Election 2022: ScoMo and Albo haven’t dealt a knockout blow yet

Week two of the campaign was light on policy and heavy on politics, as both leaders have more work to do. Have your say and vote in our poll.

Week two of the campaign was light on policy and heavy on politics, with Anthony Albanese nudging ahead of Scott Morrison in the first leaders debate, but neither landing a knockout blow.

Both sides went negative, with Labor attacking the Coalition on Medicare and cashless welfare cards and the Coalition firing back on national security and boats.

Minor damage was inflicted, but it’s hard to call the week anything other than a draw – likely a result Mr Albanese’s team would chalk up as a win given his disastrous start to the campaign.

It’s also probably been the least important week of the campaign given that most of the country has been switched off enjoying their holidays – very reasonable given the past two years.

Mr Albanese’s Covid diagnosis on Thursday threw a significant curveball at his campaign, but it also gave the opposition a chance to flex and show off their front bench with Jason Clare, Jim Chalmers and Katy Gallagher giving Australians a taste of the “team” they would get under Labor.

The Labor leader started the week with an appearance at Byron Bay’s Bluesfest, where boos battled against cheers so fiercely even as an attendee it was difficult to discern which won out.

But this rocky start and even a third stumble on Labor’s boats policy during Wednesday’s leaders forum did not ultimately harm his momentum, with 40 per cent of the audience giving him the debate win, compared to 35 per cent to Mr Morrison.

Scott Morrison makes a point at the Courier Mail and Sky News People’s Forum in Brisbane – the first live debate between the two leaders. Picture: Jason Edwards

Confirmation the Solomon Islands signed a security pact with China veered the campaign onto international relations and national security.

Whether or not the Solomons deal would still have happened under a Labor Government is one thing, but the fact it has happened under the Coalition’s watch has blunted the “weak on China” attack favoured by Mr Morrison.

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attend a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People on October 9, 2019 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Thomas Peter-Pool/Getty Images)

Undecided voters at Wednesday’s leaders debate in Brisbane audibly groaned when Mr Morrison accused Labor of being on China’s side, with Mr Albanese quickly branding the remark an “outrageous slur”.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese, attend the first leaders' debate of the 2022 federal election campaign at the Gabba in Brisbane. Picture: Jason Edwards

The Prime Minister sought to flip the criticism of Liberal Warringah candidate Katherine Deves, who has had to apologise several times for offensive remarks about the trans and gay community, to an issue of free speech, declaring his captain’s pick would “not be silenced”.

But this narrative took a hit when Ms Deves on Friday night refused to take questions from the media or allow journalists to attend a politics in the pub event.

Heading into week three, the great unknown is whether Mr Albanese has a mild or more severe case of Covid-19 and therefore how involved he can be from isolation.

Regardless, don’t expect Mr Morrison to slow his frenetic pace for even a second.

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