Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has accused Labor of scare campaigning after it declared a vote for Liberal candidate John Alexander in the Bennelong by-election is a vote for cuts to much-needed services.
In his response, the prime minister upped the ante by stating a vote for the ALP “is a threat to our future”.
Opposition treasury spokesman Chris Bowen visited the electorate on Thursday with Labor candidate Kristina Keneally to warn voters the coalition planned to cut education and health in next week’s mid-year economic update.
“If John Alexander can’t look the people of Bennelong in the eye today and tell them how much they will cut Macquarie University then people are entitled to say, ‘sorry Mr Alexander we won’t be voting for you,'” Mr Bowen told reporters.
“Macquarie University is such an important part of the Bennelong community.”
But Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull suggested Labor’s attack was a scare campaign.
“The government will not be reducing the overall level of funding support for higher education from what was provided in the budget,” the Liberal leader told reporters in Sydney.
“But for more detail you’ll have to wait for MYEFO (the mid-year economic and fiscal update due out on Monday).”
Ms Keneally once again accused the federal government of “China phobia” following the prime minister’s criticism of outgoing Labor senator Sam Dastyari’s questionable dealings with Chinese donors.
Labor leader Bill Shorten sacked Senator Dastyari from his leadership roles and then said he made the right decision to quit over his dealings with Chinese businessman Huang Xiangmo.
“One of the things that has alarmed Chinese people here in Bennelong is the prime minister’s rhetoric,” she said.
Mr Turnbull returned fire by stating he was “particularly disappointed that they (Labor) have sought to turn Australians against each other”.
“We are the most successful multicultural society in the world, bar none,” the PM said before going on the declare a vote for Ms Keneally would put the economy at risk.
“Bill Shorten is a threat to our future – everything he proposes will destroy investment, destroy jobs, undermine the growth we are seeing in the economy.”
The latest opinion poll suggests the Senator Dastyari saga could hurt Labor on Saturday.
A Fairfax Media-ReachTEL poll published on Thursday found half of the surveyed voters said the scandal would affect their vote in the by-election. A third of those voters said it would make them less likely to vote Labor.
The poll puts the Liberals ahead 53 to 47 per cent on a two-party preferred basis.
The government stands to lose its one-seat majority in the lower house if Mr Alexander is defeated.
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