Party Games: To debate or not debate, that is the question

THERE are more arguments, hissy fits and stubborn-headed nonsense about election debates in Australia than anything else.

THERE are more arguments, hissy fits and stubborn-headed nonsense about election debates in Australia than anything else.

These debates started in 1984 after Malcolm Fraser famously refused to take on Bob Hawke which caused Labor to launch a very effective empty chair ad spot, causing voters to wonder what the normally tough guy Liberal was afraid off.

Malcolm Turnbull during the ABC Leader’s Deabte at the National Press Club, Canberra.

Bill Shorten during the ABC Leader’s Deabte. Pictures: Lyndon Mechielsen

The answer was simple: he was scared of getting creamed by the silver tongued Hawke.

The next election Hawke couldn’t credibly walk away from debate despite some wise headed senior advisers telling him not to do it.

Andrew Peacock wiped the floor with a lacklustre Hawke and this spurred him on to take the Labor PM to the brink of defeat.

Three years later Hawke felt once bitten twice shy and refused to debate Howard, even though he had every tactical advantage over his opponent who was battling a divided Coalition and a Budget black hole.

In 1900, when Labor Graham Richardson held sway, Hawke debated again - this time against Andrew Peacock and bettered him, just as Paul Keating in three contests against John Hewson in the Coalition’s “unlosable” election in 1993.

The Great Debate: John Howard vs Paul Keating with compere Ray Martin. Picture: Michael Jones

Howard was back on his game in 1996 and easily outpointed Keating, just as he did in 1998 against Kim Beazley - although the audience and the infamous worm have it to the Labor leader.

Since then it’s been debate ping pong: Howard beat Mark Latham in 2004 but the worm and the public went for the underdog before an out of sorts Howard was out-everythinged by Kevin Rudd.

Prime Minister Bob Hawke and Andrew Peacock during the 1984 debate at the National Press Club in Canberra. Picture: Supplied

Tony Abbott bulldozed Julia Gillard in 2010 - hitting here with “new taxes” and Labor dysfunction.

Abbott was on a roll three years later and psyched Rudd off the stage with his killer “Doesn’t this guy ever shut up?” zinger.

Now we have gone full circle back to the empty chair with a conservative Malcolm not turning up.

There might be more people watching Leigh Sales on 7.30 but one thing is for sure some this morning, everyone will be talking about the fact Turnbull didn’t turn up. That’s a rolled gold unforced error.

Dennis Atkins is The Courier-Mail’s National Affairs Editor

Andrew Peacock, member for Kooyong, Victoria and Leader of the federal Liberal Party debating PM Bob Hawke in the 1990 election campaign.

Originally published as Party Games: To debate or not debate, that is the question