Labor’s litany of lies

But given all this and more, why is Labor ahead in the polls at this stage, after trailing the Opposition just a short time ago?

Some of my contacts have suggested it's the "Trump factor" which Dutton has been unfairly but successfully saddled with. I think it's just one of several aspects but certainly not the main one, which for me is the constant lying, the negative advertising plus the very biased stance taken by the media during policy announcements and campaign visits around the nation.

Last week we saw a perfect example when Dutton was announcing (belatedly) his $21 billion budget defence boost, backed by ex SAS officer and shadow defence minister, Andrew Hastie.

Dutton was attacked over where the funds would come from, what would be slashed and what they would be spent on, while Hastie was heckled repeatedly by a couple of vocal females over a private statement he made seven years ago that it would be safer to exclude females from front line combat roles even though he clearly stated that the official Coalition policy was not to exclude them but to maintain high standards of qualification, which seems perfectly reasonable.

Can anyone really imagine an average woman being able to pick up and carry a soldier the size of Ben Roberts-Smith or Heston Russel plus their heavy packs, and carry them over their shoulder if they were wounded?

The focus should have been on our obvious need for a stronger defence policy, particularly in the light of such recent events as the unannounced Chinese Naval live firing exercises off Sydney, the subsequent circumnavigation of our coastline and then the visit of a Chinese spy ship through Bass Strait and southern waters capable of mapping our vital under sea communication cables.

Then we had reputable military website Janes report that Russia had lodged an official request to base several long-range aircraft at Manhua air force Base in Papua province, prompting the Australian government to urgently seek clarification from Indonesia.

Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Rolliansyah Soemirat said in a statement Indonesia would permit foreign military aircraft or vessels on "peaceful missions" to visit the nation.

"Indonesia has never granted permission to any country to build or possess a military base in Indonesia," the statement read.

How anyone could find that overly reassuring or a reason why we shouldn't be boosting our own defence capabilities while trying to cement ties with our strongest ally, the US, is beyond me.

Meanwhile, despite some early campaign shortcomings and backflips such as the work from home fiasco from Dutton, the Coalition offers more hope for Australians on many levels than Labor's big spending business as usual approach.

The immediate fuel excise cut of 50 percent, or about $14 per average car fill, will benefit everyone except the small percentage driving EVs, including pensioners, stay at home parents and the unemployed. It will also flow on to lower food production costs, transport and groceries. Labor's $5 a week tax cut won't even pay for a hot cup of flat white or long black by the time it could take effect in 15 months.