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Leaders debate 2022: Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese go head to head in Brisbane

Scott Morrison cornered Anthony Albanese on the issue of boat turnbacks in the first awkward moment of the debate.

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April 20, 2022 - 9:11PM
Both leaders confirmed they support asylum seeker boat turnbacks

Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese went head-to-head in the first leaders' debate of the election on Wednesday night in Brisbane.

The Prime Minister and Opposition leader took questions from voters for the Sky News-Courier Mail People's Forum.

The contest of ideas was moderated by Sky News anchor Kieran Gilbert as 100 undecided voters chosen by Q&A Market Research asked about the issues that matter most to them.

Topics ranged from housing affordability and the economy to nursing funding, disaster relief and China's security deal with the Solomon Islands.

Follow our updates below.

Updates

PMO hammers turnbacks

Frank Chung
Frank Chung

The Coalition's campaign HQ was quick to jump on the turnbacks issue, clearly seeing it as Scott Morrison's biggest win over Anthony Albanese during the debate.

"In the debate just now, the Leader of the Opposition showed his true colours admitting he did not support boat turnbacks which is one of the key pillars of Australia’s border protection policies," the Prime Minister's office said in a statement.

They included a transcript of this exchange.

PM: Why did you not support turnbacks?

AA: I was on the national security committee. We had established offshore processing, just at the in 2013 when I became Deputy Prime Minister. That was the first step. That was the first step.

PM: So you were going to do turnbacks?

AA: No. No, that's right.

PM: Ok. I just wanted to be clear.

"His record is clear, he does not support the tough policies which keep Australia’s borders secure," the PMO said. "When Anthony Albanese was Acting PM for a matter of days he oversaw more successful illegal maritime arrivals in the two days when he was acting PM than the entire time of the Coalition."

Albanese declared winner

Frank Chung
Frank Chung

Anthony Albanese has been declared the winner of the debate.

Of the 100 voters in the audience, 40 went with the Labor leader, 35 backed Scott Morrison, while 25 remained undecided.

Who won the debate?

Frank Chung
Frank Chung

So who won?

Several punters in the crowd admitted they were still on the fence at the conclusion of the debate. Mr Albanese was criticised for failing to pounce on openings provided by Mr Morrison, especially on the topic of debt and economic waste.

"This was the debate that could’ve ended Albanese's campaign if he stuffed up like he'd stuffed up the first week of the campaign," political commentator Andrew Bolt said.

"I don't think there was any major stuff-ups from either of them… there wasn't any knockout blows either," Sky host Peta Credlin said. "For me the biggest turning points was the boat turn back issue and the response from Albanese … and the other one was the China point."

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'Blessed' comment backlash

Frank Chung
Frank Chung

Scott Morrison is copping flack for saying earlier that he and Jenny were "blessed" to have two children without disabilities.

The PM made the comment in response to a woman's question about NDIS funding for her four-year-old son with autism.

"I am 'blessed' to have a child with autism," Labor Senator Katy Gallagher tweeted. "She teaches me things every day. Our lives are enriched by her."

The PM said he was 'blessed' to have two children without disabilities.
The PM said he was 'blessed' to have two children without disabilities.

Activist Asher Wolf wrote, "As a disabled adult, I just want to say to any disabled kids out there: everyone deserves care, love, respect, dignity, and human rights. God doesn’t make ppl disabled as a curse. And disabled ppl do not exist to be inspo or to teach others moral lessons."

Former Labor leader Bill Shorten said, "ScoMo says he is 'blessed' to have two non disabled children. Every child is a blessing. The NDIS is there to help people with disability live their lives to the fullest. The Morrison Gov has slashed NDIS plans for 1000s of children around Australia. Labor will fix the NDIS."

ScoMo's 'outrageous slur'

Alexis Carey
Alexis Carey

There were a handful of audible groans in the room towards the end of the debate as Scott Morrison accused Anthony Albanese of "taking China's side" over his criticism of the government's treatment of the Solomon Islands.

Mr Morrison was asked about the new security deal between Beijing and Honiara, which has been blasted by the ALP as the greatest foreign policy failure since World War II.

Mr Morrison said he had been aware of the issue of China's interference in the Pacific for a long time, and added that during the pandemic when he introduced border restrictions impacting China, he had been accused of being a "racist".

Anthony Albanese accused the PM of an 'outrageous slur'.
Anthony Albanese accused the PM of an 'outrageous slur'.

But he then delivered what the Labor leader considered to be a low blow, asking Mr Albanese why the ALP took "China's side".

Mr Albanese hit back, branding the comment an "outrageous slur" and said the government had made a "Pacific stuff-up" rather than a "Pacific Step Up".

He also took aim at the Morrison government's decision to send a "juniorburger" into the region, a reference to Minister for the Pacific Zed Seselja, instead of a more senior representative.

'I want to unite Australia'

Frank Chung
Frank Chung

The last two questions of the night have been about disillusionment in the political system and restoring "trust in the democratic process".

Scott Morrison again turned to the economy, saying "our strong economic plan is getting people off welfare into work, about helping Australians realise their big aspirations in life".

Anthony Albanese said it was true there was "so much disillusionment with our political system, that's one of the reasons we need a strong anti-corruption commission".

"I want to unite the country, I don't want to be the PM always looking for the wedge, always looking for the division," he said.

Albo's awkward moment

Frank Chung
Frank Chung

Scott Morrison has cornered Anthony Albanese on the issue of boat turnbacks in the first really awkward moment of the debate.

As Immigration Minister, Mr Morrison points out he designed Operation Sovereign Borders which "ended deaths at sea" and saw the closure of offshore detention centres "that the Labor Party opened".

"We ended all of that, and it's a very hard thing to do," he said.

"Now I can tell you it's not easy, and you have to believe in it, you have to understand it. You have to understand how to do it safely. You have to understand how it works with all the other areas of your border protection policy, which is temporary protection visas and offshore processing. Other countries around the world have said Australia got that right. Now all I'm simply saying is you know I'll do it, because I've done it."


Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese.
Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese.

Asked if Labor would do turnbacks, Mr Albanese replied, "Yes, we will do it", adding he would focused and determined.

"You haven't always been," Mr Morrison said.

"When you were Deputy Prime Minister, why didn't you support turnbacks then?"

"You weren't proposing it … at that time?" Mr Albanese replied.

"Proposing, I'm sorry?" Mr Morrison said, pointing out he was the Shadow Immigration Minister when he first proposed turnbacks while Mr Albanese was on the national security committee.

"And so why did you not support turnbacks?" he said.

Mr Albanese said Labor established offshore processing in 2013 when he became Deputy PM. "That was the first step," he said.

Foreign ownership question

Frank Chung
Frank Chung

The first question from the audience was on the issue of housing affordability and foreign ownership.

"What is the government going to do about foreign ownership?" the audience member said.

"We all know that foreign investment into the country, especially in the housing market is actually driving the prices up, which is making it unaffordable. If we lived in Thailand, Indonesia, China, Fiji, as a non-citizen, we wouldn't be able to buy property there."

Mr Morrison agreed that it was getting harder to buy a home, and pointed to his government's various programs including HomeBuilder and the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme.

On the issue of foreign ownership, the PM said it was a "very good point". "Not only have we toughened the laws on foreign ownership in this country for residential real estate, but more importantly, I increased the resources for the Australian Taxation Office to make sure they're being complied with," he said.

Opening statements

Frank Chung
Frank Chung

Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese have made their opening statements.

The PM has talked up his government's economic credentials, saying "this election is a choice between a stronger economy and a weaker one, a stronger future and an uncertain one".

Mr Albanese says Australia "can have a better future if we have a better government", talking about the need to lift wages to meet rising cost of living, to bring manufacturing back on-shore powered by "clean energy", and to establish a federal anti-corruption commission.

"This government has been in office for almost a decade, the truth is they haven't learnt from their mistakes, they don't have a plan for the future," he said.

Albo will 'wipe the floor'

Frank Chung
Frank Chung

Labor strategist Cameron Milner predicts a "passionate" Anthony Albanese will "wipe the floor" with Scott Morrison at the first leaders' debate.

Mr Milner told Sky News host Chris Kenny the Labor leader had a "disastrous, hellish" first week and Mr Albanese himself had described tonight's debate as "crucial".

"That said I think the real pressure is on Scott Morrison," he said.


Next Level Strategic Services director Cameron Milner.
Next Level Strategic Services director Cameron Milner.

Mr Milner – the former Queensland Labor state secretary and ex-chief of staff to Bill Shorten – said Mr Albanese's fired-up press conference today was a sign he had ditched the small-target strategy and gone on the attack.

"Albanese is an excellent parliamentary debater and I think with the passion you saw at today's press conference, Albo will wipe the floor with Scott Morrison at tonight's debate," he said.

"It wasn't aggression, it was passion and I loved seeing it, I loved seeing that real Albo passion."

Read related topics:Anthony AlbaneseBrisbaneScott Morrison
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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/national/federal-election/leaders-debate-2022-where-to-watch-sky-news-scott-morrison-anthony-albanese-forum/live-coverage/27da853d87c01f4928c5cd64689406fc