Politics

‘I’ve been Acting Prime Minister, I’ve been Deputy Prime Minister’: Anthony Albanese’s pitch for Prime Minister

Elissa Napier
Apr 11, 2022
Anthony Albanese has responded to the election date announcement. Source: Getty

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese has responded to Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s election date announcement, in a bid to gain favour with voting constituents.

During his announcement speech on April 10, the Prime Minister asked Australians to remember when they were at the polls that their vote is a choice between the government they know well, and an “uncertain one” under Labor.

Albanese hit back at Morrison during response the following day, saying his cabinet would be “the most experienced incoming Labor government in history” if elected.

“If you look at some of the quite frankly absurd attacks that have gone on from Mr Morrison, they just don’t stack up,” he said.

“One of those is about my experience. My experience is I’ve been Acting Prime Minister, I’ve been Deputy Prime Minister, I chaired the Parliamentary business committee for six years.

“So every piece of legislation that went through under the Rudd and Gillard governments I presided over.”
Albanese said he would take full responsibility and be there for Australians through it all.
“I won’t go missing when the going gets tough. I will accept the responsibility that comes with high office. I will lead a government that repays and rewards your hard work,” Albanese said.
“A government that reflects the decency and compassion and courage of the Australian people.

“I am humbled to put myself forward as Prime Minister of this great nation.”

Morrison defended himself during an interview with Today’s Karl Stefanovic, saying his “strength” got Aussies through the hardships of the last few years.
“Not everybody agrees with everything I’ve done and not everybody will necessarily like me but what they will know is that when we face this crisis we ploughed through with the right plan to keep our economy strong, to save lives, to stand up to the threats in our region,” he said.
Stefanovic suggested the Prime Minister’s individual character would likely cost him the election.
Morrison contended the attack on his character saying: “My character, I’m happy to stand by every single day. Every single day because it’s the strength that we’ve needed to get through this pandemic.”
In his announcement speech, Morrison said this “election is incredibly important” for the future of Australia.
“This election is about you, no one else. It’s about our country and it’s about its future. Above all this election is a choice,” he said.

“It’s a choice between a strong future and an uncertain one. It’s a choice between a government you know and a Labor opposition that you don’t.

“Our government is not perfect, we’ve never claimed to be, but you can see what we have achieved for Australia in incredibly difficult times. You can see our plan.”

Morrison said his government have tried hard to do the best for Australians in “a world that has never been more unstable.”

The Morrison government was one of the few Western countries to successfully suppress the Covid-19 virus through the peak of its spread.

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