Anthony Albanese emphasizes that Australia should not bow to any other country for its defense, stressing the need for stability in a world that is becoming increasingly unpredictable.
However, the Prime Minister failed to present any strategies for addressing Australia’s long-term financial challenges during a final major appeal to voters, choosing instead to criticize his political opponents.
At a press event at the National Press Club in Canberra, Mr. Albanese initiated a whirlwind campaign tour across six states, starting with candidates for Hasluck and Bullwinkel at an early polling station in Midland.
On his 33rd trip to Western Australia, he committed to visiting the state ten times annually if re-elected.
He cautioned that in uncertain times, Australians should remain loyal to Labor’s established record and its initiatives to enhance Medicare, manufacturing, and education.
Self-reliance in the Trump era
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The Government feels optimistic about the recent win by Mark Carney’s center-left Liberals in Canada’s election, hoping for a similar “Trump effect” in Australia.
At the same time, it must manage Australia’s relationship with the United States.
The Coalition has criticized Mr. Albanese for not having spoken to Donald Trump since the US enacted a blanket 10 percent tariff on Australia at the onset of the election campaign.
President Trump stated that he would indeed be speaking with Australia during a press interaction in Washington.
Mr. Albanese dismissed it as a “lighthearted offhand remark from the President” and mentioned he wasn’t losing sleep over contacting anyone during election season.
However, he acknowledged that Australia can’t depend on the US in the same way it has in previous years, particularly during the Trump administration.
He stated that the 2023 Defence Strategic Review revolves around Australia’s defense and increasing self-sufficiency, principles that remain unchanged despite Mr. Trump’s influence.
“Labor has always understood that we need to defend ourselves,” he noted.
“It was a Labor prime minister who recognized that relying on the UK during WWII wouldn’t ensure Australia’s safety.
“Labor did it then, and it’s Labor that will do it now,” he added.
Despite stressing the importance of self-reliance in defense, Mr. Albanese stated he would not cave to any requests from the Greens or crossbenchers regarding the review of AUKUS agreements.
He expressed confidence in securing a majority in government without needing compromises.
“We currently hold 78 seats and aim to retain all of them, actively campaigning in Coalition and Greens seats alike,” Mr. Albanese stated.
“Will there be the sort of agreements that we saw previously? No.”
Long-term fiscal strife
Economists, business leaders, and seasoned political analysts have voiced increasing concern over the lack of plans from both the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader to address the nation’s long-term fiscal challenges.
When pressed about the need for future leaders to address a declining taxpayer base coupled with rising service demands, Mr. Albanese only referred to his “top-up” tax cuts.
“We’re bringing forward our plans for this election,” he remarked.
He downplayed the need for another tax review, stating that the Budget process his Government has undergone four times is essentially a review in itself.
“We’ve delivered four Budgets in three years, which I believe counts as several reviews,” he stated.
He also argued that economists are mistaken in thinking inflation cannot be reduced without significant unemployment increases or severely impacting real wages.
Despite this, Mr. Albanese avoided the core question of whether Australians are better off now than they were before Labor took office, which has been central to Peter Dutton’s campaign.
“To answer that, if Peter Dutton had his way, Australians would be $7200 worse off,” he claimed.
“You can’t complain about the cost of living and then oppose every measure aimed at alleviating it.”
He also sidestepped questions about unfulfilled promises and exaggerated campaign claims, redirecting focus back to Mr. Dutton while restating his unsubstantiated claim that the Coalition aims to undermine Medicare.
In response, Mr. Dutton remarked that it was clear the Prime Minister was unable to candidly tell Australians they are better off.
“If the Prime Minister can’t be honest with Australians, then I will: everyone is worse off under this Government,” he claimed.
“Costs for fuel, electricity, groceries, and insurance have all gone up. Under this Prime Minister, everyone is worse off.”
Concrete and costed plans
The Prime Minister continues to express frustration over what he perceives as inconsistent treatment between himself and Mr. Dutton.
He maintains that he adheres to proper conduct, fulfilling commitments, as evidenced by his handling of tax cuts: “I stood by my decisions. I engaged in the discussion. I won, and they (the Coalition) supported it.”
His frustration became evident during the Press Club event when he humorously remarked that perhaps next week the Coalition will finally publish their policy costings.
Had he taken a similar approach as Mr. Dutton is doing now in 2022, claiming he couldn’t disclose specifics without knowing the state of the finances, he would have faced severe backlash.
“Mr. Dutton deserves the same scrutiny,” Mr. Albanese stated.
“Our plans for Australia’s future have been transparent and available for scrutiny for months, in some cases even years.”
“Our agenda is solid, thorough, and, critically, it’s budgeted — because in these uncertain global economic times, that’s the stable and responsible approach Australians deserve.”
The Coalition is expected to release its budget details on Thursday, mirroring Labor’s timeline from the previous election.
Reflecting on his initial term as Prime Minister, Mr. Albanese acknowledges some regrets but prefers not to dwell on them, focusing instead on learning from those experiences.
“I don’t claim to be perfect. I put in hard work daily, driven by a clear motive: what serves the national interest? How can we strengthen our nation?” he articulated.
“Every day involves making choices, and it’s vital to continue learning and evolving as a leader.”
