Albo and Dutton debate was a complete farce

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Politics is a metaphorical war. It is no place for civilians

Central to our two-party liberal democracy is political debate. Our system allows for peaceful revolutions at the ballot box. It requires our political leaders to fight so that we don’t have to. The current debate format that brings voters into the equation is a complete cop-out. It sucks. Instead of our leaders debating each other, they have to be nice to the voters participating in the debate show.

The contemporary political debate format where voters get to ask questions in the middle of the debate sucks. It is not good for our democracy.

Writing in the Morning Double Shot newsletter, Terry Barnes had this to say:
Michael de Percy watched last night’s leaders’ debate and was unimpressed. You know what the debate told me? Instead of being about issues that really matter, this has become a Seinfeld election about nothing – when it should be about everything. De Percy effectively corroborated master Liberal campaigner Ian Hanke’s distaste for leaders’ debates. All that said, Peter Dutton deserves credit for performing solidly after just learning his father in Brisbane has had a heart attack, but Anthony Albanese was so gratingly on-message there was no winner (the audience polled gave it to Albanese by a decisive margin, an online poll said very differently). There were better things to do with one’s evening than watch this political version of World Championship Wrestling.
My latest in The Spectator Australia, Albo and Dutton debate was a complete farce.

Angus Taylor’s Budget Reply leaves conservatives wanting more

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Angus Taylor's post-budget reply at the National Press Club, 2 April 2025 
 

From the National Press Club: Australia has had record numbers of business failures on top of declining productivity. That means declining living standards. The Treasurer’s Budget will provide 70 cents a day in tax cuts and aggregate deficits of some $180 billion over the next five years. Mr Chalmers says we’ve ‘turned the corner’ in the cost-of-living crisis.

But what will Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor do?

My latest in The Spectator Australia, Angus Taylor’s Budget Reply leaves conservatives wanting more.

Impossible business growth underpins house of cards Budget

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National Press Club address by Dr Jim Chalmers, Treasurer, National Press Club, 26 March 2025

From Parliament House, Canberra: Last year Australia experienced record numbers of business failures. While the percentage of businesses was not as high as in 2013, the actual number of failed businesses was higher. Further, productivity growth, a key driver of living standards, has been negative and remains flat. Yet underpinning this election budget is a rebound in private sector growth that is difficult to justify.

Writing in the Unfiltered newsletter, Alexandra Marshall had this to say:

On the Budget, Michael de Percy was down at Parliament House today listening to Treasurer Jim Chalmers being questioned – but he didn’t get to ask his... Which is a shame, because I’m willing to bet Mr Chalmers would visibly squirm trying to answer it. You can read all about it here.

Writing in the Morning Double Shot newsletter, Terry Barnes had this to say:

Fresh from the Budget lock-up, Michael de Percy highlights how the Budget assumptions about private sector growth, and its ability to contribute to the revenue bottom line, are probably too good to be true. If so, the huge spending already locked in plus to be announced in the election campaign will incur even larger debt, and thus deficit, to cover the magic pudding profligacy that now has largely been endorsed by both sides.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, Impossible business growth underpins house of cards Budget.

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