Bill Shorten flags third election debate in row with Scott Morrison over scrutiny
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has insisted he is open to a third election debate with Prime Minister Scott Morrison in a dispute over the level of scrutiny being applied to the competing leaders after an agreement on two debates to be held next week.
Mr Shorten said he was happy to take on Mr Morrison in another debates after a Seven Network event in Perth on Monday and a Sky News forum in Brisbane on Friday of next week.
"We've got two debates, let's see how they go, I'm open to doing more," he said.
Mr Shorten attacked the government for running a "part-time Parliament" and putting cabinet ministers in "witness protection" rather than allowing debates in each portfolio such as industrial relations and the environment.
Mr Shorten said he had not rejected further debates.
"It'll be a bit of an arm-wrestle between Channel Nine and the ABC for the third one," he said.
The National Press Club also expressed concern that its proposal for a national debate, provided to all television networks in prime time, had not been taken up by the major parties.
Coalition campaign headquarters triggered the dispute by issuing a statement on Friday morning saying it wanted more debates but Mr Shorten was refusing because he expected voters to "rubber-stamp" him.
Mr Morrison intensified the attack by saying he was happy to have debates with Mr Shorten in addition to the two debates next week.
"I'm happy to have debates with Bill Shorten. We've got two coming up this next week but for some reason he doesn't want to have them in the last two weeks of the campaign," he said.
"I'm happy to have one with Nine. We're having one with Seven on Monday. We're having one with Sky at the end of [next] week. I'd be happy to have one with the ABC.
"I've personally been in touch with [ABC television host] Leigh Sales. I said I'd be quite happy for Leigh Sales, Bill Shorten and I in the same room. Fine by me.
"The issue is: why doesn't he want to do it?"
Mr Morrison said Mr Shorten had the "presumption" that he would win the election.
"Bill needs to get off the coronation tour and he needs to get on the campaign," he said.
It has taken several weeks for the Coalition and Labor campaign teams to agree on the two debates, raising concerns there will not be time for a major national debate broadcast to all Australians in the final weeks of the campaign.
Monday's debate is being hosted by The West Australian newspaper and the Seven Network and will air on the lower-rating 7TWO channel rather than the network's main channel. It will air at 7pm AEST.
The debate in Brisbane on Friday, May 3, is a "people's forum" hosted by Sky News, airing at 6.30pm.
Nine Entertainment, the owner of the The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, sent a proposal for a debate to both major parties in early March. The Coalition wants to accept the offer but Labor is so far refusing.
National Press Club chief executive Maurice Reilly said: "The National Press Club has made a submission to hold a leaders' debate. The club was the traditional venue for the leaders' debate in previous elections, and we did the first one back in 1984.
"In the absence of a debate commission, which is well-established in other countries like the US, the National Press Club is the most trusted neutral venue to hold the debate because it would provide it to every network in prime time.
"We're disappointed that we're not doing it."
Nine Network political editor Chris Uhlmann said: "Nine News has offered to host a leaders' debate in prime time on our main channel in the final weeks of the campaign. The Liberal Party has agreed in principle, Labor said no."
ABC news director Gaven Morris also said Mr Shorten had turned down an invitation to a debate.
"The ABC also invited the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader to a debate to be broadcast in primetime on radio and television and across the national broadcaster's ABC news platforms. The Opposition Leader declined the invitation," Mr Morris said.