Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and independent candidate Dr Monique Ryan have tussled over climate change and the prospect of a hung parliament in a highly anticipated debate ahead of their contest for the Liberal stronghold of Kooyong.
The seat in Melbourne's inner-east has long been considered safe Liberal territory, but is facing a credible challenge from Dr Ryan's Climate 200-backed campaign.
Mr Frydenberg and Dr Ryan faced off in their debate, hosted by Sky News at Melbourne's Hawthorn Town Hall, in which they took questions from a crowd of undecided voters.
Climate change unsurprisingly became a centre of focus with one voter holding up campaign material from both candidates asking "who should I believe?"
Mr Frydenberg said the Coalition was “absolutely committed to practical, strong action" on climate change citing its intention to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
"We will get there. We have the costed plan to get there," he said.
"Of course, we have got to reduce our carbon footprint that's a priority but we have also got to ensure that electricity prices stay low."
But Dr Ryan said the government had not taken strong enough action to drive down green house emissions.
"The sad fact of the matter is that since 2015, our carbon emissions have – if you remove the fudging that’s associated with the numbers associated with land usage, land clearing and forestry – increased by 4 per cent," she said.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg (left) and independent candidate for Kooyong Monique Ryan during their debate on Thursday. Source: AAP / ANDREW HENSHAW
Dr Ryan also said she did not agree Mr Frydenberg was a "moderate Liberal" citing his voting history in parliament.
"We are defined by our actions - not by our words," she said.
"Mr Frydenberg in the twelve years he has been the member for Kooyong has never crossed the floor on a matter of conscience."
Mr Frydenberg said he was "happy to take fair criticism about the Liberal Party’s positions on certain policies", saying "I am who I am".
He also took aim at Dr Ryan’s previous history of engaging in politics.
"With Monique Ryan, she sought to conceal the fact she was [once] a member of the Labor Party," he said.
Dr Ryan also spoke about the prospect of a hung parliament - a live possibility if a number of independents are elected at the 21 May poll - saying this would be better for the country.
She said if elected she would push for stronger action on climate change as well as the adoption of a federal integrity commission.
"If there is a hung parliament at the election and we have more of a position to influence the government I think that will be a positive thing," she said.
Mr Frydenberg said: "the reality is if you have a hung parliament you'll have much greater uncertainty."
In another fiery moment, Dr Ryan blasted Mr Frydenberg as the "Treasurer for New South Wales" claiming "you weren’t here" in Melbourne during the pandemic.
Mr Frydenberg in response hit back saying he would "not going to be insulted like that". He went on to say his father was a surgeon, his sister was a paediatrician and his uncle was a urologist.
"I'm the member for Kooyong, I'm the Treasurer for Australia, and I have delivered economic support for Victoria which is greater than any other state on a per capita basis," Mr Frydenberg said.
Mr Frydenberg has served as the member for Kooyong since 2010.
Scott Morrison denies he's avoiding inner-city seats
Prime Minister Scott Morrison earlier brushed aside suggestions he's avoiding campaigning in inner-city electorates during the election campaign facing similar challenges from so-called teal independents.
It came as he made a small business pitch to people considering opening one of their own on Thursday during a visit to the marginal Labor-held seat of Parramatta.
He has made repeated visits to the multicultural western Sydney seat, held by Labor with a 3.5 per cent margin.
But he has so far chosen against spending time in electorates such as North Sydney and Wentworth, where sitting Liberal MPs are facing high-profile challenges from independents running on pro-climate change action platforms.
Mr Morrison was asked about whether his decisions on where to campaign had been motivated by a lack of personal popularity in these seats.
"I am here in Parramatta because I am here with (Liberal candidate) Maria Kovacic," he told reporters.
"At this campaign there is a choice between a Labor government and a Liberal-National government."
He has repeatedly said the election is not a "popularity contest", instead trying to frame it as a contest between the major parties.
"I'm particularly focused on the contest that is happening between your two alternatives for government," he said.
He also repeated his claim that a vote for independents would be a vote for "chaos" and "instability" facing the prospect of a hung parliament at the election.
Mr Morrison pledged the Coalition would look to create 400,000 new small businesses during the next five years if re-elected, alongside the seat's candidate Maria Kovacic.
But he did not have the "magical" ability to lift wages and lower cost of living.
"I don't believe I have a magic pen that makes wages go up or makes prices go down," he told reporters.
"Anthony Albanese is walking around in this election, pretending that he has some special magical powers to make wages go up and costs go down, and as prime minister, you don't have that. I know, I've been in the job."
The government also announced it would spend $17.9 million on the Business Energy Advice Program to help small businesses be more efficient, in an attempt to cut back on power bills.
Figures from the tax office reveal government tax incentives led to $23 billion in business investment in the past year.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese is pitching an economy built on clean energy jobs as part of the opposition's commitment to a 43 per cent emissions reduction by 2030.
As part of Labor's powering Australia plan, more than 600,000 new jobs will be created by 2030 and five out of six jobs will be in regional Australia.
"Climate change represents a jobs and economic growth opportunity for Australia," Mr Albanese told reporters in Sydney.
"Only Labor can end the climate wars and what we need is to do just that so businesses can have the certainty to invest confidently going forward."
Mr Albanese will make his election pitch to industry leaders in a speech to the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stressing the need for economic reform.
"A country cannot keep drawing from an old well, because the well eventually dries out," he will say.
"Australia needs a new playbook to seize the future."
Among the measures Mr Albanese proposes is universal childcare, which he says will support workforce participation.
Anthony Albanese questioned over NDIS plan
Mr Albanese also faced questions from journalists on Thursday about his party's proposed six-point NDIS platform at the election.
But he failed to list the platform's points, with his adviser handing him his policy brief midway through a press conference.
The Labor leader was unable to outline his plan when repeatedly questioned by journalists.
"What (the plan is) about is making sure that we take pressure off people who are at the moment having their programs cut," he said.
"We will make sure that there's administrative efficiency. So much is being wasted."
After being handed his policy brief and stalling while he flipped through the pages, Mr Albanese read through the six points.
Labor's six-point plan for the NDIS includes: lifting the staffing cap and urgently reducing insecure labour-hire arrangements; stopping spending waste on the excessive use of lawyers; boosting efficiency; stopping any cuts; fixing regional access; and co-designing changes to the scheme with the sector.
Mr Albanese also says he remains open to the possibility of working with independent MPs, spruiking his past experience in the Gillard and Rudd governments when Labor worked with the cross bench.
"My aim is to get people to vote Labor, to elect at least 76 members of the House of Representatives ... and if that occurs, I will give respect not just to the crossbenchers, but to the other side as well," he told ABC radio.
"That's the way that I operated as leader of the government in the House of Representatives during the Gillard government, treating people with respect."
Solomons pressure
The prime minister has also been pressed about criticism from Solomon Islands Prime Minister Mannasseh Sogavare about backlash to his country's security agreement with China.
Mr Sogavare has accused other countries of threatening his nation "with invasion" over the deal.
Mr Morrison said it was not "true" to suggest comments describing the prospect of Beijing establishing a military base in Solomons Islands as a "red line" amounted to this.
"We are concerned for the Solomon Islands. For the broader security in the south-west Pacific," he said.
"I am looking forward to sitting down with all of the Pacific leaders so we can talk to each other as family about the risk this presents."
Mr Albanese has criticised Mr Morrison for not contacting Mr Sogavare since the agreement was signed.
"The government has dropped the ball on the Pacific right now," he told reporters.
The prime minister has said this decision is based on advice from intelligence agencies.
With AAP
