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| Tony Abbott is ‘deliberately evading scrutiny’, says Rudd | Tony Abbott is ‘deliberately evading scrutiny’, says Rudd |
| (14 days later) | |
| Kevin Rudd has accused Tony Abbott of “deliberately evading scrutiny” by releasing his policy costings just two days before the election but is no longer alleging the Coalition will cut $70bn and cause a recession. | Kevin Rudd has accused Tony Abbott of “deliberately evading scrutiny” by releasing his policy costings just two days before the election but is no longer alleging the Coalition will cut $70bn and cause a recession. |
| Instead, Rudd says the Coalition has a secret post-election plan for cuts through its proposed commission of audit, which Abbott said on Thursday would look for savings after the election through “the whole of administration”. | Instead, Rudd says the Coalition has a secret post-election plan for cuts through its proposed commission of audit, which Abbott said on Thursday would look for savings after the election through “the whole of administration”. |
| Rudd was upbeat in his final set piece speech before Australians go to the polls, appealing to anyone with doubts about where Abbott’s cuts would fall not to vote for the Coalition. | Rudd was upbeat in his final set piece speech before Australians go to the polls, appealing to anyone with doubts about where Abbott’s cuts would fall not to vote for the Coalition. |
| Despite every major poll showing the Coalition with a convincing lead, Rudd refused to countenance questions premised on Labor losing, saying that “between now and 6pm on Saturday I will be fighting for every vote in the country” and after that would accept the verdict of the people with “great contentment”. | Despite every major poll showing the Coalition with a convincing lead, Rudd refused to countenance questions premised on Labor losing, saying that “between now and 6pm on Saturday I will be fighting for every vote in the country” and after that would accept the verdict of the people with “great contentment”. |
| Asked why Labor had not received more credit for what it insists is a proud economic record, Rudd cited the “illegitimate fear campaign waged by the Coalition about debt and deficit” and Abbott’s “deliberate manipulation” of the economic debate to pretend that the global financial crisis had never happened. | Asked why Labor had not received more credit for what it insists is a proud economic record, Rudd cited the “illegitimate fear campaign waged by the Coalition about debt and deficit” and Abbott’s “deliberate manipulation” of the economic debate to pretend that the global financial crisis had never happened. |
| But Rudd himself had concluded that because the Coalition had made so much noise about Australia’s deficit it would make dramatic cuts of up to $70bn to government spending. The Coalition’s final costings, revealed on Thursday, will make net cuts of only $6bn more than Labor over the next four years. | But Rudd himself had concluded that because the Coalition had made so much noise about Australia’s deficit it would make dramatic cuts of up to $70bn to government spending. The Coalition’s final costings, revealed on Thursday, will make net cuts of only $6bn more than Labor over the next four years. |
| Rudd accused the Coalition of “a pattern of evasion”. | Rudd accused the Coalition of “a pattern of evasion”. |
| “With less than 48 hours to go, Mr Abbott is deliberately evading scrutiny because he fears that if you the Australian people knew the dimensions of what he and his government are planning by way of cuts, he is frightened you will not vote for him,” Rudd said. | “With less than 48 hours to go, Mr Abbott is deliberately evading scrutiny because he fears that if you the Australian people knew the dimensions of what he and his government are planning by way of cuts, he is frightened you will not vote for him,” Rudd said. |
| But instead of concentrating on the cuts announced pre-election, Rudd shifted his attack to the Coalition’s proposed post-election commission of audit. | But instead of concentrating on the cuts announced pre-election, Rudd shifted his attack to the Coalition’s proposed post-election commission of audit. |
| He said Abbott had previously promised no cuts to health and education, but today when asked about the commission of audit, Abbott had said: “I am very happy to have a commission of audit go through the whole of the administration.” | He said Abbott had previously promised no cuts to health and education, but today when asked about the commission of audit, Abbott had said: “I am very happy to have a commission of audit go through the whole of the administration.” |
| In a campaign he described as being full of “noise and gaffes and gotcha moments from both sides of politics”, Rudd latched on to Abbott’s comment in relation to Australia’s response to the Syria crisis, that Australians should not be “getting ideas above our station”, to run an argument that Labor’s policies had been all about big ideas that might have seemed “above our station”, citing disability reform, getting a seat at the G20, a seat on the UN security council, reform of the Murray Darling water allocations, an apology to Indigenous Australians and school and hospital reforms | In a campaign he described as being full of “noise and gaffes and gotcha moments from both sides of politics”, Rudd latched on to Abbott’s comment in relation to Australia’s response to the Syria crisis, that Australians should not be “getting ideas above our station”, to run an argument that Labor’s policies had been all about big ideas that might have seemed “above our station”, citing disability reform, getting a seat at the G20, a seat on the UN security council, reform of the Murray Darling water allocations, an apology to Indigenous Australians and school and hospital reforms |
| He raised the need for funding caps on election campaigns so Australia didn’t get to the situation where a political party could “buy” an election victory, saying in this poll the prospect of the abolition of the mining tax would give the mining industry a strong interest in a Coalition victory. | He raised the need for funding caps on election campaigns so Australia didn’t get to the situation where a political party could “buy” an election victory, saying in this poll the prospect of the abolition of the mining tax would give the mining industry a strong interest in a Coalition victory. |
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