Gabrielle Chan, political correspondent

theguardian.com, Wednesday 21 August 2013

Kevin Rudd talked a million miles an hour; one question from Tony Abbott stopped everyone in their tracks

In his ever-so-brief second honeymoon period after his return to the leadership, Kevin Rudd framed the battle with Tony Abbott as the “nerdy glasses-wearing kid in the library” versus the Oxford boxing champion.

Never a truer word said. In this second leaders’ debate, the rather grandiosely named people’s forum, Rudd came out just like that nerdy kid. The one who always had a comeback. The one talking at a million miles an hour.

The new format, allowing the two leaders to interact, in front of undecided voters, allowed much more flexibility. The voters had a range of questions that covered the economy, industrial relations, the quality of political candidates, paid parental leave, health, corporate welfare, bank deposits tax, asylum seekers, the environment, 457 visas and gay marriage.

Rudd paced around in front of the audience, a little bit Barry Manilow and a little bit southern preacher. Though it wasn’t his chosen format, he took to it with a zeal that really required a white suit and gold chains.

Tony Abbott was more contained. He entered the room ahead in the polling, ahead in the campaign and ahead in his own head. Abbott had set the terms for the debate. As he said last week, he is “not complacent, not cocky, but very confident”.

As they jumped out of the gates, Rudd spoke first. He started on a positive note by saying he didn’t doubt Abbott’s sincerity, before he doubted Abbott’s sincerity.

The nerdy kid rattled off Labor’s strategic issues: health, education, and broadband. It all looked a little manic.

Not surprisingly, Abbott wanted to talk about the past. “Are we doing better than we were six years ago?

“Are we more prosperous? Are we more confident? Are you more secure?”

Power up, gas up, water up. The problem with this government, Abbott said, is they have made things worse. “I want to be known as an infrastructure prime minister.

“Mr Rudd was right. We need A New Way. But the best way to get A New Way, is get a new government.”

All was going swimmingly for Abbott until the issue of the week: his paid parental leave scheme. A young woman asked: why do we need one?

Abbott replied parents deserve proper maternity leave, just like they get proper holidays.

Then in came the nerdy kid with glasses, saying Abbott’s signature scheme was “unfair and unaffordable”. He asked how many in the audience were earning the $150,000 annual salary that would bring in the maximum of $75,000 in paid leave. Embarrassed silence. Who was ever going to own up to that one?

With a look that bordered on smug, Abbott described how his plan would be fully funded by the 1.5% levy on businesses. He would discontinue the current scheme and stop the double dipping.

Yeah but, no but, yeah but, said the nerdy kid. What about the $3bn gap? How will you? Who will you? What will you? Let me say another thing.

“Does this guy ever shut up?” Abbott asked.

It was the moment that stopped everyone in their tracks. Audience members laughed nervously and looked around.

Some appeared to be thinking: “I’ve wanted to say that to that turkey for years.” Others looked embarrassed, as if they were thinking: “I knew that bloke was a bully.”

The nerdy kid looked secretly thrilled. People always resort to that sort of tactic, when they are losing, he said. It certainly looked that way.

As a format, the people’s forum won hands down over the first sterile version, sans audience.

Abbott asked for it. And the nerdy kid gave it to him.

The leaders' debate: nerdy kid comes out fighting against the boxer | World news | theguardian.com