An election mode Julia Gillard in 2010 talked of, promised and was asked about "the real Julia".
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Australia's first female prime minister was frustrated, as she should be, that there was too much focus on her appearance and that her campaign was a little too stage-managed and she wanted to take risks.
Just who was this person leading the nation? Was she authentic? Was she real?
It is not really a question with an easy answer. Ms Gillard won that election. Just. But that focus bedevilled her, unfairly, until she left office. And of course, our nation's leaders are groomed, polished and spout sound bites.
But now, roughly around 100 days from a likely election date, the alternative prime minister has faced the big question at an election framing speech at the National Press Club in Canberra.
"Who is Anthony Albanese?"
Slung at the Labor leader by the ABC's Andrew Probyn in the question and answer session, he could be seen drawing a huge breath as the audience laughed.
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In front of cameras, the bulk of his front bench and the press gallery, which direction could he go? Would he be real?
He told his often told story of being the son of a single mum who grew up in council housing, which quickly shifted to his first taste of politics as a 12 year old organising a successful rent strike.
"Solidarity works!" he said with a smile.
Mr Albanese seems to be playing to his Labor tribe, but he wants to let you know that he has done it tough and he is up for a fight.
"I tell it straight. I lived by myself. It has meant that I'm resilient and I'm tough. If people think I'll go into a corner during the upcoming fight, they're very wrong. They're very wrong. Just watch," he said.
"It gave me a determination each and every day to help the people like I was growing up to have a better life.
"One of the reasons why I'm a supporter, unashamed, of the trade union movement is that it's often those people who have less who will give more. That's me."
The Labor crowd applauded, but it is only the start to what uninitiated voters in the wild need.
Mr Albanese has been playing the opposition game quite safely until this point. Because he could. The pandemic has focused political attention on those in power, state and federally, but ballot box decisions will soon have to be made. The desperate situation with rapid antigen tests could improve for the government, or not.
The opposition leader has been fine-tuning his attacks on the Prime Minister, declaring he "doesn't hold a hose and he doesn't give a RATs."
The Labor leader pushed hard on a number of areas on Tuesday, like health, federation, education and childcare but little was given away. It was more about the vibe and insisting Labor had a plan out of the COVID pandemic and the government did not.
"We actually need a government with follow through. A government that plans. A government that puts in place structures," he said. "That's not to underestimate the challenge which is there to rebuild the public service which has been gutted over the last nine years and to rebuild its capacity."
But asked by The Canberra Times if something tangible would be coming within the first 100 days of a Labor government he said he did not want to "play that game."
So nothing ground-breaking or risky from the Labor leader, but he wants the job and he is very keen to debate Scott Morrison will be having his solo turn to pitch his election vibe at the National Press Club next week.
After several years in office and with the polls looking tight, will we get the real Scott Morrison?
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