Columnist Peter Van Onselen argues that the public disputes between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Labor state premiers are not a sign he is losing authority, but a deliberate strategy modelled on former Prime Minister John Howard's approach to federal-state relations. He suggests Albanese is treating premiers as bargaining partners rather than automatic allies, allowing disagreements to play out publicly because doing so serves his own political positioning and suggests he intends to remain in office for the long term.

The piece cites several current flashpoints: South Australia's Peter Malinauskas warning against populist immigration cuts while NSW's Chris Minns argues his state is overcrowded and separately clashes with Canberra over tobacco excise, bracket creep and GST; Victoria's Ben Carroll pushing a construction industry corruption inquiry ahead of a November state election; and most premiers outside Western Australia objecting to Albanese's GST deal with WA's Roger Cook. The author contends Albanese benefits from these clashes, letting himself appear moderate on immigration, protecting a politically valuable WA deal while easing tension with federal debt-funded top-up payments, and claiming credit on gun law reform following the Bondi Beach attack while premiers absorb regional backlash.