Opposition leader Anthony Albanese has had his first stumble of the official 2022 election campaign, unable to name either the unemployment rate or the RBA cash rate.
He was asked if he knew both at a press conference today.
Mr Albanese didn’t know the cash rate, and guessed unemployment was at 5.4 per cent, before apologising and admitting: “I’m not sure what it is”.
Labor’s finance spokeswoman Katy Gallagher then correctly answered the question.
The RBA cash rate is at 0.1 per cent while unemployment sits at four per cent.
The Coalition has been quick to seize on Anthony Albanese’s stumble.
Liberals jump in
After the Opposition Leader was unable to say what the current cash rate or unemployment rate is, Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham raced to send out a statement.
“If you don’t know what the unemployment rate is, you can’t be trusted to keep Australians in jobs,” Mr Birmingham said.
“The interest rate matters. Keeping them as low as possible matters. It effects how much mortgages cost. It effects family budgets.”
It’s fair to say this clip of Mr Albanese has played right into the government’s hands.
The Coalition was already asking the Australian public if they could trust Labor with the economy as one of their main lines of attack.
