Federal election 2022: ‘Our borders are closed, our borders are closed’: Anthony Albanese’s latest gaffe

Anthony Albanese wrongly claimed – twice – that Australia’s unemployment rate is low because the international border is closed during an ABC TV interview.

Anthony Albanese on ABC News Breakfast on Thursday.

Anthony Albanese has wrongly claimed that Australia’s international borders are closed in an interview on Thursday morning despite them being open since November last year.

Speaking to ABC News Breakfast on Tuesday morning, the Opposition Leader was asked whether he believed Australia’s low unemployment rate could boost the Coalition this Saturday after a campaign fought on cost of living and the economy.

Mr Albanese claimed that Australia’s unemployment figures were only low because the international border was closed.

THIS MORNING! No wonder @AustralianLabor are keeping him to half days and mini press conferences! #auspolpic.twitter.com/ET3OIH4KRJ

— Senator Hollie Hughes (@hollieahughes) May 18, 2022

“Our borders are closed, Lisa. Our borders are closed,” Mr Albanese said.

“People are doing it tough. That’s having an impact on employment figures. We know that that’s the case. But we know as well that people are really doing it tough. And we want an economy that works for people, not people working for the economy.”

Since the borders have reopened, over 920,000 temporary visa holders have arrived in Australia, including 442,100 visitors, 168,000 students and 90,300 temporary skilled visas.

Only unvaccinated people are not permitted to enter the country.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton seized on the gaffe, using it to paint the Opposition Leader as “not up to the job”.

Speaking to 2GB’s Ray Hadley, Mr Dutton said voters should not “risk” voting for Labor even if they were not “100 per cent” happy with the Coalition.

“What is going on with Anthony Albanese? I don’t don’t know whether it’s nerves, or he’s just not up to it, or he doesn’t take the pressure well or the stress well, but how on Earth can this guy be prime minister when he can’t get the basics right?” Mr Dutton said.

“The borders have been open since February, I mean what is he talking about?

“This is the opportunity to really weigh up the risks, and what a risk this guy would be as prime minister of our country.

“All of the international pressures that will come toward our country over the next few years, this guy’s not ready. He’s not up to it and he’s not done the work.”

The blunder is the latest of Mr Albanese’s gaffes, which began on day one of the campaign, when the Labor leader was unable to name the unemployment rate or Reserve Bank cash rate.

He went on to make repeated mistakes over asylum-seeker policy; saying Labor’s urgent care clinics were costed by the Parliamentary Budget Office, then clarifying they were not.

Last week, he came under fire after he was asked by a journalist to outline the six points of Labor’s NDIS policy.

When he failed, he continued to be questioned by reporters until he stood aside, received a briefing note from an adviser, and returned to recite the plan.

This week Mr Albanese abruptly cut short his press conference at a railway manufacturing facility on the hustings in Perth after refusing to answer several questions about his policy costings.

This morning, Mr Albanese reversed an earlier decision to ditch the travelling media pack in the second last day of the campaign.

The media will accompany Mr Albanese in his sweep through marginal seats in Queensland, leaving Canberra-based journalists to cover the costings.

Mr Albanese’s press conference will come before the costings are released.