1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,079 Speaker 1: Albanezi and Dutton. They will face off in the first 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:05,760 Speaker 1: election debate on Sky News at nine point thirty tonight, 3 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:07,960 Speaker 1: that's nine thirty our time. Dutton is under pressure to 4 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:11,360 Speaker 1: convince voters he's been slipping behind Labor and the latest polls. 5 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:15,440 Speaker 1: Mark Riley is seven News political editor. He has previously 6 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:18,800 Speaker 1: mediated debates. He's with us tonight Mark, Good evening. 7 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:23,479 Speaker 2: Good day, Ryan, and hopes to moderate debates in the 8 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:24,360 Speaker 2: future as well. 9 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:28,120 Speaker 1: Let's see is this Yes, sorry I didn't make that 10 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: so last century Mark? Is this tonight? Which one? Have 11 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:36,159 Speaker 1: him a moderator because these questions from the audience it 12 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:38,479 Speaker 1: sounds a bit more town hoy. What's the format? 13 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:42,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, city's town hay. That's exactly it. I mean Kieran 14 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:47,519 Speaker 2: Gilbert Sky will moderate, but he'll essentially just pass the 15 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:52,159 Speaker 2: microphone around to people who've been selected by a survey 16 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 2: company as a representative of the electorate, and they'll be 17 00:00:55,880 --> 00:01:01,480 Speaker 2: asking questions about particular policy issues, peron and early issues, politics, 18 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 2: the whole lot. So it is very townholy. 19 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 1: And how do you win a town hall debate? 20 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:11,560 Speaker 2: Well? Not in the other bloke off his feet, but 21 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 2: you know, there's these debates are always risky for prime 22 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:22,319 Speaker 2: ministers and always opportunities for opposition leaders. I guess it's 23 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:26,960 Speaker 2: a rare opportunity for an opposition leader to have equals 24 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 2: standing on the same platform with the Prime minister, shoulder 25 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:34,039 Speaker 2: to shoulder, eye to eye, So much more to lose 26 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 2: for a PM, much more to gain for an opposition leader, 27 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 2: and most of the time it's kind of impressionistic. There's 28 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 2: a debate about about how much impact the debates themselves 29 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 2: have on people's voting intentions. Do they really turn votes? Well, 30 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 2: probably not in and of themselves, unless you you know, 31 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 2: start buffering on live television, as has happened in the 32 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 2: presidential debates before before the Democrats changed candidate with Joe Biden. 33 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 2: But I think also there's a psychological impact of this 34 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:12,680 Speaker 2: that I've watched I'm fascinated by over the years. It 35 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 2: does play with the mind of the candidate if they 36 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:19,960 Speaker 2: have a poor performance at a debate, so you know, 37 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:23,840 Speaker 2: you could have an impact on a couple of different levels, 38 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 2: but they're normally remembered for moments, So opposition leaders and 39 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 2: prime ministers look for those moments where they essentially make 40 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 2: their opponent look like a goose. 41 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:37,519 Speaker 1: Yeah, we had one of those in New Zealand that 42 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 1: show me the Money debate with our former Prime Minister 43 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 1: John Key down in christ Church and it changed, It 44 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:45,360 Speaker 1: really did, because what it does for the next week 45 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 1: on the campaign is give that candidate the pip in 46 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 1: the step, the energy, you know, the vibe, the kind 47 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:54,959 Speaker 1: of the push that you need to the finish line. 48 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:56,239 Speaker 1: Doesn't it? So they can? 49 00:02:56,520 --> 00:03:01,519 Speaker 2: It does it does. Look, campaigns all about momentum, and 50 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 2: if you can get what you believe is a shift 51 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:06,880 Speaker 2: in momentum from a debate and then ride it into 52 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:10,760 Speaker 2: the campaign proper, it can have a material impact on 53 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:13,840 Speaker 2: the way that the next few days or week plays 54 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 2: plays out. But also it starts to build its own narratives, 55 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:20,240 Speaker 2: so people like me start saying, well, you know, things 56 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:22,920 Speaker 2: started to turn out the debate when you know Dutton 57 00:03:22,919 --> 00:03:25,360 Speaker 2: got inside Albany's he's head or Albanize he got inside 58 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 2: Dutton said, whatever the case may be. So they can 59 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:36,480 Speaker 2: produce turning points in a way often don't. Sometimes can Trump. 60 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 1: How much of a factor is he in this campaign? 61 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 2: Massive? I mean the guys you know, look look at 62 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 2: you know your superannuation today. Trump is a factor in 63 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 2: every country around the world today and in this campaign 64 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 2: he is a factor because he's skewing the outlook for 65 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 2: the Australian economy. We had Peter Dutton today declaring that 66 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 2: Australia was headed towards recession, headed towards recession under Labor. 67 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:05,880 Speaker 2: Of course he made the political point, but you know, 68 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 2: back in the day we would have said that's talking 69 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:10,600 Speaker 2: the economy down and un Australian and all the rest 70 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 2: of it. These days it's just part of the course 71 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:17,599 Speaker 2: and the political contact sport. But so there will be 72 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:21,320 Speaker 2: questions about Trump. I am absolutely certain, and both of 73 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:24,240 Speaker 2: the leaders will say that they are best equipped to 74 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 2: deal with him. The question is how you deal with him, right, 75 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:28,839 Speaker 2: I mean, and that's the material point. How do you 76 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 2: deal with somebody who is so unpredictable as Trump. Alban 77 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:36,600 Speaker 2: Easy's way has been to say that we do it 78 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:43,960 Speaker 2: diplomatically through the usual channels and through traditional means. We 79 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:47,560 Speaker 2: don't we don't engage in knee joke responses. That is, 80 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 2: we're not going to wack on tariffs on the US 81 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 2: in retaliation. Dutton's the Dutton's way of really of framing 82 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:01,159 Speaker 2: this is that he will take a toughest stand he'd 83 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:04,719 Speaker 2: be more forthright, stand up for Australia. But also because 84 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:08,400 Speaker 2: it's kind of said sod of, But because he's of 85 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 2: the same conservative ilk, though not of the Trump kind, 86 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:15,119 Speaker 2: but of the same conservative bent, he has a better 87 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:20,600 Speaker 2: chance of negotiating an exemption or a deal for Australia 88 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:25,360 Speaker 2: than alban eaz he does. But in essence, I think 89 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:30,279 Speaker 2: Trump brings to this campaign the question, you know, who 90 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:35,480 Speaker 2: is best equipped to lead Australia at a time of royling, 91 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 2: expensive and quite frightening uncertainty, particularly in the global economy. 92 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:44,360 Speaker 1: Yeah. Hey, great to have you on Mark, looking forward 93 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:47,720 Speaker 1: to tonight's debate and looking forward to you moderating debates 94 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 1: in the future. 95 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:52,160 Speaker 2: For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drave, listen live to 96 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:55,279 Speaker 2: News Talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow 97 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:57,039 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.