Viewers tore into the format of the leaders debate on Channel 7, accusing the broadcaster of losing control as the face-off descended into a “circus”.
Scott Morrison and Bill Shorten were seated on bar stools positioned far apart, in a set-up social media users said made it look like they were on a game show.
“It looks like Morrison or Shorten are in the running to win $100k if they answer an obscure set of trivia questions correctly,” joked Twitter user Dan Smith.
“Really wishing I didn’t get tickets for the Simon & Garfunkel reunion,” added Scott John, while another viewer branded them “fools on stools”.
The two leaders looked uncomfortable from the beginning of their first debate of the campaign, when they were each given the chance to make a three-minute opening address.
Even after the statements were over, Mr Shorten continued to speak into the camera, with host Lanai Scarr compelled to interject. “Mr Shorten, you can speak directly to the Prime Minister as well, you guys are sitting next to each other, you don’t need to look directly down the barrel of the camera,” she said.
The Labor leader responded that he was happy to speak to the PM, but “your people” had told him to talk to the camera.
‘WORST DEBATE FORMAT’
Others criticised the hosting at Seven West Studio in Perth, saying there had been “no clear direction” and “no real debate”, and the presenters needed “to push for answers, not just a response”, with Mr Shorten going “off track”.
Troy Harrison called it the “WORST debate format” and called moderator Basil Zempilas’s contributions “pointless”, previewing the questions before they were asked instead of ensuring they were answered.
One viewer questioned how they were supposed to decide who to vote for after the two leaders fired off a barrage of unchecked opinions and claims. Eleven of the 48 undecided voters in the audience were unable to choose between the pair in a poll by 7News after the debate.
Mr Shorten won the day, however, with 25 choosing the Opposition Leader and 12 choosing the Prime Minister.
Some complained it looked like a “work experience kid” had been in charge of the banners and background, while more crucially, others said the “weird format” led to regular interruptions.
“Channel 7 made a meal out of the debate — it was a circus that moderators lost control of it by allowing Morrison to take over at times,” tweeted Stuart Tomlinson.
Both leaders were accused of looking smug and unnatural, with one questioner asking how they could be trusted.
The broadcast did little to give viewers confidence, with Crikey politics editor Bernard Keane calling it “ridiculous” and adding: “I can’t ever recall a debate running short and having a question AFTER the final summations.”
The leaders will get another chance to debate, with a second one scheduled to be broadcast on Sky News from Brisbane on Friday.
The PM has also called for a third in prime time, asking for it to be moderated by ABC journalist Leigh Sales and held in the evening of May 7, 8 or 9. Mr Shorten wants a third debate to be held at lunchtime at the National Press Club.
The Nine Network has also proposed hosting a debate — the big question is whether the re-runs will satisfy unimpressed voters.
‘IT IS A THREAT AND DOES REQUIRE ACTION’
In their tense first debate of this election campaign, the leaders clashed over boat arrivals, the Government’s preference deal with Clive Palmer, electric cars and climate change.
Mr Morrison was asked whether the claim the Medevac legislation would see an influx of boat arrivals “simply a lie”, but brushed off the accusation, saying it was the advice of the secretary of the department of home affairs.
Asked how Labor would ensure boat arrivals would not restart under its leadership, Mr Shorten said: “I actually accept boat turnbacks work”.
He said Labor supported the treatment of refugees in Australia if necessary, didn’t want to demonise refugees and differed from the Coalition in its tone about the time taken to resettle them.
Mr Morrison was asked how much of a threat climate change was to Australia’s future and how urgent was the need for action.
“I think it is a threat and I think it does require urgent action,” he said, adding “it’s a question of what your targets are”.
He questioned Mr Shorten over the cost of change and the Labor leader was asked to rule out “any negative impact or job losses” as a result of his 45 per cent emissions reduction target.
He replied: “I can categorically say that if we don’t take real action on climate change it will be a disaster for our economy.
“I can categorically guarantee that if we invest in climate change policies and we’re fair dinkum, in the future we’ll have more jobs, in the future we’ll have lower energy prices, and we won’t be known as the generation that handed on a worst deal to our kids”.
When Mr Shorten was asked how much the electric Nissan Leaf car costs, Mr Morrison could not resist butting in. “I haven’t bought a new car in a while, I couldn’t tell you,” he said.
Mr Morrison said an electric car was $28,000 more than non-electric for the same type of car.
Mr Shorten hit back with: “Well the PM’s spending his time in the motor pages, that’s super”, before Mr Morrison interrupted: “That’s where most Australians often spend their time too mate”.
The Opposition Leader said it was hard to buy a cheap electric car in Australia because there wasn’t a proper market for them or charging stations.
“We’re not going to tell you to give in your ute,” Mr Shorten said.
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