Apologies and ‘lies’ fly in second leaders’ debate
Opposition leader Peter Dutton has been awkwardly forced to own up to his second mistake of the federal election campaign as he went head-to-head with the Prime Minister.
During the second leaders’ debate on Wednesday night, Dutton said that he was “happy to admit” he had spoken in error in the scramble to comment on sensational reports Russia had sought to base warplanes in Indonesia – after earlier denying ‘overreach’.
He had previously refused to back down on his claim that Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto publicly announced a request by Russia to host military aircraft on Indonesian territory.
“It was a mistake and I’m happy to admit that,” Dutton conceded after being pressed by moderator David Speers.
The slip-up over the Russia story exposed Dutton’s weaknesses on the international front, which Albanese was keen to capitalise on.
Albanese said it was “extraordinary” that a man vying to be prime minister would throw around such comments, showing his lack of understanding of diplomacy.
It was Dutton’s second “mistake” of the election campaign after backtracking and apologising for his policy to stop work-from-home arrangements for public servants.
Dutton also looked vulnerable when asked about his relationship with US President Donald Trump, while still maintaining he would have had more success in seeking a tariff exemption than Albanese.
Albanese declared he trusted Trump, but Dutton attempted to distance himself from the US President.
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The pair were asked whether they trusted the leader of Australia’s most important ally.
“Yeah, I have no reason not to,” Albanese said quickly.
Dutton tried to dodge a direct answer.
“We trust the US, and I don’t know the President. I’ve not met him,” he said.
After Trump dominated the first debate, Dutton was keen to get back to his main attack line that Australians are doing it tougher now than before the last election.
But Albanese also had some shaky moments.
He was evasive when asked when Australians could expect to see lower energy bills and denied the government had modelled the effects of removing negative gearing on house prices, despite reports that Treasury did produce modelling on the issue.
“The lie he told tonight about negative gearing is the most bald-faced lie he’s told in this campaign so far,” Liberal campaign spokesman James Paterson said.
Housing affordability has returned as a key election issue, with both parties aiming major policies at first-home buyers in recent days.
But Albanese and Dutton struggled to shake criticisms that their plans would cause house prices to rise.
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Neither leader managed to score a knock-out blow on the other, and both largely stayed on message.
Dutton repeated his refrain, asking Australians whether they were better off than three years ago, and Albanese exhorted Australians not to risk the Coalition’s cuts.
No winner was declared, but the outcome will favour Albanese. Up in the polls with less than a week until early voting begins, he just needs to avoid any major slip-ups to secure a second term.
Dutton will on Thursday announce a plan to revive Howard-era technical colleges, which would provide vocational training to students in their final years of school.
The hope is that it will encourage more young Australians to pick up a trade and help plug the skills shortage that the construction industry says is holding up its ability to provide new homes.
The Coalition has promised to establish 12 technical colleges in its first term, at a cost of $260 million.
Spectre of Trump
Voters are increasingly viewing the Trump administration as bad for Australia, and Labor has claimed the Coalition is lifting its policies from the US.
Four in 10 voters believe Albanese is more competent to handle the nation’s foreign policy over the next three years, according to the 2025 Lowy Institute Poll.
Dutton trails behind by 12 points, but almost 30 per cent of people remain undecided.
Slightly more Australians believe Dutton (35 per cent) would be better at managing the relationship with Washington and Trump than Albanese (34 per cent).
But when it comes to juggling China and Xi Jinping, Albanese has a significant 20-point lead over Dutton, 45-25.
Australians’ trust in the US to act responsibly has reached a new low in the poll’s 20-year history, with only three in 10 expressing any level of trust, and plunging 20 points from 2024.
Almost two-thirds of the public say they hold little-to-no trust in the US, with support among older Australians falling the most.
But despite the pessimism, eight in 10 people still view the US alliance as important to Australia’s security, even maintaining a strong majority throughout Trump’s first term.
An overwhelming number of Australians disapprove of Trump’s tariffs, as well as the withdrawal from the World Health Organisation and international climate change agreements.
More than seven in 10 hold negative views on Trump’s negotiations for a deal on the future of Ukraine with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where it would result in territory being ceded.
