Party Games: ‘I genuinely lead my party whereas your party genuinely leads you’

BILL Shorten hit home with two sharp lines during Sunday’s debate, both important in the compare and contrast theme Labor’s got going.

Malcolm Turnbull used the debate to reintroduce himself to voters. Picture: Tracey Nearmy

BILL Shorten hit home with two sharp lines during Sunday’s debate, both important in Labor’s compare and contrast task they’ve got going.

Shorten is trying to pin skewed priorities and being out of touch on Malcolm Turnbull as well as the charge he is not the old moderate Liberal people thought they were getting.

Bill Shorten’s first bullseye on Malcolm Turnbull came when he sought to spell out the difference between himself and the PM. Picture: Tracey Nearmy

His first bullseye on Turnbull came when he sought to spell out the difference between himself and the Prime Minister.

“There is a big difference between me and Mr Turnbull,” said Mr Turnbull.

“I genuinely lead my party whereas your party genuinely leads you.”

The second line was delivered with Turnbull in shot behind the Labor leader and he didn’t look happy.

Turnbull used the debate to reintroduce himself to voters - an interesting thing to do in itself - by saying he entered Parliament aged 50 after a life as a successful businessman, not having been a staffer or working for a political party or a union.

Turnbull says he’s his own man - with help, course, from the always proximate Lucie.

Shorten and Labor take on Turnbull’s backstory by saying he’s out of touch and has priorities that favour the big end of town.

At the end of the debate broadcast on Sky on Sunday Labor dropped in a 30 second spot which started by saying Turnbull didn’t understand everyday government service – such as Medicare and child care – because he didn’t use them.

“Maybe he’s just out of touch,” the ad says at the end.

This also fits with the other barb shot at the PM during the debate. Shorten says Turnbull’s $50 billion corporate tax cut is a gift to big business especially the banks.

“Malcolm wants to give the banks a $7 billion tax cut, I want to give them a royal commission,” said Mr Shorten.

These sharp lines are ammunition for Shorten but he still needs an economic framework to hang it on.

Originally published as Party Games: ‘I genuinely lead my party whereas your party genuinely leads you’