WEBVTT - Albanese v Dutton: The first leaders’ debate

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<v Speaker 1>From Schwartz Media. I'm Daniel James. This is seven am.

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<v Speaker 1>Anthony Alberzi won the first leader's debate of the election

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<v Speaker 1>campaign last night, but it was a tight contest, with

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<v Speaker 1>both leaders well prepared and polished as they faced undecided

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<v Speaker 1>voters in Western Sydney, exactly the kind of battleground both

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<v Speaker 1>sides will need to win the Form government.

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<v Speaker 2>Thanks to the hard work of Australians, including the people

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<v Speaker 2>in this room, Inflation is doubt to two point four percent,

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<v Speaker 2>wages are up.

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<v Speaker 1>Anthony Alberzi spoke of the country rallying in spite of

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<v Speaker 1>difficult global conditions. For Peter Dutton, it was about painting

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<v Speaker 1>a dire picture of economic pain and blaming Alberanzi for it.

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<v Speaker 3>In forty years, there has not been a higher spending

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<v Speaker 3>government than your government.

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<v Speaker 1>Is that correct?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, that's not true, except for the one that you

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<v Speaker 2>were a part of.

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<v Speaker 1>And today Special correspondent for the Saturday Paper, Jason Gottus

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<v Speaker 1>on the biggest moments of the first debate and what

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<v Speaker 1>it tells us about the next stage of the campaign.

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<v Speaker 1>It's Wednesday, April nine. Jason, thanks for joining us. Who

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<v Speaker 1>had the most to lose from last night's debate.

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<v Speaker 4>Daniel, I think no question Peter Dutton, given the horrible

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<v Speaker 4>start he's had to this election campaign, not just the

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<v Speaker 4>first ten days of the campaign, but the four weeks

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<v Speaker 4>leading up to Anthony Albanesi calling the election have not

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<v Speaker 4>gone Peter Dutton's way and so he had a lot

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<v Speaker 4>at stake tonight.

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<v Speaker 1>There have been reports that Anthony Alberezi has been preparing

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<v Speaker 1>for the debate by training with Dan Andrews.

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<v Speaker 4>Did it show if having the better zingers was a

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<v Speaker 4>measure of the training that Anthony Albaneze did with Dan Andrews,

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<v Speaker 4>then I think it did show for well.

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<v Speaker 2>The only gas policy that the Coalition have is the

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<v Speaker 2>gas lighting of the Australian public. He disagrees with all.

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<v Speaker 4>Of the because Anthony Albanesi did have some better cut

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<v Speaker 4>through lines than did Peter Dutton.

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<v Speaker 1>I noticed that Dutton called Albanzi dishonest a number of

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<v Speaker 1>times throughout the debate.

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<v Speaker 3>It's designed to scare people, and I think it's dishonest

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<v Speaker 3>from a man who wants to well be Anthony with respect.

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<v Speaker 1>That's a very dishonest proposition. You could so we know

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<v Speaker 1>there'd be a whole team of people nailing these lines

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<v Speaker 1>of attack behind the scenes. So what did you make

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<v Speaker 1>of that choice, Jason to use that line.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, I think that's exactly the sort of thing we

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<v Speaker 4>would expect Peter Dutton to say to Anthony Albanesi, and

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<v Speaker 4>the sort of thing that the PM would say back

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<v Speaker 4>to Peter Dutton. This is I think standard fair in

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<v Speaker 4>political debates that both leaders are going to call the

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<v Speaker 4>other dishonest or imply that they're a liar in some way.

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<v Speaker 4>That's just what we expect, that standard debate trash talking.

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<v Speaker 1>If you like. Is it a case that that's Dutton's

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<v Speaker 1>best line of defense is attack?

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<v Speaker 4>Well, I think he does have to try to undermine

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<v Speaker 4>the Prime Minister any way he can, and attacking his

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<v Speaker 4>honesties integrity is probably the easiest way to do that.

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<v Speaker 4>But I do think it's also worth saying that I

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<v Speaker 4>thought this debate was pretty respectful both leaders. They are

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<v Speaker 4>used to dealing with each other. They have quite a

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<v Speaker 4>good relationship across the table in the House of Representatives.

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<v Speaker 4>There's not a lot of ill feeling between these two people,

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<v Speaker 4>and I think that showed tonight too. Yes, Peter Dutton

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<v Speaker 4>called Albin Easy dishonest a number of times, but I

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<v Speaker 4>think that's within the bounds of political debate, and it

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<v Speaker 4>wasn't as though as though Pedda Dutt as being disrespectful

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<v Speaker 4>to the PM or unjustly accusing him of lying. I

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<v Speaker 4>thought all of the low that Peter Dutton used were

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<v Speaker 4>pretty fair.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, let's get into some of the policy. Then, what

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<v Speaker 1>did the debate tell you about where both leaders want

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<v Speaker 1>to fight this election?

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<v Speaker 4>Well, I think for the Prime Minister very much Medicare.

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<v Speaker 4>He kept trying to bring the debate back to Medicare.

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<v Speaker 4>He brought out the Medicare card from his pocket, which

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<v Speaker 4>we've sent him to a number of times.

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<v Speaker 2>And all you need is this little thing here, Prith.

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<v Speaker 2>You just need your Medicare card, not your credit card

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<v Speaker 2>because labor.

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<v Speaker 4>And I think for Peter Dutton it was very much

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<v Speaker 4>about getting his campaign back onto the two key messages

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<v Speaker 4>of the cost of living.

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<v Speaker 3>I want to provide support to Australians from the first

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<v Speaker 3>day that we're elected, and that is through a twenty

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<v Speaker 3>five cent a leader cut to fuel both diesel and unleaded.

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<v Speaker 3>It'll help families, it'll help businesses, it'll help pegitics.

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<v Speaker 4>And also national security.

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<v Speaker 3>I want to make sure that we can live in

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<v Speaker 3>a safe country. The Prime Minister says that we live

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<v Speaker 3>the most curious period since the end of the Second

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<v Speaker 3>World War, since nineteen forty five, and then takes eighty

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<v Speaker 3>billion dollars out of defense.

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<v Speaker 4>Peter Dutton also talked about the housing crosses and what

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<v Speaker 4>he would do to ease that if he was to

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<v Speaker 4>become Prime minister.

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<v Speaker 3>A person is coming in every forty four seconds into

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<v Speaker 3>our country and we haven't got the housing to accommodate

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<v Speaker 3>that show them we need to get the sequencing right

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<v Speaker 3>and it's why we're putting five billion dollars into a

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<v Speaker 3>program to create five hundred thousand new homes.

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<v Speaker 4>And so Peter Dutton tried to remind people that one

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<v Speaker 4>of his key policies is to let less people into

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<v Speaker 4>the country than the Albanesi government has done over the

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<v Speaker 4>last three years.

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<v Speaker 1>Both political parties are very similar when it comes to immigration.

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<v Speaker 1>But there was a moment where it felt like Peter

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<v Speaker 1>Dutton was wrong folded by a man asking about the

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<v Speaker 1>impact of international students. He was worried that the plan

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<v Speaker 1>to reduce the numbers would make UNI more expensive for

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<v Speaker 1>his son.

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<v Speaker 4>How will those universities pick up the short and will

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<v Speaker 4>will my son's unifees increase?

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<v Speaker 1>What did you make of that moment, Jason Well, I

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<v Speaker 1>thought it was a really interesting question.

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<v Speaker 4>It gave Peter Dutton a moment of pause. You know,

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<v Speaker 4>he didn't quite know how to answer that question.

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<v Speaker 3>The short answer is no, because what we do as

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<v Speaker 3>a government is we provide that funding to universities and

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<v Speaker 3>obviously there's a health scheme where students are paying for

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<v Speaker 3>part of their own education as well. What we've done though,

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<v Speaker 3>is that we've said under the government's.

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<v Speaker 4>It was Yeah, it was a really good moment in

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<v Speaker 4>this debate, A really one of those candid moments that

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<v Speaker 4>sticks with you.

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<v Speaker 1>What Peter Dutton is firmly laying the blame mate and

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<v Speaker 1>is at the feet of international students who he says

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<v Speaker 1>are causing the crisis in housing around Australia.

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<v Speaker 3>I want desperately to make sure that we get an

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<v Speaker 3>opportunity for young people to believe in and achieve again

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<v Speaker 3>and the dream of home ownership. They are about forty

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<v Speaker 3>two international students coming into our country for every one

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<v Speaker 3>student accommodation unit that's been approved, and that has had

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<v Speaker 3>a big impact. So it doesn't is.

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<v Speaker 1>This working for him to blame students like that.

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<v Speaker 4>I don't think so, Daniel, because I'm not sure that

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<v Speaker 4>international students come to Australia and buy the sorts of

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<v Speaker 4>houses that ordinary working families are trying to buy. I

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<v Speaker 4>don't see too many international students living in outer suburban

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<v Speaker 4>areas and in our bigger cities. International students tend to

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<v Speaker 4>cram themselves into small apartments very close to the campuses

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<v Speaker 4>where they're studying. And I just don't get the feeling

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<v Speaker 4>that international students are taking houses other Australian residents are

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<v Speaker 4>trying to rent or buy. And I'm not sure that

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<v Speaker 4>it's going to work for Peter Dutton in the long term.

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<v Speaker 1>Coming up after the break, who was more convincing on

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<v Speaker 1>the economy?

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<v Speaker 5>Hi Ruby Jones. Here seven Am tells stories that need

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<v Speaker 2>My question to Peter is that you have posed every

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<v Speaker 2>cost of living measure that we're put forward over the

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<v Speaker 2>last three years in government. You now are going to

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<v Speaker 2>an election with a nuclear plan that will build seven

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<v Speaker 2>nuclear reactors that will cost six hundred dollars to provide

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<v Speaker 2>four percent of power sometime in the twenty forties. What

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<v Speaker 2>are you going to cut to pay for it? Because

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<v Speaker 2>the private sector won't fund nuclear reactors because it doesn't

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<v Speaker 2>stack up. So tax payers, including everyone in this room,

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<v Speaker 2>is going to have to pay for this nuclear plan.

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<v Speaker 1>Jason Anthony Albernezi challenged Peter Dutton directly on his nuclear plan.

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<v Speaker 1>Is this ultimately shaping up to be an energy election?

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<v Speaker 4>Well, I think the government wants to make it an

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<v Speaker 4>election about Peter Dutton's nuclear policy, and Peter Dutton wants

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<v Speaker 4>to make it an election about Anthony Albinezi's failure to

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<v Speaker 4>bring power bills down by two hundred and seventy dollars

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<v Speaker 4>a year, which is of course what he promised before

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<v Speaker 4>the last election.

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<v Speaker 3>When you go to the supermarket now you're now paying

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<v Speaker 3>thirty percent more for groceries, paying about thirty two percent

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<v Speaker 3>more for your electricity and the Prime Minister promised at

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<v Speaker 3>one of these debates at the last election that your

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<v Speaker 3>power bills would go down by two hundred and seventy

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<v Speaker 3>five dollars. Instead they're up by thirteen hundred dollars.

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<v Speaker 4>So I think both leaders are coming at this issue

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<v Speaker 4>from different perspectives. Both leaders are throwing around a lot

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<v Speaker 4>of numbers. They're talking about the cost of gas and

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<v Speaker 4>bringing it down by percentages, and they're both arguing about

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<v Speaker 4>each other's costings plan. Peter Dutton says his plan is

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<v Speaker 4>forty four percent cheaper than the government's energy transition plan.

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<v Speaker 4>The Prime Minister says the coalition's nuclear plan will cost

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<v Speaker 4>six hundred billion dollars, which of course Peter Dutton disputes.

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<v Speaker 4>So when you have both leaders throwing these big numbers

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<v Speaker 4>around like that in a very short space of time,

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<v Speaker 4>I'm not sure that most voters really understand what they're

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<v Speaker 4>arguing about it. It's quite confusing, and I think when

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<v Speaker 4>it comes to concerns that voters might have, Peter Dutton's

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<v Speaker 4>pledged to build six or seven nuclear power stations is

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<v Speaker 4>probably more concerning to them than Anthony Albanesi's plan to

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<v Speaker 4>build more wind farms. And put more solar panels on

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<v Speaker 4>people's roofs.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean both leaders were flooding the zone with heaps

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<v Speaker 1>of different numbers being thrown at us during the debate.

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<v Speaker 1>But through that, Jason, what did Dunn actually have to

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<v Speaker 1>say about his nuclear plant?

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<v Speaker 4>Well, he didn't say all that much about it. He

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<v Speaker 4>did try to say that in Canada in France, that

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<v Speaker 4>there's a lot of nuclear power in their energy grids.

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<v Speaker 3>In France there is seventy percent nuclear in the system.

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<v Speaker 3>Our policy is to make sure that we can underpin

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<v Speaker 3>our economy with a stable energy market for the next

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<v Speaker 3>hundred years.

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<v Speaker 4>I'm not sure that that strikes accord with many voters

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<v Speaker 4>when he's talking about the next one hundred years, because

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<v Speaker 4>people who are worried about their power bills want them

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<v Speaker 4>to come down fairly soon, and Peter Dutton's nuclear policy

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<v Speaker 4>is not going to do that over the next ten

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<v Speaker 4>ten years because the first nuclear power plants not scheduled

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<v Speaker 4>to come online until the mid twenty thirties. The one

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<v Speaker 4>thing that Peter Dunton sounded a bit better on was

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<v Speaker 4>when he was talking about how much his policy will

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<v Speaker 4>cost versus what the Prime Minister is offering now.

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<v Speaker 3>Your plan independently cost it by Frontier Economics, a company

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<v Speaker 3>used by the Labor Party and probably the best economist

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<v Speaker 3>when it comes to looking at energy policy in the country,

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<v Speaker 3>puts the Labor Party policy of renewables only at six

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<v Speaker 3>hundred billion dollars. Our policy is forty four percent cheaper

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<v Speaker 3>than that two hundred and thirty one billion dollars in total.

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<v Speaker 4>And I thought Peter Dutton was quite convincing on that

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<v Speaker 4>issue when it comes to the relative costings that each

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<v Speaker 4>party is applying to their energy policies.

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<v Speaker 1>As with most elections, Jason, ultimately both sides are trying

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<v Speaker 1>to convince voters they are better at managing the economy.

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<v Speaker 1>He was more convincing on that front.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, I don't think either leader delivered a knockout blow here,

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<v Speaker 4>but this is the coalition's number one bread and butter issue,

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<v Speaker 4>and I did think Peter Dutton made some good points

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<v Speaker 4>about the coalition's strength when it comes to economic management,

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<v Speaker 4>but he didn't really land a blow on the Prime Minister.

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<v Speaker 4>And I think the Prime Minister was able to point

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<v Speaker 4>out that Labor is the only party that has delivered

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<v Speaker 4>two budget surpluses in the last twenty years.

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<v Speaker 2>A seventy eight billion dollar deficit we inherited, We turned

0:13:27.440 --> 0:13:30.319
<v Speaker 2>that into a twenty two bion dollar surplus, and then

0:13:30.360 --> 0:13:33.440
<v Speaker 2>we turned a deficit of more than fifty bon into

0:13:33.440 --> 0:13:35.199
<v Speaker 2>a fifteen bion dollar surplus.

0:13:35.840 --> 0:13:38.760
<v Speaker 4>The Coalition had been promising a surplus, of course, it

0:13:38.840 --> 0:13:43.560
<v Speaker 4>famously didn't deliver one under Scott Morrison, Malcolm Turnbull or

0:13:43.600 --> 0:13:46.920
<v Speaker 4>Tony Abbott. And so I think Minister was able to

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<v Speaker 4>show that well Labor has been managing the economy relatively

0:13:52.240 --> 0:13:55.360
<v Speaker 4>well compared to the Coalition. He was also able to

0:13:55.360 --> 0:13:58.800
<v Speaker 4>make the point that interest rates have started coming down,

0:13:58.880 --> 0:14:03.800
<v Speaker 4>that inflation within the Reserve Banks target band. And I

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<v Speaker 4>think when it comes to rebuttal that the Prime Minister

0:14:07.480 --> 0:14:09.480
<v Speaker 4>did a pretty good job there as well.

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<v Speaker 1>Jason, the Prime Minister won the debate. But beyond that,

0:14:13.360 --> 0:14:15.719
<v Speaker 1>what did it tell you about how he's faring at

0:14:15.720 --> 0:14:16.880
<v Speaker 1>this point in the campaign?

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<v Speaker 4>Well, I mean, because this debate was in front of

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<v Speaker 4>a studio audience of the people in that room, I

0:14:22.960 --> 0:14:27.400
<v Speaker 4>didn't detect much anger towards the Prime Minister. There wasn't

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<v Speaker 4>from what I could tell, much of a mood for change.

0:14:30.280 --> 0:14:33.080
<v Speaker 4>And I thought that was really telling that if this

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<v Speaker 4>is a random sample of ordinary voters. It didn't seem

0:14:37.760 --> 0:14:40.480
<v Speaker 4>to me like most of them wanted to throw the

0:14:40.520 --> 0:14:47.120
<v Speaker 4>Prime minister out. You often hear political pundits talking about

0:14:47.200 --> 0:14:52.160
<v Speaker 4>voters you're waiting with baseball bats to smash the incumbent.

0:14:52.680 --> 0:14:55.840
<v Speaker 4>I couldn't see any of those sort of baseball bats

0:14:55.880 --> 0:14:58.200
<v Speaker 4>in the audience tonight, So I think the Prime Minister

0:14:58.240 --> 0:15:02.160
<v Speaker 4>would come away feeling you are reassured that he's not

0:15:02.360 --> 0:15:06.040
<v Speaker 4>really on the nose with voters, if that audience is

0:15:06.040 --> 0:15:08.600
<v Speaker 4>an accurate snapshot of the electorate.

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<v Speaker 1>Jason, thanks so much for burning the midnight all for us.

0:15:13.560 --> 0:15:16.360
<v Speaker 4>Daniel, It's always great to talk with you, and beyond

0:15:16.400 --> 0:15:32.239
<v Speaker 4>seven am.

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<v Speaker 1>Also in the news today, thousands of public hospital doctors

0:15:35.920 --> 0:15:38.280
<v Speaker 1>in New South Wales are participating in a three day

0:15:38.320 --> 0:15:41.800
<v Speaker 1>strike pleading for better pay and conditions to stop colleagues

0:15:41.840 --> 0:15:45.040
<v Speaker 1>fleeing to other states. Doctors from more than thirty New

0:15:45.040 --> 0:15:48.600
<v Speaker 1>South Wales public hospitals walked off the job yesterday seeking

0:15:48.600 --> 0:15:52.320
<v Speaker 1>a one off thirty percent salary increase and better working conditions,

0:15:52.520 --> 0:15:56.160
<v Speaker 1>including guarantee breaks. He's the first strike by New South

0:15:56.200 --> 0:16:00.400
<v Speaker 1>Wales doctors in more than twenty five years. Thousands of

0:16:00.440 --> 0:16:03.040
<v Speaker 1>workers at Star and Entertainment casinos have had their positions

0:16:03.120 --> 0:16:06.240
<v Speaker 1>saved after a US gaming giant has signed a rescue

0:16:06.240 --> 0:16:09.840
<v Speaker 1>package to keep the business from falling into administration. Star

0:16:10.080 --> 0:16:12.640
<v Speaker 1>Entertainment has signed a three hundred million dollar agreement with

0:16:12.720 --> 0:16:17.120
<v Speaker 1>Bally's Corporation, with Bally's paying one hundred million immediately to

0:16:17.200 --> 0:16:21.040
<v Speaker 1>keep Cassina doors open across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Sydney.

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<v Speaker 1>This has been seven am. Thanks for listening.