Australian news and politics recap: Anthony Albanese flails on bills and Peter Dutton fails to land knockout

The opposition leader deflected several times on answering where his cuts would be coming from and in doing so, walked straight through the door Anthony Albanese was hoping he would.

“He won’t say where the cut also be, vote for me, trust us, we will tell you after the election. Last time the cuts came from health, education, $50 billion out of hospitals, $30 billion out of schools. That is why a decade later, we’re still trying to fix and repair the damage that was done by that 2014 Budget.”

In AFL terms, Mr Dutton just gifted the PM a 50m penalty.

Albanese says he is a friend of UK Prime Minister Sir Kir Starmer, who is having to deal with huge cost blowouts at the Hinkley nuclear plant, which have now topped $90 billion.

“It is coming in 14 years late and being built in a country that has a nuclear industry, by the world’s largest nuclear energy company, in France,” he says.

“That shows exactly the problem and Keir Starmer wishes, as do so many people, that they had the access with the solar resources, with the wind resources, with the space that we have here in Australia, to have renewables backed by gas, backed by hydro and backed by batteries. That’s the future.”

Host David Speers has asked the leaders which election commitment they will be remembered by.

Mr Dutton said he would be remembered for their energy policy.

“What we have said is that we want to create an east coast gas reserve, so that will bring gas that we’re exporting at the moment beyond the foundation contracts, back into the domestic market,” he said.

“If we do that, that increases supply, it addresses Labor’s disastrous energy policy, and it will help bring the pressure, the cost pressures down across society.”

Dutton says the Coalition will give back $1200 in tax cuts but Albanese is quick in his rebuttal, saying: “That’s before they get to the $600 billion they need for their nuclear reactors.

He then goes on the attack, criticising Dutton for refusing to say where the public service will be cut.

“He won’t say where the cut also be, vote for me, trust us, we will tell you after the election,” the PM says.

“Last time the cuts came to health, education, $50 billion out of hospitals, $30 billion out of schools. That is why a decade later, we’re still trying to fix and repair the damage that was done by that 2014 Budget.”

Peter Dutton has dodged questions on what areas of the public service would be cut under the Coalition.

He said the cuts would be in areas they found “inefficiency”.

“We said in relation to the public service we will protect front-line positions which I think is important, incredibly important,” he said.

Earlier, he said the public service cuts would not not cover all election spending.

“The short answer is no, we won’t achieve all of the savings we need to achieve through our changes to the public service.”

Speers asks about younger Australians having to pay for huge levels of debt and where the money will come from.

Albanese says Labor is the only government in the last 20 years to have produced consecutive surpluses.

“We halved the deficit as a direct result of the deficit as a direct result of the responsible economic managemen we have... debt is $177 billion less,” he says.

“We have improved the bottomline by $207 billion since we came to office.”

Speers presses him, noting spending continues to be higher than revenues for the next decade. He says none of the spending is means-tested.

“Measures like the HECS debt, for example, opposed by the Coalition, the HECS debt is about intergenerational equity. We spoke before about young people. I think young people deserve a fair crack,” the PM says.

Peter Dutton has been asked whether he would support changing rules on rental lease lengths.

While saying it was an issue for the states he said he would support sensible reform.

“I’m happy to support sensible reforms, as you pointed out, it’s for the states,” he said.

“The focus on this election who is better to fix the housing crisis this Government created.”

Speers raises the issue of rent next, saying rent in capital cities has gone up more than incomes.

He asks whether Labor would put pressure on States to give renters more certainty.

“We delivered a renters’ rights program in agreement with states and territories that improved the rights of people renting,” he says.

The PM attacks the Coalition’s plan to provide early super access, saying: “If you give everyone super access to $50,000 and everyone at the auction will have $50,000 more, it will bid up prices as it did in New Zealand.”

“Again, it does nothing for supply,” he adds.

Peter Dutton has attacked his counterpart on his trustworthiness during a debate on negative gearing and housing.

He said Anthony Albanese had a problem with the truth.

“This Prime Minister has a problem with the truth, it’s not just in relation to this debate,” he said.

“There are many aspects that you could pick up in the course of this campaign.

“Where the Prime Minister misled the Australian people.”

Speers says neither Labor or the Coalition are willing to touch negative gearing or capital gains tax breaks at the election. He asks whether they can understand younger Australians feeling frustrated at being locked out of the market.

Albanese speaks first, saying Dutton’s “suggestion this has been a problem that developed in the last two years is a nonsense”.

“Everyone watching this program knows that this has been developing for a long period of time. We have not had enough homes been built,” he says.

Speers presses him on why he’s not willing to touch tax breaks for investors.

“The experts say that what that potentially do is is diminish supply, not increase it,” the PM says.

“That’s why the key to fixing the housing issues is supply.”