Ellen Ransley: Good things come in three, but it’s still too late

The old adage of “third time lucky” proved true for Opposition Leader Peter Dutton on Tuesday night, saving his strongest performance for the third debate of the election campaign.

Amid a slide in the polls, he went into the go-slow Easter period - extended by the Pope’s death- desperately needing a win.

He beat his past two performances to just scrape over the line against an equally strong Prime Minister in the Nine debate. But with pre-polling now open, and hundreds of thousands of votes already cast, it was not the triumph he needed so late in the piece.

Albanese landed plenty of blows and was quick with interjections in a debate where he needed to preserve his lead and avoid any stuff-ups. He managed to avoid any major blunders.

The debate was at times feisty and personal, defying expectations the Pope’s death would result in a more subdued affair as the leaders clashed on lies, budget cuts, migration, nuclear energy, housing, and the Greens.

The host had hoped they wouldn’t just “regurgitate talking points”, and while they stuck to the script for the most part, there were moments of genuineness.

For the PM, it was his argument that “kindness isn’t weakness”, while Dutton explained why his police career had “hardened him”.

Albanese’s best moments were when he pushed Dutton on the 2014 budget cuts, and on migration. Dutton’s frustrating with Labor’s negative campaign prompted retorts as the PM “couldn’t lie straight in bed”.

Dutton was smart to put personal distance between himself and US President Donald Trump, given the toxic impact he’s having on the campaign.

Albanese and Dutton found rare political moments of bipartisanship on social media and even traded platitudes, complimenting each other’s family values and “punching above their weight” with their respective partners.

Albanese and Dutton both made their fair share of promises on Tuesday night. The PM declared he was willing to “stake his prime ministership on bulk billing rates going up” if he’s reelected.

He said Labor’s housing policies really would ensure young couples on an average wage could afford a home even as prices keep rising.

And, he vowed not to do a deal with the Greens or any minor parties in the event of a hung parliament.

Dutton said he was willing to work with independents.

He also committed to sticking with nuclear power even if the Coalition loses the election.

Some of Dutton’s comments about cuts - namely that they wouldn’t all be revealed before the election - may come to be Labor fodder in the days ahead, but when the front of mind issue for most voters is cost-of-living this election, he won by a nose.