DESCRIBED as a "rocky start" for both party leaders, the past week of election campaigning had mixed reviews from the Newcastle Herald's Pub Test panel.
As readers will recall from last week, our panel is a small cross-section of the community who will give us their thoughts on the election campaign as it unfolds.
While most of the panel couldn't pick whether Anthony Albanese or Scott Morrison came out of the week on top, Tea Gardens retiree Gordon Grainger said ScoMo "performed far better than his opposition".
"I think he is surer and his policies follow on properly in accordance with the principles of the Liberal/ National party," Mr Grainger said.
University student Jasmine Stuart and conveyancer Leah Stevens both overlooked the two major parties and mentioned Greens leader Adam Bandt's speech at the National Press Club as a high point for leaders during the week.
Having told Australian Financial Review reporter Ron Mizen to "google it, mate" when asked about the current WPI, Bandt went on to say elections should be a "contest of ideas" rather than a "basic fact-checking exercise".
"This is 100% true for me and moving forward I want to see our leaders with greater long-term vision to address issues which affect all Australians like climate change, income inequality, healthcare and education," Jasmine Stuart said.
From climate policy to retraining, corruption, tax reform, electrification and housing, most of the panel felt major issues were being overlooked because of political mud-slinging.
"The campaigns have descended into throwing a bit of s--t at each other. Both leaders are getting away from what they really need to be talking about and offering," coal miner Bernie Wilson said on Wednesday afternoon.
"I thought there would be a bit more on tertiary education and planning.
"Especially for places like Muswellbrook and Scone that are going to be affected the most with declining coal exports."
Leah Stevens said the country is "not hearing a lot" from the two major parties on climate action, which Jasmine Stuart added is "incredibly disappointing".
As an 83-year-old retiree, Gordon Grainger is looking for policy announcements around healthcare and issues affecting pensioners. While the government's policy on cashless debit cards for pensioners was a point of federal contention during the week, Mr Grainger said it was all in the name of "political point scoring".
"I think cashless cards are a ridiculous idea that should have been thrown out. Most pensioners spend their money responsibly," Mr Grainger said.
A subject raised frequently by the panel was the response to comments made by Liberal candidate for Warringah, Katherine Deves, about transgender people.
"It is disappointing that these sorts of things pop up," Leah Stevens said.
"They are important issues, but they do take away from issues like action on climate and having a corruption enquiry."
Sticking to their guns, no moments in either campaign have been strong enough to sway the votes of our panel.
With a great deal of confidence, Mr Grainger forecast Scott Morrison to win the election "convincingly".
The rest of the panel weren't so sure, with Leah Stevens saying her primary vote would go to the Greens with hopes of a Labor victory.
"I think Labor will win but there is a part of me that worries the Liberals will get back in," she said.
"People are sick of Liberal. There's a lack of empathy," Bernie Wilson added.
With Albo out of action - having contracted COVID-19 - and whispers of another Hunter visit from the PM, our Pub Test panel may be ScoMo-centred when we check back in next week.
