Travelling with Tony
We've downsized from a C-17 Globemaster to a C-130 Hercules aircraft for our latest trip. Size isn't the only difference. A Hercules is powered by propellers, not jet engines. So it makes for a slightly noisier and less comfortable ride.
It's a two-hour journey this time and the safety demonstration provides a big hint about our destination. The flight crew tells us we need to know how to use the lifejacket, because we're flying over water. Yes, we're heading to the Apple Isle.
It won't be Tony Abbott's only visit to Tasmania. The state has two marginal seats that he's a good chance of winning, Bass and Braddon. Currently, the Coalition holds none of Tassie's five electorates, but the local economy is struggling, and the state Labor Government is on the nose. For Abbott to form a majority Coalition Government, he needs to do well here.
Arriving in Launceston in the early evening gives Abbott and his team a chance to host a formal meet and greet session with the travelling media pack. One of the advantages of accompanying leaders during the campaign is that you get these opportunities to chat to them, and get to know them a little bit better. Abbott is fine form, not that I can repeat what was said in the "off the record" conversation.
South Australia was his main focus on day four, and where he finally unveiled his first major "new" policy. The Opposition Leader recommitted to his 2010 election pledge to reduce company tax by 1.5%. The story was splashed across newspapers in the morning, giving his team the start to the day they wanted. But several of the reports wrongly claimed the announcement would also include details of savings he would make to fund the $5 billion required to offset the tax cut.
The reports created an air of expectation, and inevitably led to more claims from Labor that Abbott was being economically reckless when he didn't provide any new costings. Instead Abbott later claimed the tax cut would be funded from savings announced a few months ago in his Budget Reply speech. With the economy and budget management at the centre of this campaign, the Coalition could've handle this announcement better. Abbott's claim about previous savings measures should've been included in the announcement.
As I wrote yesterday, by announcing new policies, the Coalition opens itself to new lines of attack. That's exactly what we saw today. The mention of the GST in a newspaper article gave Labor all the ammunition it needed to claim Abbott was planning to jack up cost of living pressures for families. Joe Hockey claimed the report based on his comments was wrong, but it was too late.
On the other hand, Labor's rabid attack on the issue demonstrated its desperation. It is searching for any and every opening to exploit to stay in the contest.
