FOCUS ON UNDECIDED VOTERS
Surveys show election down to the wire as govt coalition closes gap on opposition
AU S T R A L I A’ S p o l i t i c a l leaders raced to get their message out to undecided voters in marginal seats yesterday, two days before a general election, with economic problems dominating the last stretch of a tough campaign.
The election has become too close to call, polls issued on Wednesday showed, as the ruling conservative coalition narrowed the gap with the main opposition Labour Party.
Centre-left Labour has put spiking inflation and slow growth in wages at the forefront of its campaign, while Prime Minister Scott Morrison-led Liberal-National coalition has urged voters to focus on unemployment.
“People being in jobs is the most important thing that the economy needs,” Morrison said during a campaign stop in Tasmania.
“I’m for higher wages by ensuring that we get unemployment down.”
About 67 per cent of voters in a survey released by the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday supported a higher base pay despite
Morrison’s warning that it could strain small businesses and the economy.
Opposition leader Anthony Albanese had said he would support a proposal to raise the minimum wage by just over five per cent.
Inflation has outstripped wage growth putting pressure on family budgets with Morrison blaming the war in Ukraine and Covid19 lockdowns in China for the surge in living costs.
Ahead of tomorrow’s vote, Albanese will make a whirlwind tour through five states as Labour tries to flip 20 marginal seats held by the coalition.
Two polls released on Wednesday suggested the election may go down to the wire with the ruling coalition narrowing the lead with Labour Party and coming within striking distance of retaining power.
“We can take nothing for granted. It could come down to a handful of votes in a handful of seats,” Albanese said in a message to Labour supporters.
Nearly seven per cent of voters were still undecided, a Guardian poll showed.
Australia posted its lowest jobless rate in 48 years yesterday, a potential boost two days before federal elections to Morrison.
The unemployment rate dipped to 3.85 per cent in April, the official statistics body said, the lowest level since 1974 — when flared trousers were in fashion and United States president Richard Nixon resigned over the Watergate scandal.
Australia’s economy created an additional 92,400 full-time jobs in the month, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said.
That helped to trim April’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate from 3.93 per cent the previous month.
Many employers said they were struggling to find staff in the tight jobs market.