Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is doing what Peter Dutton won’t do: address the National Press Club of Australia. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
Anthony Albanese has delivered his final major speech of the election campaign, just three sleeps away (his words) from polling day, and looked every bit prepared to be re-elected Prime Minister on Saturday.
The PM took to the podium of the National Press Club on Wednesday (30 April), repeating what he sees as the positive highlights of Labor’s track record in its first term in office, and touting his policies from the campaign.
His upbeat mood was undoubtedly spurred on by Treasurer Jim Chalmers, who had jubilantly explained to the national media in Parliament House just moments before that underlying inflation had dropped below 3 per cent for the first time in more than three years, while headline inflation remained steady at 2.4 per cent.
It suggests the Reserve Bank of Australia will cut interest rates again right after the election.
“We’re really pleased to see headline inflation in the bottom half of the Reserve Bank’s target range again at 2.4 per cent, and especially encouraged to see trimmed mean underlying inflation within the Reserve Bank’s target band as well at 2.9 per cent,” Dr Chalmers said.
“This means underlying inflation is now at its lowest level in three years.”
Over at the Press Club, however, the PM was not only buoyed by the news but was also on the attack.
After revisiting all of Labor’s policies, he took aim at the Coalition.
“The Liberals and Nationals have spent three years raging about problems that their decade in office created with not a word to say about solutions,” Mr Albanese said.
“No proposals of their own, just militant opposition to our cost-of-living measures and mindless negativity.
“The Coalition have spent three years trying to make life harder for Australians, because they thought it would make politics easier for them.
“Talking Australia down, to try and build themselves up. The Liberals have not learned; they have not changed.
“It is clear to all that they simply have not done the work.
“But I can tell them this: the Australian people have worked hard, in the face of unprecedented challenges.”
The Prime Minister railed against the Coalition’s infighting over its in-again, off-again work-from-home policy, as well as its nuclear energy plan and positions on defence, climate change, and cuts to health and education.
The PM then delivered his sharpest barb, directed right at Peter Dutton, who has refused to front up to the National Press Club to deliver an Opposition Leader’s address in the last week of the campaign, despite it being the usual convention.
“The Liberals cannot agree with themselves,” Mr Albanese said.
“And they are not ready or willing to level with the Australian people. Their answer to every question boils down to ‘we’ll tell you after the election’.
“I can only assume that’s why my opponent is not coming here this week, because he doesn’t have faith in his plan or his team.
“Because he doesn’t want to share the facts about his agenda or what it will cost.
“Either that, or the man who spends so much time telling everyone how tough he is, the person putting himself forward to lead the nation for the next three years, is unwilling to face up to the scrutiny of the National Press Club.
“Instead, he prefers to accuse journalists of being ‘activists’ and labels the national broadcaster ‘hate media’.
“Outbursts that, frankly, say more about his temperament than anything else.
“For a leader, being here in the last week of the election campaign is more than a matter of respect for tradition.
“Standing here is about taking responsibility for your plans. Being here is about being accountable to the people, to the democratic process.”
Wednesday’s appearance was Mr Albanese’s 11th address and Q&A at the National Press Club as Labor leader, compared to Mr Dutton’s zero as Liberal leader.
