Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has narrowly been crowned the winner of a third federal election leaders’ debate marked by multiple heated clashes.
Regular accusations of lying were scattered among arguments on cost of living, energy policy, housing and how to deal with US President Donald Trump on Nine’s The Great Debate tonight.
After the dust settled, the three-person expert panel handed Dutton a tight 2-1 win over Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Social media bipartisanship
In the post-debate analysis, Croucher suggested it was the “feistiest” but “also the friendliest” of the match-ups so far.
There was even a brief moment of bipartisanship when both men agreed big tech companies should pay for Australian news and young kids shouldn’t be on social media.
Dutton said the major parties were on a “unity ticket” over the news bargaining incentives and Albanese said the social media ban for under-16s was “world leading”.
They also rose to the task with aplomb when asked to list not one but three things they admired about their rival, with both men listing family as among the other’s greatest achievements.
