The Coalition’s campaign launch stood out from Labor’s launch last week with attacks ads played against a bright blue backdrop in between opening addresses by Bishop and Barnaby Joyce before welcoming Turnbull with a video of his childhood and younger years with Lucy.
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Turnbull became the fifth prime minister since Howard in an extraordinarily volatile period of Australian politics.
Former prime ministers John Howard and Tony Abbott were in the front row for the launch and were acknowledged by Mr Turnbull as he began.
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (right) speaks alongside Labor leader Bill Shorten during their first televised debate in Sydney May 13, 2016.
The prime minister will kickstart the final week of the campaign promoting his jobs and growth plan, but broadening his push with a range of new social policies. “That time is in another 9-10 months”, Mr Turnbull said at the Liberal Party’s official campaign launch on Sunday.
The global economic upheaval is likely to work in favour of the Coalition, which is traditionally seen as the stronger economic manager.
“The shockwaves of the past 48 hours from Britain’s vote to leave the European Union are a sharp reminder of the volatility in the global economy”.
The current PM also praised Mr Abbott for ending the “chaos” of the Labor leaderships before him.
Mr Shorten sought to counter Mr Turnbull’s claims that the coalition offered Australia the best chance of stability.
Mr Turnbull said Britain’s exit could take several years to finalise, and Australia’s relations with both Britain and Europe would remain strong.
Shorten ducked questions about whether, if Labor lost on July 2, it would back the government’s legislation to establish and hold a same-sex marriage plebiscite.
“If we don’t, then beware the next election”, Senator Di Natale said.
Shorten bases this accusation on the fact that the Government originally had plans to get a private company to run Medicare’s payments system because the current government system uses an antiquated IT network.
“Trying to do it under the cover of the government’s rally, so that tells you as much about what Labor really think about their costings”.
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Australia’s ruling party on Monday (June 27) used the Brexit vote to warn against voting for Labor in upcoming elections as a poll showed the Liberals ahead for the first time in a drawn-out campaign.
