Federal election 2019: Bill Shorten denies avoiding election scrutiny with press conference timing

Phoebe WearneThe West Australian
VideoThe Labor Party has released its costings eight days ahead of the election

Bill Shorten has denied he fronted the media just before Labor released its full policy costings for the May 18 election to avoid scrutiny.

The Federal Labor leader faced multiple questions about the timing of his daily press conference, which was held earlier this morning than on any other day this week.

It began in Cairns just minutes before shadow treasurer Chris Bowen and shadow finance minister Jim Chalmers were scheduled to release the much-anticipated costings.

Mr Shorten dismissed the suggestion that he was not being transparent with Australian voters.

“We all know that when it comes down to it, and I can give you a short version of our costings now, we are the most transparent opposition in the history of federation,” Mr Shorten said.

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Asked again why he did not wait until after the numbers had been revealed, Mr Shorten pointed to the costings being released eight days before polling day, which was at a much earlier stage of the election campaign than when Liberal oppositions had released their policy costings in the past.

He said the Liberal Party did not release its full coatings until two days before the 2010 Federal election and three days before Australians headed to the polls in 2013.

“We’re being upfront,” Mr Shorten said.

“You can punish us for not being upfront, or you can punish us for being upfront.

“Pick your poison and choose it. We are being upfront.”

Mr Shorten also visited the Cairns Aquarium in the northern Queensland seat of Leichardt, which is held by long-time Liberal MP Warren Entsch by a margin of 4 per cent.

He was greeted by a handful of anti-Adani coal mine protesters who were picketing the tourist attraction.

As he toured the enclosures, he talked up Labor’s policies to tackle climate change.

Again focusing on health, Mr Shorten visited the Cairns Hospital to promise $6.2 million for the intensive care unit and a further $6 million for a second CT scanner.

Mr Shorten also refused to speculate about how he would fund Labor’s spending promises if the Senate blocked his revenue measures.

“First of all, let’s win the election before we start talking about how we deal with the Senate crossbench,” he said.

“Your question does highlight the danger and the risk of voting LNP or for the Palmer party, whatever his latest advertising company is called, or indeed, One Nation.

“If you vote for the small parties or for the Liberal Nationals who rely on them, chaos, chaos, chaos.”

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