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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2016/may/13/leaders-debate-turnbull-and-shorten-in-first-peoples-forum-of-election-campaign-live
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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Voters grill Turnbull and Shorten at first people's forum of election campaign – live | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 10.53am BST | |
| 10:53 | |
| Turnbull says the only winner from royal commissions are lawyers. Then it’s Shorten’s turn to be sardonic. Plenty of lawyers won during the union royal commission, he says. Turnbull uses the opportunity to speak about combating lawlessness. | |
| 10.52am BST | |
| 10:52 | |
| Seventh question is banks are bastards. | |
| Malcolm Turnbull says banks are highly regulated and they deliver a good service to Australians and the government keeps a very close eye on them. (Deliver a good service may be a little rash in an election season. #justsaying) | |
| Bill Shorten says a royal commission into the banks is well overdue. | |
| The questioner wants the government to make the banks to lower interest rates now the RBA has cut rates. Why can’t you make them? | |
| Turnbull says he made some remarks recently to the banks about having a customer centred culture, and the government has boosted the regulator. | |
| We are right onto that. | |
| The prime minister says Bill Shorten has recently likened banks to criminals. He thinks this is terrible. Unfortunately for the prime minister there’s a smattering of applause at the Shorten locution. | |
| Speers asks Shorten whether he believes banks are criminals. Shorten says he doesn’t believe that, but he thinks there are cultural issues. | |
| 10.45am BST | |
| 10:45 | |
| Sixth question is on superannuation. Can’t we have access to our own money to buy a house? That’s where it starts anyway. | |
| Malcolm Turnbull thinks this lady has done a great job paying off her home loan over 28 years, which leads the prime minister to rents. Bill Shorten is going to put up rents. | |
| Speers says we aren’t talking rents, we are talking about accessing super to buy a house. The questioner comes back. We need a home to live in. What are you going to do about it? | |
| Turnbull says superannuation isn’t there to fund home loans. It’s there to provide for people in retirement. If you allow super to be drawn out before retirement they won’t have money in retirement. | |
| Bill Shorten says Labor has no plans to allow people to use their super to pay for their homes. Shorten says he’d like to be liked by everyone watching, but it’s better to tell the truth. | |
| Turnbull grins fairly sardonically at that. | |
| Shorten is onto housing affordability now and negative gearing and investors and unfair competition. Why should every taxpayer subsidise something that only a few people use, Shorten wonders. | |
| Speers wonders why the prime minister thinks rents will go up. The prime minister says anyone who knows anything about property knows rents will go up, ask the real estate agents. | |
| Ok, Shorten says, you want a third party view on our policy, how about the Reserve Bank. They back us. So does Jeff Kennett. So does Joe Hockey. | |
| Turnbull says negative gearing isn’t about millionaires. It’s about people earning less than $80,000, and a lot of them live around this venue. | |
| Shorten says plhueeze. Those income figures aren’t what they seem. The current system allows people to minimise their taxable income. | |
| Speers wants to know about the excesses in negative gearing that Scott Morrison nominated earlier this year. They are sorted, Turnbull says. Old story. | |
| Updated | |
| at 10.47am BST | |
| 10.33am BST | |
| 10:33 | |
| I said these forums are a combo of obvious and random. | |
| Fifth question is on extradition arrangements and Serbia. | |
| Malcolm Turnbull explains how extradition laws work. Shorten agrees with the prime minister’s explanation and says he’ll speak to the lady afterwards. | |
| 10.31am BST | |
| 10:31 | |
| Fourth question is privatisation. What is the point of governments if you want to privatise everything? | |
| (Strong thematic consistency in this session thus far.) | |
| Bill Shorten says the privatisation pendulum has swung too far. | |
| He segues to Medicare, to Tafe. | |
| I believe an economy shouldn’t govern the community. | |
| Malcolm Turnbull says the privatisation of big businesses belonging to the federal government have largely happened. He says it’s now state assets that are being privatised. | |
| It’s really an issue for state governments, David. | |
| Q: What about Australia Post? | |
| Turnbull says it’s not on the agenda, and has David seen the accounts? It’s not time to flog it off. He repeats, no plans. | |
| Speers asks about the Australian Submarine Corporation? Turnbull says core assets of the ASC will remain in public ownership. | |
| Shorten says the government shouldn’t privatise hearing services if Turnbull is serious about keeping key assets in government ownership. Speers throws that to Turnbull. Turnbull says he’s keen on hearing impaired people getting good services, that’s his priority. | |
| Shorten says look at America and the health system. | |
| Government-run propositions are not always bad for health care or the bottom line. | |
| Updated | |
| at 10.34am BST | |
| 10.23am BST | |
| 10:23 | |
| Third question is on GP co-payments. Are you going to have those? | |
| Malcolm Turnbull says bulk billing is on the rise, and that means not paying a premium when you go to the doctor. He says healthcare has to be affordable to the patient and to the taxpayer. | |
| Speers says Tony Abbott introduced a co-payment. What’s Turnbull’s position? | |
| That’s no part of our policy. | |
| Q: Never ever? | |
| No. | |
| Bill Shorten says sick people need to be able to go to the doctor. Labor is opposed to getting rid of bulk billing incentives, he says. Shorten says Labor’s health policy is coming soon. | |
| I don’t want to go down the American path. | |
| Speers says what’s the detail though? Shorten says it’s coming. | |
| Turnbull grabs the microphone. He says the government has reached agreement with pathologists so they will continue to bulk bill screening tests. | |
| Shorten grabs the microphone back. | |
| Labor believes in Medicare full stop. | |
| Turnbull grabs the microphone back. Speers presses him on freezing rebates to doctors in the budget. That makes going to the doctor more expensive, Speers says. Turnbull opens the door a chink. We will continue to review it. | |
| There’s some news. | |
| Updated | |
| at 10.24am BST | |
| 10.15am BST | 10.15am BST |
| 10:15 | 10:15 |
| Second question is multinational tax avoidance. It’s a long preamble. Speers wants Bob to come to the question. Bob comes to the question. It’s about deeming. | Second question is multinational tax avoidance. It’s a long preamble. Speers wants Bob to come to the question. Bob comes to the question. It’s about deeming. |
| Bill Shorten opens on this question. He says Labor has been at the front of the curve on multinational tax avoidance. Businesses have to pay their fair share. | Bill Shorten opens on this question. He says Labor has been at the front of the curve on multinational tax avoidance. Businesses have to pay their fair share. |
| Speers breaks in, what about deeming? | Speers breaks in, what about deeming? |
| We are open to all ideas. | We are open to all ideas. |
| Q: So you support it? | Q: So you support it? |
| Well no, he’s not supporting it, on reflection. Now he thinks he’ll talk to Bob afterwards. (Shorten clearly isn’t across Bob’s deeming idea but doesn’t want to offend Bob, or say he isn’t across it.) | Well no, he’s not supporting it, on reflection. Now he thinks he’ll talk to Bob afterwards. (Shorten clearly isn’t across Bob’s deeming idea but doesn’t want to offend Bob, or say he isn’t across it.) |
| Malcolm Turnbull says great idea Bob, we are already doing it. We have a diverted profits tax. We announced it in the budget. | Malcolm Turnbull says great idea Bob, we are already doing it. We have a diverted profits tax. We announced it in the budget. |
| Bob looks very pleased. | Bob looks very pleased. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 10.17am BST | at 10.17am BST |
| 10.10am BST | 10.10am BST |
| 10:10 | 10:10 |
| Questions now | Questions now |
| First question is is about offshoring. Do the leaders have any plans to stop the outsourcing trend so we can keep jobs in Australia? And what’s the plan to attract multinationals to Australia. | First question is is about offshoring. Do the leaders have any plans to stop the outsourcing trend so we can keep jobs in Australia? And what’s the plan to attract multinationals to Australia. |
| Malcolm Turnbull thinks this is a great question. A great question. (Have I mentioned jobs and growth?) | Malcolm Turnbull thinks this is a great question. A great question. (Have I mentioned jobs and growth?) |
| We need to be more competitive and our taxes are too high. | We need to be more competitive and our taxes are too high. |
| On outsourcing, Turnbull empathises, but he says the government’s objective is to make the country more competitive. | On outsourcing, Turnbull empathises, but he says the government’s objective is to make the country more competitive. |
| Bill Shorten grabs the microphone. Thanks for that Malcolm, but this was a government that sent the car industry packing. Shorten says Labor wants to maximise Australian content. | Bill Shorten grabs the microphone. Thanks for that Malcolm, but this was a government that sent the car industry packing. Shorten says Labor wants to maximise Australian content. |
| We stand up for Australian manufacturing. | We stand up for Australian manufacturing. |
| Shorten flicks the switch to renewables manufacturing. And we love Medicare, we won’t privatise it, he says. | Shorten flicks the switch to renewables manufacturing. And we love Medicare, we won’t privatise it, he says. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 10.11am BST | at 10.11am BST |
| 10.05am BST | 10.05am BST |
| 10:05 | 10:05 |
| Bill Shorten counters | Bill Shorten counters |
| Bill Shorten opens more quietly than Turnbull, in fireside chat mode. Again, it’s the stump speech. Putting people first. | Bill Shorten opens more quietly than Turnbull, in fireside chat mode. Again, it’s the stump speech. Putting people first. |
| 10.04am BST | 10.04am BST |
| 10:04 | 10:04 |
| It’s basically the stump speech: innovation, the defence spend, looking after young people, and the spending is all fully funded. Turnbull is rocking slightly, projecting to the back of the room. | It’s basically the stump speech: innovation, the defence spend, looking after young people, and the spending is all fully funded. Turnbull is rocking slightly, projecting to the back of the room. |
| 10.03am BST | 10.03am BST |
| 10:03 | 10:03 |
| Malcolm Turnbull makes his opening pitch | Malcolm Turnbull makes his opening pitch |
| The prime minister won the coin toss so he gets the opening statement. Malcolm Turnbull opens with .. you won’t believe it .. jobs and growth. | The prime minister won the coin toss so he gets the opening statement. Malcolm Turnbull opens with .. you won’t believe it .. jobs and growth. |
| 10.01am BST | 10.01am BST |
| 10:01 | 10:01 |
| The leaders are being ushered into the room now. A grip and grin. Then a repeat grip and grin for the photographers. | The leaders are being ushered into the room now. A grip and grin. Then a repeat grip and grin for the photographers. |
| 10.00am BST | 10.00am BST |
| 10:00 | 10:00 |
| People's forum now underway | People's forum now underway |
| Moderator David Speers is now outlining the rules of engagement for this evening. He’s looking quite cheerful. | Moderator David Speers is now outlining the rules of engagement for this evening. He’s looking quite cheerful. |
| 9.56am BST | 9.56am BST |
| 09:56 | 09:56 |
| If Sky brings on a body language expert, I'm going to end up on an ASIO black list | If Sky brings on a body language expert, I'm going to end up on an ASIO black list |
| (The body language expert was on about 5pm. Shoosh. Don’t tell.) | (The body language expert was on about 5pm. Shoosh. Don’t tell.) |