It was the debate that never was.
In Brisbane, Bill Shorten won the numbers at the Sky people’s forum against an empty chair, 57 to 16 with 27 undecided – topping a day when the opposition leader conceded Labor would run larger deficits in the short term.
In Sydney, Malcolm Turnbull was in an ABC studio with Leigh Sales, who pressed him on his falling polling numbers and his use of exaggerated language to discuss Labor’s economic policies when he promised to respect the voters’ intelligence.
The two different formats were held because Turnbull refused what he labelled as Sky’s “decree” to take part in the pay TV forum. Neither got away scot free.
“We will have to disagree about the language,” Turnbull told Sales. “The bottom line is – let’s deal with the facts – Labor opposes any tax relief for any business with a turnover higher than $2m.”
Turnbull refused to discuss his polls, even though he cited the polls when he challenged Tony Abbott for his job. Sales asked why he thought his popularity had dropped so much.
“I am not going to be drawn into that kind of introspection,” said Turnbull. “My job is to focus on the needs of Australians.”
Turnbull defended his $50bn company tax cuts, suggesting the average voter (concerned with issues like health and childcare) would understand the need for the policy to drive the economy.
“Everybody knows that their prosperity depends on the prosperity of their employer,” Turnbull said.
“If they are working for a business, as most people are, working in the private sector, they want to know that their business is doing well, the company they are working for is investing, is growing, is able to retain more of its earnings and put more back into the business.”
North of the New South Wales border, Shorten faced questions on union delays on building projects, the rising suicide rate, the backpacker tax, the falling support for the major parties and Labor mistakes in the Rudd-Gillard years.
He stumbled from a question over his support for cuts to the family tax benefits by a mother of eight. Labor supported a cut to family tax benefit B for couples with children aged 13 and over.
The questioner wanted to know why Labor would penalise stay at home parents but Shorten insisted he would speak with her after the forum.
The opposition leader declared the election a “referendum on a banking royal commission” – suggesting Labor would emphasise that policy more than it had been in the past.
He said with three out of the “big four” banks under investigation for rate rigging, “there is a pathology here that needs to be addressed”.
Shorten was asked about the mistakes of the Labor years, by a questioner who named the global financial crisis stimulus package involving school halls and the home insulation.
The opposition leader has admitted the home insulation program – which saw the death of four young installers – was “poorly implemented with terrible consequences” but he defended the school hall project for ensuring Australia did not slip into recession.
He committed not to “spend a dollar” on the Adani coalmine though he would not promise to stop the project.
Asked why he thought voters were deserting the major parties, Shorten said people were sick of hearing one thing before an election and another thing after the election.
“I think people want to see more authenticity in their politics,” Shorten said.
“I think a lot of people think politics is not a way you can change issues in your community. They think it’s all a wrapped up deal and simple sound bites and people are not interested in what’s going on in community.”
