Federal election Two words Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese want you to hear

Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese have spent weeks trying to woo Aussie voters, and a revealing analysis of their speeches and media events reveals what words they say most.

Ellen Ransley

4 min read

May 17, 2022 - 10:14AM

News Corp Australia Network

Federal Election

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With just days to go before millions of Australians head to the polls, Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese have spent five weeks trying to prove that they are the better man for the top job - with a few buzz words.

Amid the daily press conferences and official campaign speeches, Mr Morrison and Mr Albanese have posited themselves as champions of two very different realms.

For Mr Morrison, he’s been trying to sell himself as the better economic manager with a plan, while the Labor leader is trying to put the “care” back into politics.

So much so that Mr Morrison’s favourite word of the campaign has been “plan”, as Anthony Albanese’s has been “care”.

That’s the analysis of the official remarks, statements and doorstop comments from the first five weeks of the campaign.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison (R) and Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese shake hands during a leaders debate.

Not including answers to questions posed by the press pack nor television and radio interviews, News Corp Australia has analysed the 28 press conferences, statements and official speeches of Mr Albanese and the 36 of Mr Morrison, taking into account the week the Opposition Leader did not front the media due to his Covid-19 isolation.

Comparatively, Mr Morrison spends far longer than Mr Albanese does on his press conference preambles, where he outlines an announcement or policy as well as responding to criticism lobbed from the other side.

Mr Albanese usually says less, and spends more time taking questions.

Mr Morrison’s favourite word was “plan”, which he’s said 228 times. In comparison, Mr Albanese has said it only 91.

Mr Albanese and Mr Morrison will know their fates on Saturday evening.

On the first day of the election, Mr Morrison started his six-week long pitch in the southern NSW coast electorate of Gilmore, pleading for a chance to keep Australia’s economy on track.

“But the economic plan, backed up by a AAA credit rating that we’ve been able to retain during this global crisis, when it comes to our economy, to ensure Australia is well set up with a strong economic plan for the future,” he said.

Almost six weeks later, he was still pitching himself as the man with the plan, saying from the Brisbane electorate of Blair on Monday - as he spruiked his scheme to allow first home buyers to use part of their super - that the government had a strong plan for giving Australians control of their future.

“So our plan is about putting Australians in charge of their future with their own money. It’s their money,” he said.

Labor meanwhile has posited itself as the party that “cares about Medicare, childcare, and aged care,” with Mr Albanese saying the word “care’ 172 times as opposed to Mr Morrison’s 49.

Mr Albanese has said “childcare” 11 times – to Mr Morrison’s three times; “Medicare” 52 times – to Mr Morrison’s 14 times; and “aged care” 24 times – compared to just six times from Mr Morrison.

On his first day on the campaign, Mr Albanese pitched his commitment to strengthening Medicare.

Mr Morrison liked to say the word “plan” at his media conferences.

“We’ll have more to say about it... over the course of the election campaign,” he said from the northern Tasmania electorate of Bass.

“But we believe that having Medicare at the centre of our delivery of health services is something that makes Australia one of the greatest health systems in the world, and it’s something we should cherish, it’s something we should protect, and it’s something that we should strengthen.”

And indeed he has continued to say more about Medicare, most recently from the Perth electorate of Swan on Monday where he made a health announcement alongside WA Premier Mark McGowan

“Medicare is at the heart of Labor’s health agenda,” he said.

“We have had a series of Medicare announcements to strengthen Medicare and to strengthen the health system.”

“Climate” was a favoured word for Mr Albanese. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Mr Morrison’s second favourite buzzword was “economy”, which he said 218 times to Mr Albanese’s 38; and “job” and “jobs” which the Prime Minister said 153 times to the Opposition Leader’s 73.

The cost of living has come out as the major issue that could decide the election, but in their official statements, Mr Albanese has only said that phrase 16 times, while Mr Morrison has said it more than twice as much - 41 times.

Given both parties have put forward significant housing policies in the midst of the first campaign interest rate rise since 2007, both leaders have used “housing” a similar amount of times - Mr Morrison 17, Mr Albanese 18. The word “home” has been used 33 times by Mr Albanese and 74 times by Mr Morrison.

The election has also been billed as a khaki election, made even more apparent by the deal the Solomon Islands signed with China that threatens Australia’s borders.

The word “defence” has been muttered just five times by Mr Albanese, compared to 97 times by Mr Morrison.

Both parties have committed to net zero by 2050, but amid mounting calls for the government and the opposition to reach more ambitious 2030 targets - Mr Morrison has not mentioned the word “climate” once in his official preambles or speeches, while Mr Albanese has said it 31 times.

Total times leaders said the words during the election campaign (April 11-May 16):

Albanese

Business:17

Climate: 31

Cost of living: 16

Education: 13

Economy: 38

Housing: 18

Inflation: 9

Jobs: 73

Medicare: 52

Pandemic: 30