Taxi driver accuses Bill Shorten of planting leadership debate question

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/25/taxi-driver-bill-shorten-debate

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A taxi driver has accused Bill Shorten of setting up a planted question for the first debate between himself and rival Labor leadership hopeful Anthony Albanese.

The first question in the debate asked the candidates what sort of prime minister they would be. Albanese responded first, telling the audience he would be an infrastructure prime minister.

Then Shorten answered: "If I was to be prime minister I'd like to be known as the prime minister for the powerless, the disempowered, the people who don't have a voice in our society."

Later that evening a taxi driver called in to radio station 2GB and told the host Steve Price that he had earlier given a ride to Shorten and three other Labor people, including Richard Marles. Along with a complaint that Shorten was rude, "intimidating" and didn't tip, the taxi driver, David, said the Labor powerbroker made a phone call.

David told the Daily Telegraph that Shorten told the person on the other end of the line: "Hey big boy, ask me this – Albo will be fine with it … ask us the type of prime minister we would like to be remembered as."

On Wednesday morning Shorten acknowledged that he had taken a phone call from a party member who was attending the debate and hoping to ask a question. Shorten said the caller wanted to discuss what topics might be covered.

"I had a question the day before which members seemed to be interested in, about what kind of prime minister I would like to be and I mentioned that," he said. "I thought that was a good, positive topic to give both of us the chance to talk about the future and our own individual passions. And that's a good thing."

Shorten dismissed the allegations of rudeness, saying he and the other passengers had been "totally polite".

"We did query which way the driver was going at one stage and he wasn't happy. I actually apologised at the time if he had taken offence," said Shorten.

"We got out of the cab thinking he was rude to us, and he went off thinking the opposite. That's the way it goes."

Albanese's office told Guardian Australia that they did "absolutely not" know of any debate questions in advance.

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