Election 2022: Five key moments from the Sky News/Courier Mail Leaders’ Forum

There were some feisty moments between Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Labor leader Anthony Albanese during their first debate. Watch them here.

These are the key moments from the first leaers debate where Scott Morrison clashed with Anthony Albanese.

See the moments below and how it played out.

MOMENT ONE

Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese had a fiery clash over the handling of China in the wake of the Solomon Islands signing a security deal with Beijing. Mr Morrison told the audience he was called a racist for “calling out” China on the pandemic. And he accused Labor of taking on “China’s side” following the Solomon Islands agreement – something that Mr Albanese slammed as “outrageous slur”.

Mr Albanese described the Solomon Islands deal as a major foreign policy failure from Australia – and hit out at Mr Morrison for sending a “junior burger” to the region instead of the Foreign Minister.

MOMENT TWO

Anthony Albanese and Scott Morrison had a heated to-and-fro over asylum seeker boat turn backs.
The Prime Minister pressed Mr Albanese why he hadn’t taken such action when he was Deputy Prime Minister in 2013.
The Labor leader conceded it wasn’t the party’s policy at the time, but that the Opposition supported it now.
He said offshore processing was established under the former Labor government as he hit out at the Prime Minister – asking him why he was always seeking to divide Australians.

MOMENT THREE

The Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader did battle over their positions on a federal ICAC.
Scott Morrison said the government’s proposal was not about a kangaroo court, and suggested it wasn’t about airing allegations in public.
Anthony Albanese said an ICAC with teeth was needed so that it can control its own investigations.
He said he wanted an independent watchdog that would hold government to account.

MOMENT FOUR

In response to a question about the NDIS by a mother who has a son with autism, Scott Morrison said: “Jenny (his wife) and I have been blessed. We’ve got two children that don’t … haven’t had to go through that.”

The Prime Minister said the thing he loved about the NDIS was that it wasn’t welfare.

He said it was about helping people with disabilities live their best possible life.

MOMENT FIVE

Following a summer of disasters, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese attacked the government for acting “too little, too late” on disaster preparedness.

The Labor leader pledged to spend $200m every year on ensuring preparedness for floods, cyclones, fires, and other weather events.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison defended the government’s record – saying it had committed $5.2bn in funding between the state and the Commonwealth in NSW and Queensland following the recent disasters.

He also pointed to the mobilisation of defence personnel in Brisbane – saying the response had been quicker than what had occurred in the 2011 Brisbane floods.