Labor leader says ‘ranting articles’ will not decide election, but conversations with fellow Australians about policies will

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Bill Shorten has appealed directly to Labor supporters to have conversations with fellow Australians about the party’s policies, laughing off “angry ranting” headlines in the Australian newspaper.

The Labor leader referenced a column by the business journalist Terry McCrann which was headlined “Vote Shorten and Bowen for the end of the world”.

“Let me put it beyond any reasonable doubt – I wish to make it clear today that Labor has neither an apocalypse policy or an Armageddon agenda,” Shorten said.

“It’s not that angry ranting articles are going to decide this election. It’s actually the conversations that we have with our fellow Australians. It’s the policy work. It’s the vision of Australia. It is understanding what’s happening in the kitchens and lounge rooms of Australia that will matter.”

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Shorten’s comments indicate he intends to walk the line between taking on the Murdoch media directly as Kevin Rudd has done in more recent years and ignoring critical coverage.

Shorten recently politely declined to meet with Rupert Murdoch, saying he would deal with local management as he did with other media outlets.

Both leaders addressed rallies on the first Sunday in the election. Shorten made his comments at a rally in the Sydney seat of Reid, where he highlighted Labor’s cancer plan and pledged $50m for Stage 2 of Concord hospital’s redevelopment.

The Labor leader has visited the seat three times in as many days, after the Liberal MP Craig Laundy announced his retirement shortly before campaigning began.

At a rally in Brisbane, Scott Morrison pledged $58m for 10 industry training hubs in regional Australia, including 400 vocational education and training scholarships.

He said a re-elected Coalition government would create an additional 250,000 jobs for young people over the next five years.

“If a young person isn’t in a job by their early 20s, their risks of living a life on welfare skyrocket,” Morrison said. “It’s so important that we give young people those opportunities to get a job. You want to ask me about this election? It’s about jobs. Because people matter.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Scott Morrison at an election launch rally in Brisbane. The PM focused on youth jobs and mental health funding to address youth suicide. Photograph: Adam Taylor/AFP/Getty Images

Morrison focused much of his stump speech on youth jobs and the government’s commitment to mental health funding to combat youth suicide with 30 more headspace centres, 20 of which will be in regional centres..

“It is combating the difficulties and challenges and anxieties. In the questions and uncertainties in the pressures,” Morrison said.

“Ensuring our young people can have hope in a beautiful and long life. More than 400 young people taking their own lives. It’s a curse in our country but it’s a curse that we can break.”

Shorten accused the Morrison government of planning to cut $2.8bn in funding from public hospitals.

Labor has promised $1.8bn to restore the federal component for health funding back to 50-50% with the states, as opposed to the Coalition-imposed current ratio of 45-55% and to add another $1bn for emergency departments and new wards.

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Shorten also accused Morrison of cutting $715m from hospitals in his time as treasurer.

“After six years of cuts to health, the Medicare patient freeze, the cutbacks and the increased out-of-pockets to see the doctor, after six years of cuts, they are getting ready to do it all again,” Shorten told the rally.

The health minister, Greg Hunt, said the new national hospitals agreement would provide an additional $31bn in public hospital funding from 2020-21 to 2024-25, taking overall funding during this period to $131bn.

“Bill Shorten’s hospital proposal does not mean more money for hospitals,” Hunt said.

“As we’ve seen over the last 3 years, the extra Commonwealth funding has meant the states and territories have reduced their funding to hospitals.”