While Prime Minister Anthony Albanese secured the support of 44 of the one hundred unsure voters in the room in last night’s leaders’ debate, our experts also delivered their verdicts on what took place in the first head-to-head of the campaign.
Calling it a draw, chief political correspondent David Crowe described the debate as a “slow burn to a dead heat”.
“In fact, there was barely any fire in the argument at all,” he wrote.
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Meanwhile, senior columnist Jacqueline Maley gave the debate to the prime minister, observing that he appeared more assured and detailed in his responses. But Maley said the debate generally failed to inspire.
“If you came for soaring rhetoric and a powerful vision of Australia’s future, you landed at the wrong address,” she quipped.
Finally, national affairs editor James Massola also said the debate was a draw, crediting both men for performing well and handling questions easily.
“Election watchers – and voters who want actual answers about the big questions facing this country – will hope for more from both men in next week’s second debate,” Massola said.
Read our experts full verdicts here.
Read the full article here
