Scott Morrison uses final address to head off Bill Shorten’s ‘It’s time’ call

Scott Morrison has ended his formal 2019 election campaign much as he started.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison addresses the National Press Club in Canberra today. Picture: Gary Ramage

COMMENTARY

Scott Morrison has ended his formal 2019 election campaign much as he started appealing for trust, offering hope for “decent, working” Australians and offering detailed support for his argument that good economic management is the answer for reducing debt and deficit while offering more services.

But, in an adjustment to the themes and trends of the final days of the campaign, the Prime Minister moved to head off Bill Shorten’s historic call of “It’s Time” for change by declaring now “is not the time for change” and enhancing his pitch to young voters as those aged under 34 years become the final battleground of the election.

Morrison has polished his message and delivery during the campaign and clearly believes the final trends are in the Coalition’s favour.

As he set out his own experience as a 19-year-old during the “recession we had to have” Morrison transferred his economic message for all voters into one for the young.

He described Labor’s promises to look at raising Newstart allowances as a “cruel hoax” and proffered the opportunity for a “good job” and indexed increases in the allowance while highlighting the Coalition’s new policy of providing the means of first-home buyers to get a house with only a 5 per cent deposit.

Morrison declared his “passion” about people and said the Coalition was interested in voters “not ourselves” as he attacked the Opposition Leader’s tax plans as a threat to the economy. He obviously believes his message is working because he hasn’t changed one iota of the economic emphasis since he started five weeks ago.

MORE: Bill Shorten’s speech