Election opinion: Bill Shorten seizes on child care as cost-of-living issue
PARTY GAMES: These kids are way too young to vote, but they may have just given Bill Shorten his breakaway moment at the halfway point of the campaign.
Analysis
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THIS could be the point where Bill Shorten steals a genuine march on Malcolm Turnbull, breaking away on the vital cost-of-living issue.
Lifting the cap on childcare rebates is a middle-class vote winner, linking into the earlier big-ticket item or lifting the freeze on Medicare rebates.
This is the key into Shorten’s economic pitch — selling a message that he can take the burden off middle class families who are watching their disposable household income go backwards quarter after quarter.
horten might not be able to provide a panacea for everyone economic problems but he can take the burden off the middle class — the group suffering most in this income and disposable income squeeze.
It fits into Shorten’s narrative that he will look out for the little guy while Turnbull is taking care of the big end of town.
The fact this biting against Labor shows up whenever Turnbull or Scott Morrison talk the first round of tax cuts going to mum-and-dad businesses and the banks and multinationals being three elections away.
The voters are thinking if a doubtful jobs and growth dividend is three elections away why should I support it now. Wouldn’t it be better to take the money from a Shorten Government and cut the cost living here and now.
This is why the Coalition is worrying — the polls are going against them with some negatives for Turnbull showing up and an election that looks like votes are spraying all around the place.
At the halfway mark with the tide starting to run against the status quo, the Coalition has everything to worry about. Time is running out.
Originally published as Election opinion: Bill Shorten seizes on child care as cost-of-living issue
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