Cost of living in focus as Australia’s election race hits final stretch

By Kirsty Needham

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Prime Minister Scott Morrison crisscrossed Australia in a last day of campaigning, insisting he may nonetheless win Saturday’s election regardless of polls pointing to a change of presidency or hung parliament.

Morrison and Labor opposition chief Anthony Albanese focused marginal seats throughout 4 states within the final 48 hours of the six-week marketing campaign as knowledge exhibiting wages development being outstripped by inflation and report low unemployment gave fodder for competing claims on who would greatest handle the financial system.

Greater than half the votes had already been forged by Friday night within the obligatory voting system, with a report 8 million pre-poll and postal votes, the Australian Electoral Fee mentioned.

An Ipsos opinion ballot printed by the Australian Monetary Assessment confirmed Labor main Morrison’s ruling Liberal-Nationwide coalition 53% to 47% on a two-party most well-liked foundation, the place votes are ranked by choice and distributed to the highest two candidates.

However Labor’s main vote shrunk to 36% to the coalition’s 35%, with minor events and independents attracting almost a 3rd of voters, elevating the prospect of a minority authorities.

Morrison, in a blitz of media interviews on Friday, mentioned he may nonetheless win, and pointed to his financial competence.

“What I’ve demonstrated over these final three years – not everyone’s agreed with me… and never everyone likes me – however that is not the purpose. The purpose is, who can handle the nation’s funds to maintain downward strain on rising rates of interest, downward strain on price of residing?” he mentioned on ABC Information Breakfast, earlier than campaigning in Western Australia.

Albanese campaigned with former Labor Prime Minister Julia Gillard within the South Australian capital of Adelaide, broadening his assault to the federal government’s report on gender equality and local weather change, points championed by unbiased candidates.

Gillard, Australia’s first lady prime minister and a world campaigner for girls’s management, urged girls to vote Labor, saying, “I’m very assured it will likely be a authorities for girls.”

In 2010, after the election delivered a hung parliament, Gillard fashioned a authorities after prolonged negotiations with independents and minor events.

A number of so-called “teal independents” are difficult key Liberal-held seats, campaigning for motion on local weather change after a few of Australia’s worst floods and fires, and criticising the federal government on integrity and equality.

Morrison pledged to change into “inclusive and convey extra folks with us” if re-elected, after polling confirmed his persona may very well be a hurdle for the Liberal vote, significantly girls.

One other problem for the most important events is a A$40-million promoting blitz by billionaire Clive Palmer’s United Australia Get together, which is fielding candidates nationally.

ABC election analyst Antony Inexperienced mentioned in contrast to the earlier election, Palmer’s promoting blitz had not singled out Labor for assault, which may have an effect on preferences and the end result.

Election guidelines had been modified on Friday to permit phone voting by voters who take a look at constructive for COVID-19.

COST OF LIVING BATTLES

The federal government has performed up its credentials in supporting the financial system by way of the COVID-19 pandemic, pointing to knowledge on Thursday that confirmed Australia’s jobless charge fell to three.9% in April, the bottom in 48 years.

Labor mentioned companies had struggled to seek out staff after borders had been closed and highlighted different knowledge that confirmed wages had grown simply 2.4%, the bottom since 1998. It desires to spice up the minimal wage to maintain tempo with inflation of 5.1%.

“Australians are doing it robust, they know that wages have gone backwards by 2.7%,” Albanese mentioned on Friday.

Requested concerning the likelihood of no clear end result on election night time as independents drew votes, he urged folks to vote Labor as an alternative.

“There’s three extra years of the identical or there’s myself, who desires to convey the nation collectively, who desires to be inclusive, desires to finish the division, desires to finish the local weather wars,” he mentioned.

(Reporting by Kirsty Needham; Modifying by Lincoln Feast and Clarence Fernandez)