On the campaign trail yesterday, Bill Shorten was involved in a prickly clash with an Adelaide reporter over his refusal to release the figures for Labor’s emissions-reductions target.
Shorten’s fiery exchange with Ten Network’s Jonathan Lea was a result of Shorten skirting around the questions Lea was asking.
In a fiery exchange on the campaign trail in Boothby, @billshortenmp has avoided questioning on the cost Labor’s emission reduction target would have to the Australian economy.
MORE: https://t.co/XDlvROtOqW #kennyreport pic.twitter.com/PZOXpU7Gsp
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) April 16, 2019
Lea said the Opposition Leader has focused almost exclusively, since his budget-reply speech, on health and asked: “When can voters expect to learn more about Labor’s emissions-reduction target, how you’re going to get there, and the cost to the economy?”
Shorten responded: “Well first of all, I haven’t spoken exclusively about health”, to which Lea replied, “well to be fair some of your staffers said the same in private conversations.”
Shorten continued: “I don’t know what private conversations you have with people or what you want to reveal,” before changing the subject to how PM Scott Morrison boasts about his strong economy.
Lea quickly responded: “You’re not answering the question, Mr Shorten.”
When Shorten tried to move onto another reporter’s question, Lea once again interrupted.
He said: “Answer the question. When can people know? When can people know, Mr Shorten, the cost to the economy? You didn’t answer the question.”
