Hey, it’s me, the undecided voter likely to change my mind because Labor hasn’t released its costings yet!
Today, the back and forth between both camps was dominated by this fairly insider-ish clash over the opposition’s decision to wait until the 11th hour to release the costs of its policies.
“How can you trust an opposition that says they want to take the reins of the Australian economy when they haven’t been prepared to share with you what their policies cost?” thundered Scott Morrison.
The bulldozer hasn’t been parked just yet.
This morning, former Labor leader Bill Shorten confirmed the opposition would release its costings on Thursday, following the precedent set by Tony Abbott at the 2010 and 2013 elections. Later, opposition treasurer Jim Chalmers hinted the size of the deficit under Labor (already at record levels) might be slightly bigger.
“What matters most is the quality of the investments. We’d be inheriting a trillion dollars in debt, and no plan to grow the economy the right way,” he said.
That didn’t stop Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese facing a barrage of questions about Labor’s costings, which followed him out the door of a press conference today.
Just to give this very 2013 “whose deficit is bigger” fight a bit more oomph, the Coalition released its costings today. The key feature was a $3.3 billion cut to the public service, increasing the efficiency dividend from 1.5% to 2%.
Morrison, when asked whether this cut to the public service was “mean spirited”, argued it was an “entirely sensible” move that most taxpayers would agree with.
“They’re paid well,” Morrison said of the senior public servants tasked with delivering those cuts.
A few more observations about the Morrison campaign: the prime minister was in the Northern Territory seat of Lingiari today, which the Coalition hopes to claw back from Labor (it’s had a few visits from Morrison and Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce).
For the second straight day, the campaign followed a pattern of suburban housing development in the morning followed by hanging out with seniors in the afternoon.
Also, Morrison’s wife, Jenny, has been with him on the campaign trail ever since Sunday’s launch, which came days after his admission that he maybe needed to show a softer side. Make of that what you will.
Over in Perth, meanwhile, Albanese continued his full court press of the town’s dominant media mogul Kerry Stokes, addressing a breakfast hosted by The West Australian.
And in a courtroom far from the leadership hustings came an embarrassing loss for one of the Coalition’s most senior figures. A full bench of the Federal Court upheld an appeal from refugee activist Shane Bazzi against a judgment that found he’d defamed Peter Dutton in a tweet calling the defence minister a “rape apologist”.
Finally, a few more slightly desperate-sounding interventions from a number of the Liberal Party’s elder statespeople. Former prime minister John Howard was out campaigning in the Victorian marginals of Chisholm and Higgins (the latter is a bit too tealish for Morrison). His voice is also being used to robocall voters.
That call included a message for any Liberals risking a teal protest vote:
“A vote for an independent would risk a hung Parliament, which would mean gridlock, and be disastrous for our country.”
Speaking at an oil and gas lobby conference today, former foreign minister Julie Bishop had a similar warning, claiming a vote for the teals would “eat the heart out” of the Liberal Party. All going well then.
I’m not sure if the John Howard robocall is going to swing too many voters?
“Hi, I’m John Howard. You may have assumed that I was dead, but no, I’m still here. Although, the old prostate is giving me a bit of grief. Every hour or so, it’s off to the little boy’s room. It’s not like the old days, when I could sit in parliament for hours on end. Ah, parliament, those were happy days. What times we had, me, Richie and the Fonze. And that’s why you should vote for my good friend … Janette!? … Janette!? What’s his name again? You know, the loud, obnoxious fellow, claims that he’s a Christian…Yes, I know it’s Scott, but doesn’t have some sort of trendy nickname? Oh, that’s right… My good friend, Mofo, reckons he’ll take Australia back to the fifties. Which is a good thing by me. So, vote 1, Mofo!”
Thanks for the laugh, was feeling dismal today after so many Mofo plugs on the ABC.
I was so irritated by the shouty, die in a ditch for the LNP, journalists at Albanese’s press conference, that I went down and voted early. Just as my little way of saying, that I couldn’t care less about when the costings are released.
I think he will manage to swing a few to the left.)
Seriously though, JH managed to lose his own ‘safe’ seat; a sign of real desperation to drag him out of the ventriloquist box to add someone else to blame when ScoMo bites the dust.
PS: great news that Bully Dutton has lost his intimidation case. Can’t believe that Dutton is a Defender of our Democracy. His bellicose comments on China must be fraying the carpet at Foreign Affairs.
Will Dutton appeal (presumably to the High Court)? And will the taxpayer fund his defence?
Unless you were being rhetorical (a) why not and (b) of course, money is no object if the defo. claim was of the Minister rather than the tuber.
Thanks loki. No, I honestly didn’t know.
Now that he’s lost Defence, I doubt the taxpayer is interested in even funding a 6 inch Sub for lunch.
and now the opposition leader, trying to lead what’s left of a neoliberal stump of a boys club – most of the women have given up on them.
‘Julie Bishop warning a vote for the teals would “eat the heart out” of the Liberal Party.” ‘
Leavcing aside the ludicrous notion the Liberal Party has any heart, is this not a powerful endorsement for voting teal?
Not sure that Lady Asbestos is the best person to appeal to any notion of heart, decency or integrity.
I don’t think ‘hung parliament’ is really appropriate. To my mind, ‘finely balanced’ or ‘fully representative’ would be better. Does everyone forget the many worthwhile outcomes of Gillard’s minority government?
Anyway, I don’t need costings, which are going to change anyway (‘oo er, we didn’t realise what a mess things really were’). I’ve already voted, can hardly wait to see Morrison’s sour gob on the telly by 8pm. Down the bottom of my green ballot, I drew a box with the number ’99’ and the text ‘Morriscum out!’
Some interesting facts here on the ‘disastrous gridlock’ of a hung parliment:
https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2022/may/05/will-a-hung-parliament-lead-to-chaos-what-a-gillard-v-morrison-comparison-reveals
Surely a hung parliament is only ‘hung’ until one side or the other gains the support of the crossbench and forms a minority government? Then, if Gillard is anything to go by, things can proceed smoothly.
Hung, Drawn and Quartered even more appropriate.
The efficiency dividend is a coward’s way of saying sack public servants. This ideological. Perhaps they should stop giving tradies tax-deductible 4WD ute upgrades with offroad camper trailer disguised as a “mobile office” or jetski disguised as a water survey craft. Howard’s “battlers” that charge top dollar for their services. These guys have more disposable income than most professional people.
These efficiency dividends have led to the lost of experience, poorer public service performance and higher costs of inexperienced consultants
Try outright grants for 40% of fully optioned 4 wheel drive cost so that workers did not have to risk COVID by driving to work with a workmate
The aged Howard out campaigning in a couple of Victorian marginals? The polling figures must be bad.
Who granted Howard a visa to enter The Peoples Republic of Victoria?
And a visa to enter the Commonwealth of the Living?
In Victoria when silly old bastards make predictions, they’re called the Kiss of Death predictions
Vale Louis the Lip
He may have played for that terrible team but he was trusted .From a time when some liberal politicians had integrity
Yes, because dragging him out at the recent SA State election was such a *huge* help to Marshall!
Bumped into Howard a few months ago at a coffee shop with his brother ( remember some sort of scandal there?) – he was looking very worn & aged
And appears to be suffering from brain fade or memory loss . More of a liability if he is the best spokesperson you can come up with. A bit like Weekend at Bernie’s.Certainly was a scandal probably the bot will get me if I go further.
Could be some sort of scandal there
Any one remember the relationship between a former almond grower and waterside businessman, the Australian Army tax payers picking up a big tab , and the manipulation of water entitlements. Did well being in favor