Tropical Cyclone Alfred was the unexpected ‘twist in the tale’ that reframed Anthony Albanese’s leadership and his political fortunes, writes Dr Erin O’Dwyer
In Saturday night’s four-hour ABC election television broadcast, not one person mentioned the A word – Alfred.
But once the ink dries on the Albanese Government’s 2025 historic election win, no future storyteller worth their salt will retell the event without linking Albanese’s victory with Alfred’s destruction.
The cyclone that changed the course of a campaign
In late February, just as Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was on the cusp of calling a national election, a tropical low in the Coral Sea intensified into Severe Tropical Cyclone Alfred. All of Australia held its breath while the erratic system battered South East Queensland and Northern NSW.
TC Alfred was more than a weather event. Just as Albanese was poised to launch his re-election campaign and vie for a second term in office, Alfred intervened. Albo moved from campaign mode to leadership mode – fronting press conferences, coordinating disaster responses and reassuring communities.
In those few weeks of disruption, the unexpected happened: Albanese governed.
Next, the timing of TC Alfred forced the Albanese Government to do something it had not planned to do – deliver a budget. The budget promised cost of living relief, and gave hope to people navigating a housing crisis. It was sensible, measured, optimistic and assured.
Again, Australians saw the Albanese Government governing.
In those few weeks, with all eyes on Albanese, an election on the horizon and without the noise of an election campaign, Australians saw a leader who stood for kindness, compassion and calm. And they liked what they saw.
In those few weeks of disruption, the unexpected happened: Albanese governed
The law of the meaningless thing
Cyclone Alfred wasn’t part of any political strategy. It was an interruption. A natural disaster. A “meaningless” thing.
And yet it proved pivotal – because sometimes, the most powerful story moments aren’t the ones we plan. They’re the ones that reveal character under pressure.
When I teach storytelling, I teach the law of the meaningless thing. These are the moments that seem disconnected from plot – until the story ends, and we realise: that was the point. They test our understanding of character. They reveal theme. And they implicate us, the audience.
In Albanese’s case, the cyclone didn’t just reveal leadership, it invited us to ask: What do we really value in a leader? Who earns our trust?
The cyclone invited us to ask: What do we really value in a leader?
The story turns its gaze on us
The law of the meaningless thing is also the moment a story stops performing for us – and starts watching us back.
It asks:
- What did you feel?
- How did you respond?
- What’s your part in this story?
It’s where storytelling becomes reciprocal. The audience is no longer just watching, they’re implicated. And that’s what makes storytelling unforgettable – not necessarily the big flashy climaxes, but the small subtle moments that change us.
What this means for storytellers
Whether you’re writing memoir, speech, fiction, policy or brand, ask yourself:
- What unexpected moment quietly shifted the course of this story?
- What detail might seem meaningless now, but become significant by the end?
- What does this story reveal – not just about the character or event, but about the audience?
- How might the story be watching the audience back?
Alfred didn’t just disrupt the story. It became the moment that defined it.
