Duelling campaign launches put younger voters into box seat

Peter Dutton has launched a determined but controversial pitch to regain campaign momentum after a slow start, by countering Anthony Albanese’s house deposit pledge with a radical mortgage interest tax deduction for first-home buyers. 

On a day of competing campaign launches, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Mr Dutton sought to give voters a distinct choice in a contest that has been criticised for failing to tackle bold reform and built on bipartisan big-spending handouts to voters.

Mr Albanese said a re-elected Labor government would deliver more cost-of-living relief by introducing a $1,000 instant tax deduction for households at a cost to the budget over four years of $2.4 billion.

At his launch in Perth, where the government hopes to maintain seats that delivered a slim majority three years ago, Mr Albanese also vowed to spend $10 billion to construct 100,000 new homes for first-time buyers around the country.

But in a move first revealed by the ABC, Mr Dutton sought to gazump Labor’s housing assault by announcing that a future Coalition government would enable first-time buyers of newly constructed homes to deduct interest payments on the first $650,000 of their mortgages.

The policy, which is expected to cost the budget $1.3 billion over four years, would mean a family on average incomes would be around $12,000 better off each year over the five years of the scheme.

“Today, I bring a message of hope to all Australians seeking to own a home of their own,” Mr Dutton told an audience of the party faithful.

The policy clash sets up a final three-week dash to election day, with polls suggesting Labor has its nose in front, putting pressure on Mr Dutton to recharge his campaign.

The Liberal launch was before a modest but vocal crowd of around 250 to 300 faithful, including luminaries such as former prime ministers John Howard, Tony Abbott and Scott Morrison (Malcolm Turnbull a conspicuous absence).

Speakers at the Liverpool Catholic Club included western Sydney Liberal MP Melissa McIntosh, Nationals leader David Littleproud and Liberal party deputy Sussan Leigh.

The presentation sought to soften Mr Dutton’s image, with a video shown of the opposition leader’s children giving a series of recorded messages to their emotional father.

Mr Dutton’s speech, which ran close to 50 minutes, included a teaser on a large future defence policy announcement.

“We must re-industrialise so that we are less dependent on other nationals for essentials and we must strengthen our Defence Force so that we have the firepower and the capacity to deter any adversary who would seek to threaten us,” he said.

Across the continent, Mr Albanese said Labor’s $1,000 deduction would enable taxpayers to claim the benefit without having to give the tax office evidence of spending.

“Every year, millions of people who work part-time, or work from home, or don’t have an accountant to navigate the tax system for them miss out on claiming deductions they are entitled to and pay more tax than they should.

“This reform fixes that — and it fixes it forever.”

The party estimates that around 40 per cent of taxpayers currently claim less than $1,000 in work expenses.

Around 500 attended the Labor launch at the Perth Convention Centre, including a large group of frontbenchers and former prime minister Julia Gillard, WA Premier Roger Cook and former Labor leader Kim Beazley.

The arrival of Ms Gillard, the only former Labor PM present, prompted a raucous applause from the party faithful at the convention centre.

Hundreds filled a ballroom, emblazoned with Labor’s campaign slogan: Building Australia’s Future. 

Hanging directly above speakers were the three flags that have become a feature of Mr Albanese’s prime ministership — the Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island flags.

Labor’s cornerstone announcement was that if re-elected, it would enable all first home buyers to enter the market with a 5 per cent deposit without requiring mortgage insurance.

Mr Albanese’s pitch included a warning to voters to avoid returning to the “chaos and confusion” of the Coalition’s past.

“Keep in mind, that this is not some new generation Liberal team. These are the same people from less than three years ago, the same people pushing the same policies, that inflicted a wasted decade on our country,” he said. 

“They want us to go back to that. If anything, they want a more extreme version of that.”

WA Labor MP Anny Aly rallied the troops at the start of the event, before introducing deputy leader Richard Marles, who was tasked with criticising Labor’s Coalition challengers.

Mr Marles sought to draw a comparison between the two leaders. 

He said while the prime minister was serving Queenslanders at risk of a cyclone in March, the opposition leader was “serving himself” at a Sydney harbourside Liberal fundraiser.

“That sums up the character of these two men,” Mr Marles said.

LoadingLoading…

Having trouble seeing this form? Try this link.