By all appearances, the opposition coalition has had a shocker run in the first few weeks of the election campaign. If that’s the case, though, the antics of the Albanese government don’t show it. Labor are instead giving every appearance of being in panic mode. First, it was the re-treading of the tired, old ‘Mediscare’ lies. Now, it’s trying to drag up the furphy of ‘climate change’.
Not to mention dodging and lying through their teeth about negative gearing and getting into bed with the Greens.
Labor campaign spokesman Jason Clare says Jim Chalmers “sought advice from his department” about changes to negative gearing but “hasn’t commissioned modelling” about it.
Anthony Albanese said modelling had not been commissioned by his government about changes to negative gearing.
So, they got the modelling done, but they didn’t ‘commission’ it? Do they really think anyone’s going to buy such obvious fudging the truth?
Peter Dutton declared Mr Albanese “has a problem with the truth” […]
Coalition campaign spokesman James Paterson has accused Anthony Albanese of lying over his claim the government had not commissioned modelling over changes to negative gearing.
On Wednesday evening, the Prime Minister appeared to admit modelling had been done by the Treasury Department but that it was not commissioned by his government.
And when Zippy Chalmers says he rules out any changes to negative gearing, Australians might remember that Labor also said they had ‘no plans’ to change the legislated stage three tax cuts. Right before they changed them.
But the lying by Labor in this campaign is reaching truly Soviet levels. To the point where Albanese is flatly denying what was captured on camera.
On Thursday morning, Senator Paterson declared “the Prime Minister has lied” […]
“this is a guy who’s lied about our record when it comes to health, our record when it comes to education. He’s even lied about falling off the stage when it was captured on video.”
Asked on ABC Newcastle if he was okay after he “fell from the stage” in Cessnock, Mr Albanese said: “No I stepped back one step. I didn’t fall off the stage”.
Watch the video and decide whether you’re going to believe the PM or your lyin’ eyes.
Labor are also haunted by the Big Lie of the 2022 campaign: that they’d lower power bills. Instead they’ve skyrocketed. Labor are still telling porkies about that one.
Labor campaign spokesman Jason Clare has echoed Anthony Albanese in being unable to say when power bills will become cheaper but claimed they would nonetheless be cheaper under a Labor government rather than a coalition one.
The Prime Minister in Wednesday night’s debate struggled to answer clearly when power bills would come down under his energy plan, avoiding the question and drawing comparison to the coalition’s plan.
Meanwhile, at the second leaders’ debate, Peter Dutton not only hammered Albanese over his lies, but laid out a bold defence agenda.
The Opposition Leader said Labor’s target of defence spending of 2.3 per cent of GDP in 10 years was “totally inadequate” and in any case Labor would not even achieve the 2.3 per cent aim.
“It’s certainly inadequate, and it’s not going to reach 2.3 per cent, they won’t achieve that figure. Let’s be very clear about it,” Mr Dutton said in an exclusive interview with the Australian.
“We will increase defence spending significantly,” he said.
Most importantly, Dutton points out, we need to remember that agreements like AUKUS are mutual defence pacts. Australia needs to step up its game and not, like the mendicant Europeans in NATO, expect Uncle Sam to do all the work.
“We didn’t come to that agreement like a mendicant, cap in hand with nothing to offer,” he said […]
When asked whether a coalition government would have a “faster pathway” to reaching the 2.3 per cent target, Mr Dutton said: Yes, yes, it was an absolute commitment.
Except, if we’re going to get real about defence, we’ll have to spend significantly more than that just to repair the damage and neglect of recent years.
A potential government genuinely committed to defence and shoring up our bilateral partnerships is a start, at least.
