Australia federal election 2022: Scott Morrison blasts Anthony Albanese over unemployment blunder

Scott Morrison has blasted Anthony Albanese for his disastrous blunder over economic figures.

The Prime Minister said the Labor leader has ‘no idea what has happened with Australia’s economy recovery’.

In a train-wreck press conference in Launceston on Monday, Mr Albanese could not state the cash rate and then wrongly guessed the jobless rate was 5.4 per cent when it’s actually 4 per cent. 

The moment was on the front page of newspapers across the nation and was seized upon by the Coalition as an example of its claim that Labor cannot manage the economy.

Mr Morrison – who failed to state the price of milk and bread at the National Press Club earlier this year – turned the knife in a press conference in western Sydney on Tuesday. 

He admitted that leaders don’t get every figure right but said this mistake was more than a memory slip.

‘He thought unemployment had a five in front of it. Not even a four in front of it,’ the PM said.

‘What that tells me is his working assumptions about our economy and what Australians are achieving in our economy he doesn’t know and he doesn’t understand.’

The Prime Minister added: ‘His assumption that unemployment had a five in front of it, that’s what I found more staggering. If he said 4.3 or 3. 8 or something like that, it was a memory slip. What this showed was he had no idea what has happened with Australia’s economy recovery.’ 

It comes after Mr Morrison pledged to create 1.3million jobs over the next five years as he trumpets his Government’s economic achievements on the election campaign trail. 

The Government says the jobs will be created as a result of its Budget policies including an extra $20billion for road and rail projects, $7.1billion for major infrastructure projects in four regional areas and $2.8billion for apprentice wage subside programs.

Scott Morrison will pledge to create 1.3million jobs over the next five years. Pictured: Tradies in Sydney

After the Coalition pumped billions of dollars into the economy during the Covid-19 pandemic, the unemployment rate sits at 4 per cent, down from from 5.7 per cent when Labor left office.

Mr Morrison will insist that if re-elected he will drive this rate down further and create even more jobs. 

‘We’ve got the runs on the board and proven plans to deliver these 1.3 million new jobs,’ he said in a statement. 

‘Our tax relief for workers and small business, our investments in skills and trades, and our support for our local manufacturing sector mean we can get more people into more jobs.’

The Coalition claims Labor ‘don’t have a plan for the economy and jobs’, but Anthony Albanese disputes this by pointing to his plan for fee-free TAFE places, cheaper childcare and plan to get power bills down with renewable energy.

The Labor leader has unveiled a plan to boost mental health telehealth consultations in regional areas by implementing a 50 per cent regional loading under Medicare.

The ALP says the plan will support 450,000 consultations over four years at a cost of cost $31.3 million. 

Australian Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese drinks a coffee ahead of a morning TV interview on Day 1 of the 2022 federal election campaign in Launceston on Monday