Australian economy likely to feature in tonight’s first leaders’ debate

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The Opposition leader claims a Coalition government would be better at steering Australia through the economic headwinds. But neither Peter Dutton or the Prime Minister can rule out Australia going into recession under their leadership.

Transcript

00:00The opposition leader Peter Dutton was warning that there is a tsunami wave of economic trouble

00:08headed for Australia and saying his party, the Coalition, were best placed to weather

00:13that as well as negotiate a deal on tariffs with United States President Donald Trump.

00:19His Liberation Day tariff campaign has created great uncertainty in global markets and here

00:27in Australia with fears of a recession.

00:30Amid that, Mr Dutton saying that the government has an obligation to provide daily briefings

00:36to the opposition on the status of the economy, saying that if the Coalition were to win government

00:42at the May 3 poll, it would need to be prepared to respond rapidly to a possible United States

00:49recession and a domestic sell-off.

00:52But like the Prime Minister, Mr Dutton was unable to promise that there would be no recession

00:56under his watch, instead saying that the Coalition was the safest pair of hands to

01:01navigate Australia through any coming economic headwinds.

01:06Now we know that Australian families have lived through almost two years of household

01:10recession.

01:11That's what Labor's already delivered during this term of government.

01:14Now the Treasurer's out there talking about a 50 point reduction in interest rates, which

01:17means obviously that he sees a recession coming for our economy.

01:22He wouldn't be talking about 50 points as a reduction next month if he didn't believe

01:27that there was going to be a significant souring of the Australian economy on his watch.

01:31The Prime Minister of course is completely out of his depth when it comes to economics

01:35and how to manage the economy and he's demonstrated that in subsequent budgets and Australian

01:40families have paid the price for it.

01:41It's been a quieter day here at the Liberal camp and over at the Labor camp as well with

01:49both leaders preparing for the first leaders debate this evening here in Western Sydney.

01:56Opposition leader Peter Dutton made time to pay a visit to a fifth petrol station on the

02:02campaign trail, however this morning refuelling up a local candidate's vehicle.

02:09This evening is going to be a milestone moment in the campaign with undecided voters tuning

02:15in a major moment or a slip up could prove decisive for the federal leaders campaigns.

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