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Voters grill Turnbull and Shorten at first people's forum of election campaign – live Voters grill Turnbull and Shorten at first people's forum of election campaign – live
(35 minutes later)
11.59am BST
11:59
Best way not to forget your train of thought? Write it down.
11.56am BST
11:56
A few more observations about tonight. It was a really solid policy discussion. Of course both leaders got their formulations up, that’s inevitable, but the questions pushed both leaders into unscripted territory, and both largely kept the discussion in a battle of ideas frame rather than a battle of personalities. The voters are better for that kind of discussion.
11.47am BST
11:47
Room scores it for the Labor leader
Ok here’s the room.
A clear win for Shorten. Of the 100, 42 are more likely to vote for Bill Shorten, 29 for Malcolm Turnbull, 29 still undecided.
Hope that adds up to 100. That’s Sky’s account.
11.40am BST
11:40
Not one question on asylum seekers. In western Sydney. See what I mean about Bill Shorten being a lucky fellow?
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11:36
We should get an exit poll from Galaxy shortly if this event is running on the usual format. What I think doesn’t matter. What these voters think, does.
11.32am BST
11:32
I think Shorten won this evening
More detailed thoughts from me shortly, but I’d score tonight to Bill Shorten. In part the Labor leader was lucky because the questions suited him and his campaign agenda – he got more opportunities to hit for the boundary – but he opened the shoulders, that’s the point.
Malcolm Turnbull was immaculately prepared, and there were no stumbles, but he knew it wasn’t his night. He knew it.
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Fantastic pictures from Mike Bowers tonight. I wish I’d been able to share them earlier.Fantastic pictures from Mike Bowers tonight. I wish I’d been able to share them earlier.
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This has been terrific, I reckon. Once we are through this I’ll share some thoughts, and some pictures, which I’ve had no time to share!This has been terrific, I reckon. Once we are through this I’ll share some thoughts, and some pictures, which I’ve had no time to share!
Into closing statements now.Into closing statements now.
Malcolm Turnbull is growing the pie, with his plan. And Bill is just the same old Labor.Malcolm Turnbull is growing the pie, with his plan. And Bill is just the same old Labor.
Bill Shorten says he hopes voters have a better idea of who he is tonight. Now we are into positive plans for putting people first.Bill Shorten says he hopes voters have a better idea of who he is tonight. Now we are into positive plans for putting people first.
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Final question is when will someone get the budget back into surplus? This bloke is way over debt it would seem, both sides have cocked things up he says.Final question is when will someone get the budget back into surplus? This bloke is way over debt it would seem, both sides have cocked things up he says.
Bill Shorten lines up first. He says final costings will come in due course but in the interim he’ll run through his shopping list of savings.Bill Shorten lines up first. He says final costings will come in due course but in the interim he’ll run through his shopping list of savings.
I get your frustration.I get your frustration.
Speers pushes him on a timeframe. Shorten says it would be reckless to do that this evening.Speers pushes him on a timeframe. Shorten says it would be reckless to do that this evening.
Malcolm Turnbull says an important element of fairness is not leaving mountains of debt. He says the government has a pathway back to surplus. He says the important thing is to drive economic growth faster than spending. Then the budget returns to balance.Malcolm Turnbull says an important element of fairness is not leaving mountains of debt. He says the government has a pathway back to surplus. He says the important thing is to drive economic growth faster than spending. Then the budget returns to balance.
Speers says the reality here is neither side can say when a surplus will happen.Speers says the reality here is neither side can say when a surplus will happen.
Turnbull says we have a pathway, we set it out in the budget. Shorten says Labor will release the final budget repair numbers and explain how each measure will be paid for. He says he won’t reduce the deficit by giving multinationals a tax cut and shoving budget problems onto household budgets.Turnbull says we have a pathway, we set it out in the budget. Shorten says Labor will release the final budget repair numbers and explain how each measure will be paid for. He says he won’t reduce the deficit by giving multinationals a tax cut and shoving budget problems onto household budgets.
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11.10am BST
11:10
Sticking with question eleven, Speers asks the prime minister whether money matters in education.
Malcolm Turnbull:
Of course it does.
Turnbull says the government has committed record levels of funding and will insist on top standards.
Bill Shorten says if resources don’t matter, why do parents send their kids to private schools now?
11.07am BST
11:07
Question eleven is investing for and in our grandchildren.
Malcolm Turnbull says every child in Australia needs a great education and a great teacher.
Bill Shorten says he has three kids at school. He says he understands the importance of education.
Anyone who tells you money doesn’t matter in education is selling you a pig in a poke.
He says Labor’s plan for growth is an educated population.
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11:04
Keep it down out there people, please.
A friend arrived for the first margarita. It’s worried about rent rises @murpharoo pic.twitter.com/EZEyW8UfwK
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11:03
Question ten is childcare funding – a lady who plans to return shortly to work after maternity leave estimates she’ll earn two dollars an hour after she pays childcare.
Bill Shorten says Labor will unveil a childcare policy shortly. Malcolm Turnbull says as a grandfather, he totally gets the problem with childcare costs.
Right on board. Your concerns are our concerns. We are going to deliver a better childcare system for you.
Bill Shorten says hang on, you’ve delayed your childcare package and given wealthy people a tax cut.
10.59am BST
10:59
Question nine is hospitals funding in the regions.
Malcolm Turnbull says the government is committed to funding hospitals but needs to drive the dollar further.
Bill Shorten says Labor will spend more on hospitals and schools, and Labor will pay for that by getting rid of Abbott government policies, such as the emissions reduction fund and the marriage equality plebiscite.
Malcolm Turnbull:
We are long way from regional hospitals, Bill.
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10:56
Question number eight is arts funding. How about those cuts?
Bill Shorten says Labor will reverse some of these cuts and properly fund the ABC. He says kiddies need a chance to fall in love with the arts at school.
Malcolm Turnbull says the government’s commitment to schools funding is enormous. (Again, a little rash). He says the government supports the arts, but the dollar must go further.
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 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.
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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.
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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.