We’ve learnt our lesson after killing season, Shorten vows

Bill Shorten has expressed regret about the instability and undermining that saw Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard axed.

Former prime ministers Kevin Rudd, and Julia Gillard at the ALP campaign launch, South Brisbane. Picture: Liam Kidston

Bill Shorten has expressed regret about the instability and undermining that saw Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard axed during Labor’s previous period in office as he and Scott Morrison both pledged that Australia’s revolving door of prime ministers was at an end.

Asked in last night’s leaders ­debate by host Sabra Lane whether he was sorry for his own role in the axing of Mr Rudd and Ms Gillard during Labor’s time in office from 2007 to 2013, the Opposition Leader said: “I do regret the instab­ility in our time, absolutely.’’

But he said the “lived experience’’ of Labor over the past six years was evidence it would not happen again.

“Whatever one says about all of our policies, we’ve demonstrated that we can be a united force in oppos­ition. We don’t have government to bind us together,’’ he said.

Mr Shorten sought to capitalise on disunity in the Coalition, which saw first Tony Abbott and then Malcolm Turnbull axed as prime minister, and said the public was “fed up with politics as usual’’.

Australia's Labor leader Bill Shorten takes part in last night’s debate. Picture: Liam Kidston

“We’ve learnt our lesson,’’ Mr Shorten said. “We’ve put in place rules, five or six years ago, but it’s more than just the rules. There’s no doubt that when you look at a united party, Labor is the better of the two mainstream parties.’’

The Prime Minister — who entered­ parliament in the same year as Mr Shorten, 2007 — said there had been a “toxicity in politics­ which Australians have grown very tired of”.

“This whole era of where PMs were changed during the course of elections of course began with the rolling of Kevin Rudd and it ended with Malcolm Turnbull, the end of his prime ministership, and that’s where it must end and that’s where it should stop,’’ Mr Morrison said.

“The reason I believe that is the reason I changed the rules after I became PM.

“The Labor Party has changed its rules. The Liberal Party has changed its rules.’’

The Prime Minister also used the debate to argue that the govern­ment would not have a ­repeat in the next term of the divis­ions that marred Mr Turnbull’s prime ministership.

“I will lead, as I always have, from the middle,’’ Mr Morrison said. “As I said to my party after I became PM, I said: ‘You have elect­ed me to lead and I’m asking you to follow.’ ’’

However, Mr Shorten said much of the Coal­ition’s instability was caused by interna­l disagreement on climate change and this instabili­ty would not be solved by changing party leadership rules.

“I think some of the fault lines in this current government extend beyond rules,’’ he said.

“The reality is that if the Liberal Party and the Nationals Party were united, then Malcolm Turnbull would still be PM because they’d have a policy on climate change.’’

Asked what Australia would look like in 10 years if he were re-elected, Mr Morrison said there would be 2.5 million more jobs.

He pledged to use the next term to tackle youth suicide, bust congestion in cities and make rural roads safer.

Mr Shorten said he wanted his kids to see a more modern Australia. “I want to see the young women in my family, my daughters, being paid the same as my son.’’ He promised to boost science spending and make the economy work in the interests of working- and middle-class people.