With just six days to go until the federal election, Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton faced off in their fourth and final leaders’ debate, hosted by Channel 7. Albanese currently leads in the polls and aims to establish a majority Labor government, while Dutton hopes to regain ground during this last week of campaigning.
The debate quickly turned contentious, with Dutton accusing Albanese of dishonesty and berating him for the issues faced over the last three years. In response, Albanese defended himself, asserting that while he could withstand Dutton’s attacks, he would not allow Dutton to undermine the wages of working Australians. The conversation promptly shifted to pressing topics such as cost of living, taxation, and housing.
Dutton launched his attack on economic management right from the outset, emphasising that this election is fundamentally about who can best oversee the Australian economy. He argued that effective economic management would alleviate the rising inflation and assist families grappling with a cost-of-living crisis, which he attributed to the current government’s decisions. He expressed empathy for struggling families, noting that many he encountered were visibly distressed.
Conversely, Albanese underscored the significance of offering Australians a choice between advancing the nation’s future or reverting to past policies. He called for stability during these volatile times, promoting his government’s clear and consistent policies against what he labelled as the opposition’s unpredictability. Albanese pointed to his party’s commitments to lowering prices for the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and childcare expenses, asserting that inflation has decreased from 6% to 2.4% under his leadership.
Dutton responded by advocating for the Coalition’s proposed fuel excise cuts, which Albanese critiqued as merely a short-term solution. Dutton likened these temporary measures to those enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting they would provide essential breathing room to “clean up Labor’s mess.”
Both parties have presented policies aimed at addressing the ongoing housing crisis, although economists remain sceptical about their effectiveness. Dutton specifically linked surging house prices to immigration policies, claiming mismanagement by Labor of the migration program. He described the current housing situation as a “nightmare,” citing a nearly 20% increase in rent over the past two years due to significant migration.
In response, Albanese stated that his government was committed not only to identifying problems but actively pursuing solutions. He outlined initiatives aimed at increasing the supply of housing, such as incentives for build-to-rent programs and enhanced support for social housing, emphasising the importance of addressing supply rather than merely demand as the way forward.