‘Bulldozer’ leader Scott Morrison ready to rebuild standing with voters

Scott Morrison has promised to change the way he runs the country and soften his ‘bulldozer’ ­approach to major issues, in a late campaign bid to win over voters.

Scott Morrison with the Liberal MP for Chisholm, Gladys Liu, at manufacturing business Extel Technologies in the ultra-marginal seat on Friday. Picture: Jason Edwards

Scott Morrison has promised to change the way he runs the country and soften his “bulldozer” ­approach to major issues, in a late campaign bid to win over voters and neutralise Labor attacks on his character.

Ahead of the Coalition campaign launch in Brisbane on Sunday where the Prime Minister will outline his vision for the country and attempt to reset his pitch to voters, Mr Morrison said he would modify his leadership style as the nation moved out of the pandemic crisis.

Senior Coalition sources said Mr Morrison’s pitch was his last chance to outline a clear vision for the country and claw back support from Labor, which continues to hold an election-winning lead in published opinion polls.

Speaking in the vulnerable marginal Melbourne seat of Chisholm, held by Liberal MP Gladys Liu on a 0.5 per cent margin, Mr Morrison promised he would show Australians some of his “other gears” if re-elected.

“It’s very important to be listening to Australians and I’ve done that all across my political career,” he said. “And you know, over the last three years … what Australians have needed from me, going through this pandemic, has been strength and resilience.

“Now, I admit, that hasn’t ­enabled Australians to see a lot of other gears in the way I work. And I know Australians know that I can be a bit of a bulldozer when it comes to issues.

“As we go into this next period on the other side of this election, I know there are things that are going to have to change with the way I do things, because we’re moving into a different time.”

With morale in government ranks eroding on the back of negative polling and critical focus groups, Coalition and Labor strategists will roll out multimillion-dollar advertising blitzes in the final week of the campaign to shift soft and undecided voters.

Anthony Albanese, who pledged to be a “builder, not a bulldozer”, on Saturday will shift Labor’s final week campaign push to health and announce a $970m Medicare funding boost.

Labor, which launched new ads attacking Mr Morrison for “900 cuts and changes to Medicare ­rebates”, will establish a $750m Strengthening Medicare fund and invest $220m into GP practices.

Coalition sources said Mr Morrison was attempting to present a softer image to counter Labor’s ­relentless personal attacks on him during the campaign, which have seeped into voter sentiment.

The Opposition Leader, who started his day in the Cairns-based seat of Leichhardt, where Labor is pouring resources to oust longtime LNP MP Warren Entsch, said “a bulldozer wrecks things”.

“A bulldozer knocks things over. I’m a builder, that’s what I am. And if I’m elected prime minister, I’ll build things in this country,” Mr Albanese said.

“I find it quite extraordinary that this government have been there for almost a decade, this Prime Minister has four years in office and what he’s saying is ‘if you vote for Scott Morrison, I’ll change’. That’s what he’s saying: ‘Vote for me, and I’ll change’. If you want change, change the government.”

Mr Morrison’s attempt to shift voter perceptions of him eight days from polling day mirrored mid-campaign moves by Julia Gillard and Kim Beazley to explain who they were and what they stood for. Government insiders said Mr Morrison’s “bulldozer” comment was not a “Real Julia” moment because Australians knew what he stood for.

Under Labor’s Strengthening Medicare fund, which costs $750m over three years, patients will have better access to GPs, cheaper costs and improved management of chronic conditions. The plan will also ease pressure on public ­hospitals. The $220m Medicare GP grants will upgrade IT systems for telehealth consultations, upskill staff, purchase equipment and improve ventilation and infection control. “Everywhere I go, people talk to me about how it’s getting more and more difficult to see a doctor,” Mr Albanese said.

Australian Medical Association president Omar Khorshid said the almost $1bn investment would put “general practice on a pathway to a more sustainable future”.

“The primary care fund announced by the ALP, if implemented, is a strong downpayment that will help realise the recently completed 10-year primary health care plan – a plan which has remained completely unfunded by the government,” Dr Khorshid said. “The ALP’s primary care fund pledge will allow investment in programs that will improve access to services for patients including GP after hours services.”

Amid internal criticism of the Coalition’s campaign ads, which have failed to replicate “the Bill Australia can’t afford” attacks on Bill Shorten in 2019, government MPs warned the “clock was ticking”.

While Mr Shorten’s big-spending, high-taxing agenda provided Mr Morrison with ammunition, some Coalition figures believe not enough has been done to promote the government’s achievements and damage Mr Albanese over his campaign slip-ups.

Labor strategists said Mr Morrison had walked into “a trap on wages” this week.

“If he wants to argue that Australians don’t deserve higher pay – good luck with that,” a senior ALP source said.