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Dancing with the Debates

Channel Seven got "the real" Julia Gillard to agree to a second Debate for Sunday night, but Tony Abbott says no.

Seven is determined to stage a Debate with the Leaders one way or another.

Yesterday Sunrise threw down the challenge to Labor and Liberal leaders. Meanwhile Today Tonight managed to get the “real” Julia Gillard to agree to a second Debate this Sunday night. Gillard agreed in principle, but not without some conditions.

“We can’t have great schools and decent healthcare without a strong economy, so I’d be happy to debate Mr. Abbott on the economy… Game on,” she said.

Seven CEO, David Leckie, has suggested 6:30pm as the timeslot for the second debate.

“We think the voters would appreciate a lively exchange between the two leaders and an opportunity to see more of their real personality,” he said.

Such a Debate would also result in Dancing with the Stars moving timeslots once again (and presumably not be a channel exclusive).

But Tony Abbott, who had initially wanted 3 Debates, has rejected the offer.

“I don’t see why I should abandon plans to visit electorates around Australia because the prime minister’s campaign is in trouble and she now thinks that she might be able to rescue it by personally targeted attacks,” he said in a statement.

Opposition frontbencher Christopher Pyne told ABC1’s Lateline, “The Labor Party had a chance to have three debates in the election campaign, they thought the were being clever by rejecting the Opposition’s call for them to keep their own promise,” he said.

“Now that they are in freefall in terms of their disintegrating campaign, they’re demanding that the Opposition jump to their tune.”

Source: ABC

20 Responses

  1. Doesn’t No mean No!

    This is the moment, this is the time surely they are clutching at straws to find anything out of it.

    All things being fair why isn’t Abbott going on the attack.

  2. As mentioned by Jaye I love how Julia decides on Sunday August 08th as the date a few days before, when it was in the News a couple of days before that the Liberal Campaign Launch is on in Brisbane on that exact date.

    Even if Abbott had time free after the Campaign Launch it hardly gives him time to prepare for a Debate when he’s preparing for Speeches at a Campaign Launch.

    Perhaps Julia would like to reschedule her Campaign launch the following Sunday and have the Debate then, this really smacks of someone being opportunistic … iGillard2.0 seems like Julia version 1 just with added cheese.

    Besides as far as I know Joe Hockey and Wayne Swan are still having a debate on Monday August 9th at the National Press Club, that will be one on economics anyway (it was announced on July 30th).

  3. @bindi: because she deliberately picked the night of the Liberal campaign launch to ask for the debate to be conducted. He’s never going to cancel an expensive and important part of his campaign for a debate – and she knows it.

    This is to:
    a) make him look like he doesn’t want one (even when he orginally did, he wanted 2 more); and
    b) makes her looks like she did want one (even though she prorbably doesn’t).

    For a change of pace, I think she should debate Bob Brown on that night. Even though the Greens are not a snowballs chance in hell of being elected they are still the alternative choice for many voters. The Liberals had their debate against the incumbent government, let the next major alternative opposition party have a debate as well. While we may not vote for them i’d be interested in hearing what they have to say on issues like the prefernce deal they struck. Seems unfair if we don’t.

  4. im not seeing much difference between real and scripted Julia- her scripts have just been changed a little and publicity stunts to make the libs seem old hat are order of the day- just like ruddy did when he sunrised his way to the win

  5. Good on you Tony- Julia had the chance, but was unwilling because she thought her campaign might be ruined, now the tables have turned, but the chance is up.

  6. Yep… just a cheap grab for headlines and ratings. The Liberal Party’s campaign launch is on Sunday and both Seven and Gillard would have known that. How stupid do they think we are?!

  7. @mr. Chaner: its television. Its a business of course they want ratings. Everytbing is about rati gs and i dont think thats a secret especially with seven.

    Looks like a debate is out with tony saying no. Why doesnt julia do a televised town hall meetig instead with public asking her questions. See how real she is then. Get the greens involved as well.

  8. @mrchandler: I was thinking the same thing. A cheap grab for ratings. I reckon the person who came up with the second debate and suggested it to Leckie (obviously not Gillard), should be sent on a fools errand.

  9. 7 wants to just get a ratings win on sunday night and it has nothing to do with real issues in the election. leckie must think we’re all morons

  10. Nice try Labour, some will be fooled by your empty offer, but its backfired. Someone else we used to know ran to Seven Sunrise when they needed help (ask the PM – but get no answers segment)…what was his name…

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