Election 2022: Who won the first leaders’ debate – our experts’ verdict

It was harried at first sight as Econo Man met Mr Opportunity at the Gabba for the first leaders’ debate of this election campaign. Who won? Read our experts’ analysis.

Paul Kelly - Editor-at-large

 Paul Kelly.

This debate was sharp, competitive and informative. Both Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese lifted their performances after a dispiriting campaign to this stage.

Neither leader scored a convincing victory. There was no knockout blow. This debate is only likely to reinforce the notion of a tight contest.

Morrison’s superior grip on policy and data as PM was conspicuous. But Albanese did not falter, he did not stumble and that was vital given his vulnerability.

The ALP leader enhanced his standing after his disappointing first week and displayed a touch of passion and conviction. But Morrison scored a big win on boat turnbacks.
He looked effective turning the Solomons issue back against Labor but then overreached making what Albanese branded an “outrageous slur.”

Dennis Shanahan - National Editor

The Australian’s National Editor Dennis Shanahan.

Anthony Albanese won the first debate of the 2022 election campaign on the “vibe” but Scott Morrison won it on the numbers.

The Opposition Leader, avoiding dollar figures and numbers, had some great lines about optimism, the future and how Labor was the party of big reforms.

But the Prime Minister, salting every answer with facts and figures about the economy and spending, dominated the substance of the debate by sheer force of character, time spent addressing the national audience and staying completely on message.

Albanese had the advantage of low expectations after an appalling week of errors and blunders and performed better than he had since the beginning of the campaign. But, while he didn’t make any embarrassing mistakes he stumbled on the key history of border protection and was forced into admitting he didn’t support turning back people smugglers’ boats when he was deputy prime minister.

Morrison’s approach was confident and dominant without being aggressive – both leaders were generally civil and well behaved – and responded to Albanese’s strong reflection on the strengths of Hawke government reforms with the withering line that “Yes it was Labor which introduced the big reforms it was always the Liberal and Nationals who had to work how to pay for them”.

That was the essence of the debate: Albanese offering an optimistic but unspecified plan for the future and Morrison pointing to a world-beating economic recovery form the pandemic which will have to be continued to pay for all the services people want.

Sharri Markson - Investigations Editor

Sharri Markson.

The single stand-out moment from the first leaders’ debate was Scott Morrison holding Anthony Albanese to account when he tried to re-write his own history on border protection policy.

Morrison went for the jugular, directly asking Albanese why he hadn’t supported boat turnbacks as deputy prime minister.

When Albanese claimed it wasn’t even Coalition policy in 2013, Morrison shot back: “It was our policy before the 2013 election. I designed the policy.”

But then came the killer blow. “So you were going to do turnbacks?” Morrison grilled.

“No, no, that’s right,” Albanese conceded.

Albanese accused Morrison of looking for division, but the Prime Minister said he was just looking for truth and accuracy. The combat between the two leaders was the only moment of drama in an otherwise cautious debate.

After countless gaffes during the first week of the campaign, expectations were low for Albanese. Labor supporters will breathe a sigh of relief that he not only survived the debate largely unscathed but performed well.

Albanese gave solid answers on neglect in aged care facilities and housing affordability, tapping into the nostalgic sentiment of voters that the changed times have seen the Australian dream of owning a home beyond reach.

The questions suited Albanese, focused on Labor-oriented areas like the NDIS, a national corruption commission and health. But even as Albanese repeatedly pressed the point that “Labor does the big reforms”, he was not able to nominate any ideas himself that Labor would pursue in government.

Morrison’s responses on Australia-China relations and the economy were clearly stronger.

And while Albanese’s tone was more emotive, Morrison was more presidential. He has the natural authority of a leader who has steered a nation through a pandemic and an economic crisis.

Tom Dusevic - National Chief Reporter

Tom Dusevic.

Econo Man met Mr Opportunity at the Gabba. It was harried at first sight and things barely moved out of that dizzy state of high anxiety, the pasted-on broad smiles notwithstanding.

In the first election debate Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese were often lured into their opponent’s territory by the audience’s questions, but they quickly found their way back to their comfort zones. At every turn they mentioned their families, their life experiences, to empathise with the uncommitted voters in the room.

Morrison is campaigning on the government’s economic record, with Australia fastest out of the blocks in the global recovery. He hammered home the point that only a strong economy through careful fiscal management could underwrite the social spending voters hold dear and rely on. Now was not the time to change or turn back from the path he had prepared, the Prime Minister concluded.

Albanese reminded viewers that Labor does the “big things” like the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the NBN; he talked about the big picture leaders such as Hawke and Keating. Did he belong in that company? He’s no worse than any who followed on that side of politics. The Labor leader vowed to leave no one behind and to give everyone an opportunity to succeed.

Both leaders had their openings and mini stumbles, but it was a consensual, defensive draw. They live to fight another day.

Ticky Fullerton - Editor-at-large, The Australian Business Review

Ticky Fullerton.

For sixty minutes, the first debate between leaders was fought on Labor territory and not the government’s.

Scott Morrison had a slew of figures he had at the ready for every answer, a tactical reminder of how comfortable he is with numbers, but it took over half an hour before he pulled the debate back to the economy.

It was the audience range of questions that framed the debate rather than either leader: housing affordability, jobs for nurses, an anti-corruption commission with teeth, electric vehicles, NDIS cut backs on individual cases, the Solomon Islands security pact with China and even an unhappy sole trader.

The weight of questions made the debate oddly out of kilter with the burning cost of living issue for Australians.

The PM’s strong messaging on the economy out on the campaign was not as cut through in the town hall. For the audience it was almost as if the 4 per cent unemployment was a given. What else have you got?

The debate was all too civil, despite Anthony Albanese wobbling when the PM applied pressure around Labor leader’s turnaround on boat turnarounds. But relief came for those anxious about a knock-out gaffe from Mr Albanese after his disastrous first week. No winner, no loser.

Alice Workman - Strewth Editor

Strewth Editor and The Australian's political reporter, Alice Workman.

We were mere seconds into the leaders debate when maroon-tie wearing Scott Morrison made a subtle jab at grey-tie wearing Anthony Albanese’s unemployment gaffe.

That’s the only time it was mentioned, as not one single voter in the crowd of 100 undecided voters asked a question about the economy. A sign the economic stumble might not be as front-of-mind among the masses as the Liberals are making out.

The questions were solid, and skewed slightly towards areas Labor is campaigning heavily on, from a federal corruption body to electronic vehicles and the China-Solomon Islands security deal. If that’s any indication on the issues that Quiet Queenslanders are concerned about, it could be good news for Labor.

There was no real gotcha moment, no original thought, nothing we haven’t heard before or wasn’t rehearsed. Neither strayed too far from their tried and true lines.

“Labor builds the big things,” was Albo’s big pitch. Such as … a Big Ute in Geelong?

Albanese moderately revved up when aged care mush was mentioned and continued his scare claim that the government has “left the door open” to extending the cashless welfare card to pensions.

Morrison, the more seasoned performer, had a go and gave a denial, then quickly turned the topic to boat turnbacks. A staccato exchange ensued over an issue that both major parties have a basically identical policy – it’s an on water matter

The major turn-off moment? When Morrison told a woman — who asked about receiving NDIS funding for her four-year-old son with autism — that he and wife Jenny “have been blessed” that their daughters don’t have a disability.

The winner? Anyone who watched anything else.