Voter Verdict: Final say on federal election day
Voters have punished Peter Dutton for being out of touch because he doesn’t know the price of eggs, others think he’s “genuine” and stands standing up for Australians. Watch the final Voter Verdict.
Federal Election
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It was the price of eggs and a case of “better the devil you know” that delivered Anthony Albanese the edge over Peter Dutton with News Corp’s Voter Verdict Panel.
The majority of the 13 member panel voted for Labor over the Coalition as they cast their ballots yesterday, with Mr Dutton underestimating the price of a dozen eggs viewed as being out of touch with the struggles of ordinary Australians.
But five members of the panel backed Mr Dutton for being “genuine” and “believable” and “standing up for Australians”.
Every week during the five-week federal election campaign the Voter Verdict panel have judged the leaders on their performance and policies.
The Opposition Leader failed to win any week of the campaign in the eyes of the panel, and come polling day eight of the 13 member panel voted for Labor.
For many voters, it wasn’t until the final week of campaigning that their choice was cemented, with a few swinging from the Coalition to Labor.
While the key issues of energy, inflation, health, housing and national security were on many voters’ minds, it was how each leader approached cost-of-living that helped many of the panel make their final decision.
Rebecca Free, 51, said Mr Dutton lost her vote after he failed to know the price of eggs and for his performance in the final leaders debate last Sunday.
“He lost my respect this week in relation to his arrogance and the way he conducted himself in the last debate,” Ms Free said.
“I found it really hard to understand that one of your leaders can’t get a grasp on the actual cost of living, I think that’s in particular around the price of the carton of eggs, which everyone knows that the price is through the roof at the moment,” she said.
Voting in the marginal seat of Lyons in Tasmania, Ms Free said for her, voting for Labor was a case of “better the devil you know than better the devil you don’t know”.
Karen Treloar, who cast her ballot in the Queensland electorate of Blair, agreed saying Mr Dutton’s failed to understand “the basics” of those grappling with the cost of living.
“He didn’t know the price of eggs, golly, you know, not knowing the price of eggs when they’ve doubled in price,” she said.
“Does he know how much it costs for a two litre bottle of milk? Does he know what the price is for a loaf of bread?”
“You need to know everyday living.”
Victorian voter Brett Terry, said while he while didn’t necessarily want a Labor government, Mr Dutton and the Coalition showed him “they were not ready to run the country”.
“For me, it’s a choice between the unworthy and the unready, neither party has policies that have resonated with me.”
Mr Terry believed both leaders failed to provide solutions to issues such as Indigenous affairs, gambling laws, environmental protection and increasing job seeker payments.
However, some panel members backed the Opposition Leader, with five voters on the panel believing Mr Dutton was a “much stronger leader” than Mr Albanese.
Aaron Teboneras who resides in the Queensland electorate of Moncrieff believed the Coalition would create a better tax system for Australians, and tackling migration numbers would help solve the housing crisis.
“(Peter Dutton) is looking after Australians, he’s focusing on nuclear energy, which I believe is the way forward.
“As well as that I believe he’s stronger leader in terms of international relations and he’ll stand up for Australian citizens.”
The 41-year-old felt Mr Albanese was playing a game of “catch up” with the Opposition leader.
Gail McIntyre, a 63-year-old retiree from the seat of Fairfax said as the campaign went on, she saw Mr Dutton as more “genuine” and “believable”.
“Labor seemed to be only throwing money at the problems they failed to address during their time in government. They did not acknowledge that the country is in a worse position now than when they took power,” Ms McIntyre said.
As the youngest voter on the panel, 24-year-old Emily Cookson from the NSW seat of Mitchell felt the Coalition spoke “a lot more truth than the Labor Party”.
“Whilst on paper Anthony Albanese might seem like the more better leader to lead Australia, I simply don’t think this is the case,” she said.
The young voter faced two issues which decided her vote, with one being Labor’s how to vote card preferencing the Legalise Cannabis Party as number three in her electorate.
Mr Albanese’s ignorance of other issues outside of cost-of-living, though, was the final straw.
“I understand that’s a big issue for a lot of people, but there are so many other issues I think he neglected whilst he was spending all his time focusing on the costs of living, and as well just not being 100 per cent truthful,” Ms Cookson said.
“I would rather have a leader who can admit when they make mistakes and listen to feedback from the people and change it for the better rather than vote for someone who promises to give you the world but fails to deliver when it’s time to pay off.”
Pollster Redbridge selected the Voter Verdict panel of undecided voters who are a wide intersection of Australians of all ages, lifestyles, professions and political interests.
OVERALL RESULT
LABOR: 8
COALITION: 5
NAME: Dinesh Nagappan Anitha
AGE: 32
OCCUPATION: Engineer
LOCATION: Blacktown
ELECTORATE: Greenway
QUOTE: “I felt (Labor’s) housing policy was less inflationary and on policies such as energy, they had a more sustainable view and a long-term view. And similarly Peter Dutton had to do a lot of step-backs in the beginning of the campaign.”
FINAL VOTE: LABOR
NAME: Karen Treloar
AGE: 56
OCCUPATION: Homemaker
LOCATION: Basin Pocket, QLD
ELECTORATE: Blair
QUOTE: “(Peter Dutton) didn’t know… the basics and for me, you need to know the basics of people. You need to know everyday living.”
FINAL VOTE: LABOR
NAME: Rebecca Free
AGE: 51
OCCUPATION: Manager
LOCATION: Honeywood, TAS
ELECTORATE: Lyons
QUOTE: “I found it really hard to understand that one of your leaders can’t get a grasp on the actual cost of living, I think that’s in particular around the price of the carton of eggs, which everyone knows that the price is through the roof at the moment.”
FINAL VOTE: LABOR
NAME: Aaron Teboneras
AGE: 41
OCCUPATION: Business Owner
LOCATION: Southport, QLD
ELECTORATE: Moncrieff
QUOTE: “What I like about Peter Dutton is I believe that he’s a much stronger leader than Anthony Albanese. He’s looking after Australians, he’s focusing on nuclear energy, which I believe is the way forward.”
FINAL VOTE: COALITION
NAME: Julie-anne Perich
AGE: 47
OCCUPATION: Homemaker
LOCATION: Kalangadoo, SA
ELECTORATE: Barker
QUOTE: “Liberals are too much into cutting things too, that was the other thing, he (Dutton) just wants to cut, cut, cut.”
FINAL VOTE: LABOR
NAME: Brett Terry
AGE: 56
OCCUPATION: Security officer
LOCATION: Hampton Park, VIC
ELECTORATE: Holt
QUOTE: “Mr Dutton and the Liberals have shown me they are not yet ready to run the country and be in government. For me, it’s a choice between the unworthy and the unready.”
FINAL VOTE: LABOR
NAME: Emily Cookson
AGE: 24
OCCUPATION: Student
LOCATION: Kellyville, NSW
ELECTORATE: Mitchell
QUOTE: “I would rather have a leader who can admit when they make mistakes and listen to feedback from the people and change it for the better rather than vote for someone who promises to give you the world but fails to deliver when it’s time to pay-off.”
FINAL VOTE: COALITION
NAME: Katie Hows
AGE: 30
OCCUPATION: Chartered Accountant
LOCATION: Woodvale, WA
ELECTORATE: Moore
QUOTE: “I was undecided throughout the election, up and down and some weeks I liked Peter Dutton more, some weeks it was Anthony Albanese depending on what had happened during the week. Dutton is a strong leader who will stand up for Australia and not back down from a fight.”
FINAL VOTE: COALITION
NAME: Parag Khandekar
AGE: 43
OCCUPATION: Chartered Accountant
LOCATION: Rowville, VIC
ELECTORATE: Aston
QUOTE: “(Labor) just made the promises, but they never said how they’re going to do that, which is where ... I feel Liberal has proved 100 per cent.”
FINAL VOTE: COALITION
NAME: Rachel Zappia
AGE: 50
OCCUPATION: Office Manager
LOCATION: Concord West
ELECTORATE: Reid
QUOTE: “I don’t feel (Peter Dutton) is as professional as Anthony Albanese. I think he just talks …he talks and talks,he talks too much. He has open-ended promises and I don’t think he’s strong enough, actually to be Prime Minister.”
FINAL VOTE: LABOR
NAME: Muhammad Ahmad Ashraf
AGE: 39
OCCUPATION: IT professional
LOCATION: Logan Reserve, QLD
ELECTORATE: Forde
QUOTE: “I’m not convinced with the policies made by Peter Dutton - he was not clear on how he was going to fund nuclear energy projects, (and) he was quite hard on immigration levels.”
FINAL VOTE: LABOR
NAME: Gail McIntyre
AGE: 63
OCCUPATION: Retired
LOCATION: Mountain Creek Qld
ELECTORATE: Fairfax
QUOTE: “I saw Peter Dutton as genuine and believable, Labor seemed to be only throwing money at the problems they failed to address during their time in government.”
FINAL VOTE: COALITION
NAME: Apurva Soni
AGE: 33
OCCUPATION: Project Officer
LOCATION: North Parramatta, NSW
ELECTORATE: Parramatta
QUOTE: “Anthony Albanese has successfully convinced people how they will execute their plan and tackle the situation.”
FINAL VOTE: LABOR
Originally published as Voter Verdict: Final say on federal election day
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