James Campbell: Little wonder Dutton looked nervous after getting upsetting news – but Albo’s waffling answers saved him

Given he’d just received upsetting personal news, Dutton understandably had a tough start to the debate before Albanese channelled his inner game show host, writes James Campbell.

Given he’d just been told his father had suffered a suspected heart attack, it is no surprise Peter Dutton looked nervous at first.

Anthony Albanese on the other hand was relaxation itself, reeling off his achievements – inflation down, wages up, interest rates on the way down.

Dutton on the other hand was all about voters’ lived experience, summed up by a figure of 30 per cent – how much groceries have risen since 2022.

Then it was into the questions and Trump – which Albo must have relished, but his answer – which wandered off into trade delegations to Indonesia – was bloodless, whereas Dutton talked about how if he was PM he would stand up to bullies.

Next was schools and the national disgrace that is the difference in the education experiences of state and private schoolchildren, which Albo used as an excuse to remind us the Abbott government had scrapped school funding promised by the Gillard government.

Peter Dutton poses for a selfie with an audience member after the debate. Picture: Jason Edwards / NewsWire

Dutton said the current system offered ‘choice’ – which is true if you have money and not much use if you don’t – and Albo was being dishonest, which might well be right but made him look a sook.

Win to Albo.

This was followed by a half-volley to Albo from a dad worried his kid’s uni fees will rise if Dutton cuts foreign students.

But instead of putting over the fence with a simple answer – “of course they’ll go up” – he waffled.

It was downhill for him from there.

On Gaza, Dutton had the clarity which comes from knowing the Muslim vote is firmly in the other guy’s column while Albanese struggled to please two audiences.

Only on nuclear, where he sounded like an accountant even down to talking about “amortisation,” did Dutton struggle.

His high point came with what should have been Albo’s easiest shot – Medicare – by pointing out bulk billing rates have plummeted under this government.

By now Albo was ingratiating himself with the audience like a light entertainment host of the old school – smiling smarmily at an old dear and asking her about her grandchildren.

His final punch – which I suspected will have landed – was to remind us that the Coalition promised no cuts to Medicare last time and we all know how that ended.

But still a narrow win to Dutton on points.

Originally published as James Campbell: Little wonder Dutton looked nervous after getting upsetting news – but Albo’s waffling answers saved him