Bill Shorten wins Sky News-Courier Mail People’s Forum debate
Scott Morrison’s “space invader” move at the leaders’ debate has been compared to “unsportsmanlike” conduct — but video of the Labor leader shows he actually likes the arcade game. SEE THE VIDEO
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Scott Morrison’s “space invader” move at last night’s leaders’ debate has been compared to “unsportsmanlike” conduct.
Opposition leader Bill Shorten said the move showed the Prime Minister was “under pressure” last night but Labor senator Kristina Keneally said it was like a “technical” foul in basketball and his “Mark Latham moment”.
“It was not the daggy dad, the bloke blokey, but someone who is arrogant, aggressive and quite frankly desperate,” Senator Kenneally said.
“Scott Morrison came to the debate last night not with any policy or vision though he did have his Mark Latham moment.”
While the one-liner was the biggest jibe of the night, video has emerged today of Mr Shorten enjoying the original Space Invaders game.
The video, filmed last year, was posted to his Instagram account with him losing the arcade game and then walking away saying it was “addictive”.
It comes as Mr Shorten has claimed today that Mr Morrison appeared under pressure at the debate and that many have said to him it is better to have a leader who can “keep their cool”.
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Last night tempers flared as the leaders traded barbs in a fiery election debate a fortnight from polling day.
The Labor leader claimed a narrow victory in the nationally televised debate after 43 members of the audience backed Mr Shorten compared to 41 for Mr Morrison while 16 were undecided.
The biggest clashes at tonight’s Sky News/Courier Mail People’s Forum in Brisbane occurred over tax and climate change policies before Mr Morrison stepped within centimetres of Mr Shorten and appeared to tower over him.
Mr Shorten then told the Prime Minister: “You’re a classic space invader.”
Some Labor MPs and political commentators described the incident as Mr Morrison’s “Mark Latham moment” — in reference to a thuggish handshake by the former Opposition leader.
Wearing ties in their party’s respective colours, the two leaders fielded questions from 100 undecided voters on subjects including religious freedoms, tax and mental health
A jovial Mr Morrison, who has pegged the government’s poll fortunes back to 51/49, last night kicked off proceedings, promising strong economic management and stable government.
“Australia is the best country in the world and I plan to keep it that way,” he pledged to the audience at the Brisbane Cricket Ground, known as The Gabba.
Mr Shorten, who narrowly won last week’s first TV debate in Perth in front of 48 undecided voters — with 25 votes to Shorten to Mr Morrison’s 12 and 11 undecided — recycled jokes about the Liberal Party’s leadership woes as he pitched to lower and middle-income workers.
“Australia needs a change,” Mr Shorten said.
“The economy is not working in the interests of working and middle-class people.”
What started as a fairly-fought debate soon turned fiery when the two leaders clashed over proposed tax changes.
The Prime Minister won that fight narrowly over his rival after telling the crowd Mr Shorten could take more time to answer the question because he has more taxes to explain.
“I wouldn’t trust your maths in a heartbeat,” Mr Morrison said.
Mr Shorten was also questioned about his policy costing, again refusing to put a dollar figure on the costs of his climate policies.
But the Labor leader promised bigger surpluses and vowed to release the full costing of all his policies later next week.
This, he said, was ahead of when most oppositions announce costings, traditionally in the campaign’s final week.
He hinted at a multinational tax crackdown and said the cost of his environmental policies to taxpayers “is practically nil”.
“The government will say we can’t afford our policies, I have a different view, it’s about priorities,” Mr Shorten said.
Labor will hold its campaign launch in Brisbane on Sunday during which Mr Shorten is also expected to launch an attack on Facebook.
Mr Shorten was the stronger of the two leaders when it came to education, promising more money for childcare, public schools and universities than the Coalition.
“No country ever went backwards by investing more in education,” Mr Shorten said before reflecting to his own experience as a teacher’s son.
Mr Morrison urged voters to focus more on how the money was being spent and argued that teacher quality was more important than new facilities.
“Give me a great teacher for my kids every day over a school hall,” he quipped.
Rugby Union star Israel Folau’s social media comments that “hell awaits” homosexuals also ignited a free-speech debate.
Voter Kerry said she feared her religious freedoms would be curbed under a Labor government.
In response Mr Shorten vowed: “People of faith should be entitled to practice their faith.”
The two leaders found common ground over the need to provide tax relief for small businesses and lowering Australia’s suicide rate.
Mr Morrison and Mr Shorten also avoided point scoring over dodgy candidates, which had been neutralised after both parties dumped yesterday candidates after inappropriate social media comments emerged.
More than half a million of the 16.4 million Australians enrolled to vote have already cast their vote ahead of the May 18 poll.
Originally published as Bill Shorten wins Sky News-Courier Mail People’s Forum debate
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