# Cost of living in focus as Australia’s election race hits final stretch
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2022-05-20
Category: NEWS
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news
Meta Title: Australian Prime Minister rallies for election win despite
Meta Description: In the final sprint before the election, Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese target key seats, promising to manage the economy for the people of Australia.
URL: https://financedigest.com/cost-of-living-in-focus-as-australias-election-race-hits-final-stretchhtml

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By Kirsty Needham

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Prime Minister Scott Morrison crisscrossed Australia in a final day of campaigning, insisting he could still win Saturday’s election despite polls pointing to a change of government or hung parliament.

Morrison and Labor opposition leader Anthony Albanese targeted marginal seats across four states in the last 48 hours of the six-week campaign as data showing wages growth being outstripped by inflation and record low unemployment gave fodder for competing claims on who would best manage the economy.

More than half the votes had already been [cast by Friday](https://www.financedigest.com/cost-of-living-crisis-casts-shadow-over-europes-black-friday.html "Cost-of-living crisis casts shadow over Europe’s Black Friday") evening in the compulsory voting system, with a record 8 million pre-poll and postal votes, the Australian Electoral Commission said.

An Ipsos [opinion poll](https://www.financedigest.com/p2p-investors-polled-on-their-thoughts-and-opinions-on-risks-vs-rewards.html "P2P Investors Polled on Their Thoughts and Opinions on Risks vs Rewards") published by the Australian Financial Review showed Labor leading Morrison’s ruling Liberal-National coalition 53% to 47% on a two-party preferred basis, where votes are ranked by preference and distributed to the top two candidates.

But Labor’s primary vote shrunk to 36% to the coalition’s 35%, with minor [parties and independents attracting nearly a third](https://www.financedigest.com/why-a-replacement-to-third-party-cookies-is-key-to-post-pandemic-recovery.html "Why a replacement to third party cookies is key to post-pandemic recovery") of voters, raising the prospect of a minority government.

Morrison, in a blitz of media interviews on Friday, said he could still win, and pointed to his economic competence.

What I’ve demonstrated over these [last three years](https://www.financedigest.com/over-50-of-businesses-increased-their-cyber-security-budget-last-year-amid-attacks.html "Over 50% of businesses increased their cyber security budget last year amid attacks") – not everybody’s agreed with me… and not everybody likes me – but that’s not the point. The point is, who can manage the nation’s finances to keep downward pressure on rising interest rates, downward pressure on [cost of living?”](https://www.financedigest.com/indefensible-uks-sunak-under-fire-over-response-to-cost-of-living-crisis.html "‘Indefensible’: UK’s Sunak under fire over response to cost of living crisis") he said on ABC News Breakfast, before campaigning in Western Australia.

Albanese [campaigned with former Labor Prime Minister Julia Gillard in the South](https://www.financedigest.com/inmobi-and-coca-cola-win-mma-smarties-south-africa-award-for-beat-can-campaign.html "InMobi and Coca-Cola Win MMA SMARTIES South Africa Award for Beat Can Campaign") Australian capital of Adelaide, broadening his attack to the government’s record on gender equality and climate change, issues championed by independent candidates.

Gillard, Australia’s first woman prime minister and an international campaigner for women’s leadership, urged [women to vote](https://www.financedigest.com/ireland-to-vote-on-removing-outmoded-references-to-women-from-constitution.html "Ireland to vote on removing ‘outmoded’ references to women from constitution") Labor, saying, “I am very confident it will be a government for women.

In 2010, after the [election delivered a hung parliament](https://www.financedigest.com/iceland-will-have-a-male-majority-parliament-after-all-election-recount-shows.html "Iceland will have a male-majority parliament after all, election recount shows"), Gillard formed a government after extended negotiations with independents and minor parties.

Several so-called “teal independents” are challenging key Liberal-held seats, campaigning for action on [climate change](https://www.financedigest.com/deloitte-research-reveals-inaction-on-climate-change-could-cost-the-worlds-economy-us178-trillion-by-2070.html "Deloitte research reveals inaction on climate change could cost the world’s economy US8 trillion by 2070") after some of Australia’s worst floods and fires, and criticising the government on integrity and equality.

Morrison pledged to [become “inclusive and bring more people](https://www.financedigest.com/more-than-a-third-of-people-think-cash-will-become-obsolete-in-the-next-25-years.html "More Than a Third of People Think Cash Will Become Obsolete in the Next 25 Years") with us” if re-elected, after polling showed his personality could be a hurdle for the Liberal vote, particularly women.

Another [challenge](https://www.financedigest.com/adverty-announced-as-winner-in-techarenan-challenge-2021.html "Adverty announced as winner in Techarenan Challenge 2021") for the major parties is a A$40-million advertising blitz by billionaire Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party, which is fielding candidates nationally.

ABC election analyst Antony Green said unlike the previous election, Palmer’s advertising blitz had not singled out Labor for attack, which could affect preferences and the result.

Election [rules were changed](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-watchdog-warns-crypto-firms-to-prepare-for-advertising-rule-change.html "UK watchdog warns crypto firms to prepare for advertising rule change") on Friday to allow telephone voting by voters who test positive for COVID-19.

[COST OF LIVING](https://www.financedigest.com/5-ways-to-support-your-employees-during-the-cost-of-living-crisis.html "5 ways to support your employees during the cost of living crisis ") BATTLES

The government has played up its credentials in supporting the economy through the COVID-19 pandemic, pointing to data on Thursday that showed Australia’s [jobless rate](https://www.financedigest.com/italy-jan-jobless-rate-edges-up-to-7-9-with-35000-jobs-created.html "Italy Jan jobless rate edges up to 7.9%, with 35,000 jobs created") fell to 3.9% in April, the lowest in 48 years.

Labor said businesses had struggled to find workers after borders were closed and highlighted other data that showed wages had grown just 2.4%, the [lowest since](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-mortgage-approvals-hit-lowest-since-june-2020.html "UK mortgage approvals hit lowest since June 2020") 1998\. It wants to [boost the minimum wage to keep pace with inflation](https://www.financedigest.com/inflation-boosts-jeronimo-martins-q4-profit-but-dents-margins.html "Inflation boosts Jeronimo Martins’ Q4 profit but dents margins") of 5.1%.

“Australians are doing it tough, they know that wages have gone backwards by 2.7%,” Albanese said on Friday.

Asked about the chance of no clear result on election night as [independents drew votes](https://www.financedigest.com/queen-elizabeth-meets-sturgeon-after-new-push-for-independence-vote.html "Queen Elizabeth meets Sturgeon after new push for independence vote"), he urged people to vote Labor instead.

There’s three more years of the same or there’s myself, who wants to [bring the country together](https://www.financedigest.com/impact-com-announces-partnerships-experience-event-ipx-bringing-together-all-players-in-the-partnership-economy-and-featuring-special-guest-trevor-noah.html "impact.com Announces Partnerships Experience Event, iPX, Bringing Together All Players in the Partnership Economy and Featuring Special Guest Trevor Noah"), who wants to be inclusive, wants to end the division, wants to end the climate wars,” he said.

(Reporting by Kirsty Needham; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Clarence Fernandez)


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