Australia: the misstep of the leader of the Labor Party at the start of the electoral campaign
During his first official campaign trip, the Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, was unable to answer a journalist who asked him what the unemployment rate was in Australia.
AFP - SAEED KHAN
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
This Sunday, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called the federal elections, they will be held on May 21.
It is therefore the official start of a campaign that promises to be difficult for the conservative majority, whose mandate has been marked by an avalanche of natural disasters.
His main opponent, Labor Anthony Albanese, is leading in the polls but is not as experienced as his opponent in overcoming the difficulties of election campaigns.
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With our correspondent in Sydney
,
Grégory Plesse
After weeks of procrastination, the electoral campaign is now officially launched.
A real challenge for Prime Minister Scott Morrison, whose popularity has dropped sharply in recent months, over badly managed natural disasters, but also attributed to climate change, a challenge on which he is accused of dragging his feet.
It is therefore no surprise that he attacked the inexperience of his Labor opponents, who have been in opposition for nine years now and their supposed inability to manage the economy properly: "
The Labor opposition cannot not manage the economy, people know that.
In this matter, they have not proven themselves, they have no plan for the economy.
»
A blunder on the unemployment rate
And unfortunately for the Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, he seemed to agree with Scott Morrison during his first official campaign trip, being unable to answer a journalist who asked him what the unemployment rate was in Australia: “
The rate national unemployment rate is…I think…five point, uh four…Sorry, I'm not sure.
»
A first false step therefore for the Labor leader, who until now has bet less on alternative policies to the conservative majority than on the rejection of Scott Morrison in public opinion.
But if its lead dwindles, Labor is still credited with an eight-point lead over the coalition of Liberal and National parties.
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To read: Australia: anti-Scott Morrison posters on garbage cans as the election approaches
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