust at the end of the day?"
So it is about legacy and consistency.
It has to be, because real trust goes two ways.
Australians have not been trusted with the details which make the federal government's net zero plan real.
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The government says the modelling and costings will come later or "eventually."
In question time on Wednesday, the Prime Minister said it will be revealed in the "next few weeks." And questions remain unanswered about what exactly the Nationals got in return for its lukewarm acceptance of the government's net zero plan.
We know about Keith Pitt's return to cabinet and the Productivity Commission review every five years into the impact on regional communities, but where is the rest?
Labor wryly suggests the net zero details could be in a blind trust.
What we do know is what was not done. Senate estimates on Wednesday heard that Treasury gave very limited assistance to Industry Department modelling on the economic costs or benefits of net zero by 2050.
In fact, over the past few years, there has been no Treasury modelling of climate change-related impacts on the Australian economy for at least five years.
Australians are also being asked to trust technology that has not been invented yet to get us over the line in meeting commitments.
They may come, they may work, they may not, but a energy transformation is under way and it is being led by the market.
And the COP26 organisers are asking for more. Participants are expected to commit to lift 2030 targets, something Mr Morrison won't do.
The latest projections show Australia is on track to cut emissions by 30 to 35 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. However, Australia's formal Tony Abbott era target of a 26 to 28 per cent reduction will remain unchanged under the Morrison government.
"It's a fraud. The expansion of coal and gas no targets for 2030 and a wink and a prayer that somehow we'll get to net zero by 2050," said Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young.
"Well, people don't believe it. Mr. Morrison is going to land in Glasgow on the weekend and be confronted with world leaders and the international press asking those tough questions. How are you going to get to net zero while expanding coal and gas? Why isn't Australia lifting our ambitions for 2030."
Former Reserve Bank board member and ANU Professor of economics, Warwick McKibbin, has also experienced Australia's bad reputation on climate policy.
"I have already been in two international meetings where the "Australian Way" is now a form of joke. Politicians should never be allowed to debase our national brand," he tweeted.
The Morrison government does not want a climate change election and wants the net zero barnacle scrapped off. It wants an election based on economic management, but the economy is shifting and it now know it.
"I think most Australians just want to deal with this, to deal with it in a no fuss way, to not shut things down and take people's jobs away from them," the Prime Minister said.
"They understand the world's a complex place and things are changing around the world. Australia deciding to do net zero by 2050 is not going to change that. But the changes that are taking place around the world will still happen. And I'm just not going to let that happen to Australians."
But where is the alternative government on this? The opposition says the government's plan is a scam and a "steaming pile of nothing."
The main Labor push is a call to legislate the target and set it in stone, with the side expectation that some government members will cross the floor.
Labor is not declaring its short-term emissions reduction ambitions just yet. Labor wants to see what comes out of Glasgow and is giving the government "air" to sell its policy with all the Coalition grumbling and antagonism that goes with it.
"We'll have more to say. We'll have more to say. We have already made significant announcements going forward," Labor leader Anthony Albanese promised.
The Greens say Labor has let Mr Morrison off the hook. And the government sees an opening.
"The Labor Party hasn't even got a plan. Let's even talk about what you're gonna legislate. You don't even have one and you don't even have a target," the Assistant Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Tim Wilson told Parliament.
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"How could you legislate air? Nothing. You've got nothing to offer on the other side of the chamber."
Labor has signalled it wants to go harder or "substantially higher." Opposition climate change spokesman Chris Bowen argues the 2030 target needs to be "informed by the climate science and by the economics of what we need to do now to achieve net zero by 2050."
So Australians currently cannot compare climate policies. Not yet. But while parties like to keep their cards close to their collective chests, most people have already made up their minds.
And gee, it wouldn't it be nice to know how they - and therefore we - are going to try to save the planet.