Anthony Albanese’s logistical game just highlights questions

Anthony Albanese’s call to reveal policy costings so late in the campaign has backfired and there is a reason why.

In refusing to release Labor’s policy costings until two days out from the election, Anthony Albanese has undermined his own promise to always face up to scrutiny.

On Thursday the Labor leader only narrowly avoided completely failing this commitment after a last minute backflip on ditching his travelling media pack before the figures were released.

Labor’s original plan was to have Mr Albanese continue campaigning in Brisbane while journalists were sent to Canberra for the costings announcement.

This was apparently to allow proper scrutiny of the budget figures handed down by Labor’s Jim Chalmers and Katy Gallagher, but in reality it would have removed the opportunity to ask the man who hopes to become prime minister on Saturday about his own costings.

Anthony Albanese alongside Labor candidate Ali France in the suburb of Strathpine in the electorate of Dickson in Brisbane. Picture: Getty Images

Given Mr Albanese had dodged questions about his projected budget deficit for weeks, it was important he face the music.

Mr Albanese has promised to bring more transparency and integrity to government, or as he described it on day one of the campaign to “not (be) Scott Morrison”.

This made relying on the precedent set by former prime minister Tony Abbott, who also controversially released his budget costings two days before the election, particularly weak.

As he rightly points out, Mr Albanese has spent the campaign doing one-on-one interviews with every media outlet, faced tough press conferences and taken the time to speak to Australians through a variety of mediums like Q and A or the National Press Club.

The Labor leader met supporters at a pre-polling booth in Strathpine, in the electorate of Dickson, in Brisbane. Picture: Getty Images

However putting yourself in a position to be asked questions cannot be automatically equated as having given answers.

The fact he ultimately competently handled questions about his spending commitments and their impact on inflation, the risk of further cuts if elected to government and the merits of driving productivity only further served to highlight he should never have shied away from the opportunity to present his case in the first place.

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Originally published as Anthony Albanese’s logistical game just highlights questions