Voters will have an opportunity to watch the Liberal and Labor leaders’ election pitches but research shows less than a third will tune in.
Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese will go head-to-head for the first time in the campaign during a debate in Brisbane on Wednesday.
The pair will face questions from audience members during what is being billed a “people’s forum” of undecided voters hosted by Sky News and The Courier-Mail.
Yet political scientist Sarah Cameron told AAP interest in leaders’ debates has declined over time and a majority of voters would not watch on Wednesday.
Research on trends in Australian political opinion showed just 30 per cent of voters watched one or more of the debates in 2019.
The last time nearly half of voters watched the debate was in the 2010 election campaign, Dr Cameron said.
Dr Jill Sheppard, a political lecturer at the Australian National University, said both leaders would view the debate as something to get through without slip-ups or replayable gaffes.
“The debates where leaders have really shined have been when they have showed off their policy prowess and that hasn’t happened for probably 20 years,” she told AAP.
“Leaders go into the debates trying to ensure they minimise the risk of making mistakes and it’s inevitably more a series of talking points than robust back-and-forth.”
Viewers also tend to deem the winner of the debate as whoever they preferred before it started, she said.
Yet Labor spokesperson Jason Clare said the debate would be an opportunity for Mr Albanese to make a case for why Australia needs a change in government.
“The Australian people don’t throw out governments lightly, but they throw governments out when they have continually failed, have no ideas for the future and are just fighting amongst themselves,” he told reporters in Sydney on Tuesday.
“This government meets the trifecta.”
Dr Cameron said swing voters were more likely to vote based on their evaluation of leaders.
“The most important leader characteristics for their overall popularity are whether the leader is considered trustworthy, honest and competent,” she said.
“Whether they are perceived as knowledgeable and intelligent is less important for their overall popularity.”
