‘Out of touch’: Prime Minister grilled over campaign gaffe

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has responded to a campaign gaffe after being grilled about whether he was “out of touch”.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has suffered his first major campaign gaffe, incorrectly stating the rate of JobSeeker while being quizzed by journalists in Perth.

It had so far been smooth sailing for Mr Morrison who had yet to experience the same slip ups that continue to plague Labor leader Anthony Albanese on the hustings.

But on Monday, Mr Morrison incorrectly said JobSeeker’s were paid $46 a week while answering a question on the cost of living.

The actual figure is $46 per day.

Mr Morrison made the mistake during a press conference in Perth. Picture: Jason Edwards

Labor’s Jason Clare was quick off the mark to highlight the error and took to Twitter to call for the Prime Minister to correct the record.

“Today Scott Morrison got the JobSeeker rate wrong. Not by a little – he was out by $276 a week,” he said.

“Will he come out and correct the record?”

Hundreds of social media users pounced on the gaffe, as did Network Ten political editor Peter van Onselen.

“Maybe that’s what he wants it (the JobSeeker rate) to be,” van Onselen said.

Mr Morrison’s final event of the day was at a BMX club in the electorate Pearce, which will receive a $1.6 million investment to redevelop its track facilities.

The Prime Minister was swamped by young BMX riders - one of whom, after getting a handshake from Mr Morrison, said he was never going to wash his hand again.

Mr Morrison then watched the riders make laps around the track, sitting at the starting line. One cheeky voice on the sidelines kept offering the kids $50 if they agreed to stack it on purpose.

On his way out of the venue, Mr Morrison was briefly asked about his slip-up earlier in the day.

“I misspoke,” Mr Morrison conceded. Asked to name the correct JobSeeker figure, he did so.

The Prime Minister refused to answer questions about whether he was out of touch with people on the unemployment payment.

It comes as Mr Morrison left the door open to a deal with “teal independents” in the event of a hung parliament.

The Coalition is under pressure in several blue ribbon seats across the country from challengers with links to the Climate 200 movement.

The Prime Minister was asked twice if he would rule out forming an alliance with the so-called climate independents during his Perth press conference.

But he refused to be drawn.

“We intend to win majority government at the election,” Mr Morrison said.

Scott Morrison has left the door open to negotiations with the independents. Picture: Jason Edwards

Instead he used the question as an opportunity to renew his attack on the group who he claimed would plunge parliament back into “chaos and uncertainty.”

“You just don't know what you are going to get. You don’t know who they are going to support, and who they are not going to support, you don’t know what the policies are.

“Contracting out your decision to an independent candidate who doesn't know which way they are going to jump, I don’t think that’s a vote for stability and certainty.”

Only a handful of seats are expected to determine the outcome of the federal election.

High-profile challenges in traditionally Liberal seats such as Kooyong, Goldstein and Wentworth, have added to the Coalition’s headache, given they need to hold all 76 seats it currently has.

Dr Ryan said she wouldn’t come to the table unless the major parties' agreed to a higher emissions target. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

For the Coalition and Labor, the magic number is 76. Fall short and the decision of who claims power will be left to the crossbench.

On Monday, the candidate hoping to oust Treasurer Josh Frydenberg revealed she would not guarantee supply or demand to either major party unless it made major changes to climate policy.

“At this point, neither the major parties has come to the party to the table in the same way that the people of Kooyong want them to,” Monique Ryan told Sky News.

Asked to name a figure, Dr Ryan said if elected she would only do a deal if it include at 60 per cent emissions reduction target – “at a minimum”.

- Additional reporting by Sam Clench