One of the main players: Ray Hadley. Credit: AAP. In the United States Mr Murdoch is known to have opposed Donald Trump during the primaries, only to become an avid supporter once it was clear he would become the Republican candidate. Lachlan Murdoch is known to be an enthusiastic supporter of Mr Trump and his performance in office. Rupert's relationship with Mr Trump was tested when the biographer Michael Wolff reported that after a phone call with the President Murdoch referred to Trump as a "fing idiot" but more recently it has been reported that the two speak weekly and sometimes even daily.
Mr Trump is known to be a fan of News Corp's Fox News channel, often tweeting about the views of his favourite morning and evening hosts as he watches their programs. Many commentators have observed that in Australia the commentary of Sky News evening hosts veered sharply to the right after News Corp took it over in what appears to be an effort to establish a Fox-like presence in Australia. Some observers believe the political commentary in The Australian newspaper over the past decade under Mitchell veered to the right.
A former senior News Corp staffer says the move not only reflected the views of the Murdochs and gave them political clout, but made good business sense during a period of instability in the media. Viewers and readers who have their world views amplified and reflected back to them tended to be intensely loyal, he said.
But one senior Liberal said that News Corp's championing of the far right of the party had served the interests of Labor and threatened to destroy the Liberal Party entirely. As far back as David Frum, a well-known neo-conservative who worked in George W. And while others continue to make false claims that somehow this country is in a debt and deficit crisis, they can never answer this simple question: if that is the case, why does Australia, among only eight countries in the world, continue to have a triple-A credit rating and stable outlook?
Nor can they answer why the Australian government debt per head of population is one of the lowest across all the developed countries in the world. The economic argument, of course, relates to whose point of view is more valid. But why Rudd refers to debt per head of population is a mystery. The ALP has recently put out an infographic on Facebook showing that we are only second to Estonia in terms of lowest debt per capita.
Of course we are second only if you leave out a few countries such as Sweden, Norway and Finland. But economists pretty much only talk in terms of debt per GDP. In Queensland it appeared last night that Labor would hold all its seats but two. Tasmania has seen heavy losses and several seats have gone in Victoria, where the ALP had particular difficulties because of its high vote in But his return to the leadership has significantly contained the swing against Labor - which under Julia Gillard was likely to be huge - to a relatively modest level.
This is particularly the case in Queensland, where without Rudd Labor would have been much worse off. One wonders how much closer Rudd could have come if he had run a better campaign. Admittedly, it was always going to be hard going. Labor quickly had to resort to negativity and fear mongering, which did not cut the mustard.
Mr Abbott was pointing to increased carbon prices. We're moving towards an Emissions Trading Scheme. I've announced the abolition of the carbon tax. That's a fact. People just need to be aware of that. PM : Can I add one other thing too? We are starting to see the product of real policy at work for our kids' future. Only a couple of weeks ago in this very room, your Treasurer declared the resources boom was over, that the country had reached a cross-roads.
These were his words. Yet a report from your own Department in May this year, a government department, cited record high levels of committed investment in the resources and energy sectors.
Is this just rhetoric on your part to excuse the Budget problems that the Government has or can you outline tonight precisely what you mean by the new economy? What are we supposed to be transitioning into and where people can expect to get jobs from this new economy? PM : Simon, that's a critical question. I believe it goes to the absolute core of the economic debate that lies ahead of us, for the nation. On the question of the end of the China mining boom or more broadly the resources boom, this has been a decade-long in its evolution and has been critical not just for WA and for Queensland, but for the whole country.
We've had this huge addition to our nation's wealth permanently as a result. The mining industry's been fantastic at doing that work. But the truth is if you look carefully at China's economic growth model, they are changing their model.
They are changing into a less resource-intensive economy and backing on to an earlier point by Mr Abbott, they are embracing carbon pricing across the economy through tax or floating price because they see the impact of Climate Change as well. Also they're moving to a new economic model based on consumption.
It is that this investment phase, which you correctly refer to, is ongoing but coming to a close if you look at several years ahead. The business of national political leadership is to look beyond the horizon to see where the new challenges are coming.
Our production will go up as a result of this new investment and we're going to benefit from that but we must prepare for this great economic transition to an economy where we don't have the ability to put all our eggs in one basket.
We must diversify the economy and you ask where the new jobs will come from - through boosting productivity, taking advantage of the lower Australian Dollar, you see new jobs emerging from our manufacturing sector. Not a new industry but I believe an industry of the future. Also from agribusiness across the country. We have terrific farm production which can find new markets in Asia which is why we're negotiating a free trade agreement with the Chinese to get access to those ag markets and critical service industries as well.
This is the challenge of leadership now, to manage the transition. If we're having this debate in three years time and we haven't, we've got a problem. If any of you can remember the debate with Mr Howard in , he said exactly the same thing and the trouble is we've just got the same waffle today that we had six years ago.
Now, if the mining boom is over - I say if the mining boom is over, at least in part, it's because Mr Rudd's Government has killed it with things like the Carbon Tax, with things like the Mining Tax, abolishing the Australian Building and Construction Commission, added green tape on development approvals. Well, we'll abolish the Carbon Tax, we'll abolish the Mining Tax, we'll restore the Australian Building and Construction Commission and we will give a one-stop shop for major environment approvals.
Now, we also want to see a 5-pillar economy that is not so dependent on mining as we have been in the last few years but a strong resources sector is very good for Australia and you're much more likely to get that under the Coalition than under Mr Rudd. PM : I need to add one point. There was a reference to what I said six years ago. What I said six years ago was this: We have to prepare for the day when the mining boom is coming to an end.
And what I am saying, Mr Abbott, you might laugh but what you said was a little inaccurate. What I'm saying is you need to prepare for the future. That's what this is about. Can I squeeze in one more and maybe a second response from each of you on the question of same-sex marriage, will it be legislated, legalised in the next term of parliament?
Tony Abbott just a quick response. My sister Chris in the audience. I know how important an issue it is. It's not the only important issue and I've got to say that as far as an incoming Coalition Government is concerned, the priority will be on things like reducing cost-of-living pressure and increasing job security.
It was fairly decisive against same-sex marriage. If this issue were to come up again in the future, it would be a matter for a future party room to determine. Will we see this legislated in the next term? PM : One, I support marriage equality and the reason I do has been well canvassed in the national debate and why I changed my position. Number two, I believe this is just a mark of decency to same sex couples across the country who wish the same loving, caring relationship that for example I've had with Therese, my wife now, for the last 32 years, and for that to be formalised.
Number three is, my commitment is within the first days of a re-elected Government a bill would come forth to legalise marriage equality, we would, of course on our side of politics, allow a full conscience vote and I would just appeal to Mr Abbott to do the same, because folk out there want this to happen. Time for closing remarks. Mr Rudd, as you had the opening statement, you also lead off with the closing remarks.
PM : Thanks very much, David. Well, it's been a privilege to be able to talk to the Australian people tonight about my plans for the country's future. It's a highly uncertain world out there and Australians legitimately have real concerns. As well as investing in our hospitals, in new emergency departments, in hospital beds, new operating theatres and 26 new regional cancer care centres. But there's much to be done for the future. We need a new way to build the industries of the future to create the new jobs of the future so that all of our eggs are not in one basket.
We must boost small business productivity by laying out a National Broadband Network for all Australians, every family, every household as well as every small business. A new way to invest in our schools needs for the future through the Better Schools Plan, and a new way of politics which puts to bed wall-to-wall negativity and puts to but bed the politics of division and gets industry, the unions and Government around one table, focussing on our country's future.
I believe that's what's necessary for the future. As we approach this election, I believe there are four basic undertakings which the Australian people want to see. I don't believe that's the right way forward. We believe that the right way forward is to build a new industries of the future after the China resources boom is over.
Second, to produce the best we can for our kids through the implementation of the Better Schools Plan and on top of that, to continue to invest in our health and hospital system, not cut it. Fourth, we as a Government will also be forging a new way to deal with the new challenges of the future, including aged care and disability care.
It's now over to the people to decide, come the election on the 7th of September. We've seen a fair bit of argy bargy in the course of tonight's debate and I hope to get back to basics over the next couple of minutes. In my first speech to the national Parliament some 20 years ago, I said that we should put no limits on what Australians could achieve. I know it's hard to be optimistic about the current Government, but we should never be pessimistic about our great country and there's almost nothing at all wrong with Australia right now that wouldn't be improved by a change of Government.
So let's be clear, if there is a Liberal National Government elected, we will build a stronger economy so that everyone can get ahead.
We will scrap the Carbon Tax, we will get the Budget back into the black, we will build the roads of the 21st century and we will stop the boats. This is our positive plan for a better future. I believe in this plan. We've had the same clear plans for three years now. I believe in my team. We've had the same strong and united team for three years now.
Most of all, I believe in our people. I believe in you. Australians, in Menzies' phrase, are a nation of lifters not leaners.
I believe that our best years are ahead of us but not if we have another three years like the last six. So I am ready, my team is ready, our plans are ready, our nation is ready and it's now up to you to choose real change, to choose a strong and united Government with a clear majority in the Parliament.
We wish you well for the remaining four weeks of this election campaign. We also wish you, the viewers, well in making your decision and hope tonight has helped at least a bit.
On behalf of the Press Club, I would like to thank our panel of journalists and also the ABC for their production support tonight. This article is more than 8 years old. Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott at the first election debate on 11 August
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