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Australian federal election 2016: Malcolm Turnbull takes full responsibility for campaign
By Fergus Hunter
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has made his first public display of contrition over the Coalition's disappointing election result, accepting "full responsibility" for the campaign but defending the strategy.
He also pointed again to the "significant" role of Labor's Medicare scare campaign, which he called an outrageous lie that "cynically abused the trust of Australians".
"I want to make it quite clear that as Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Party, I take full responsibility for our campaign. Absolutely full responsibility for the campaign," Mr Turnbull said on Tuesday afternoon.
"We have found the result disappointing, we accept the verdict of the people," he added later.
Malcolm Turnbull speaks to the media in Sydney on Tuesday.Credit: Christopher Pearce
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has claimed the Prime Minister is considering a snap election to deal with the chaos and internal Liberal Party tensions that have followed the weekend's result.
Mr Turnbull said the Coalition would listen to the concerns of voters expressed in the form of swings away from the major parties and that there are "lessons to be learned from this election".
"We put forward a very positive agenda, based on my continued belief that the best days are ahead of us as Australians and that we need to build a strong economy as the foundation for our success, for the foundation of our security," Mr Turnbull said.
He also expressed optimism and confidence about the Coalition's chances of forming government, cautioning that the exhaustive process of declaring results was still under way. "I'd be amazed if it wasn't resolved within a week," he said.
"But we have to recognise that the success of Labor's 'Mediscare' campaign, as it's been called. This base, this extraordinary, outrageous lie...the fact that this resonated at all, sends a very clear message to us."
"There is no doubt that Labor cynically abused the trust of Australians by lying to them about this. And it is something for all of us - politicians and the media - to contemplate."
He made an admission that "general distrust or sense of disenfranchisement" from the Coalition - specifically on the issue of health policy - meant there was "was some fertile ground in which that grotesque lie could be sewn".
Mr Shorten said Mr Turnbull should concentrate on making the 45th Parliament work instead of, as he contends, contemplating another election and "blaming everybody else".
"It's just his track record. Blame everyone else, isn't it?" he said.
"The PM is trying to litigate the fact that the Australian people got it wrong and he can be trusted on Medicare."
Mr Turnbull shocked many observers inside and outside the Liberal Party with the tone of his election night speech on Saturday, condemned as being too negative and not prime ministerial enough.
On Tuesday, he said "leaders don't go around blaming people".
"Wallowing in blame and recriminations, that's the people who want to look backwards. Barnaby and I look forwards, leaders lead," he said, flanked by the Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Nationals, Barnaby Joyce.
"Others can blame, I'm not interested in that. We've had a campaign. We fought hard, we presented a powerful case. We weren't a successful as we would have wished."
The Prime Minister also foreshadowed respect for the legitimacy and presence of the crossbenchers who have been elected in the new Parliament, predicting discussions based on respect and common interests.
"The reason that [right-wing politician] Pauline Hanson is elected to the Senate is because a large number of Queenslanders voted for her," he said, defending the impact of lower quotas for Senate candidates in a double dissolution election.
"The reason we had a double dissolution election was not related to the composition of the Senate, it is the only way we could get the passage of the Australian Building and Construction Commission legislation and the registered organisation legislation," he argued.
The Opposition Leader disagreed, condemning Ms Hanson's rhetoric as "racially inflammatory" and blaming Mr Turnbull for her rise, referring to the combination of the government's Senate reforms and the double dissolution.
"I am concerned that Malcolm Turnbull has opened the door and let the genie out of the bottle again with his changes to the voting system. I hold Malcolm Turnbull responsible for the re-emergence of One Nation," he said.
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