It’s funny – and frustrating – to see how Australia’s national conversation can get so far off track.While there was endless scrutiny of Barnaby Joyce and the curious incident of the dog that wouldn’t sit – which was variously assessed as a political mistake and a masterstroke – there was much less attention paid to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s speech that opened the Labor Party’s national conference.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles