In a pivotal moment for Australian politics, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton will face off in a live televised debate hosted by 7NEWS. The debate will take the form of one-hour television broadcast from Nine’s studios in Sydney’s Election Central. It offers both leaders their most important opportunity to influence undecided voters a mere six days before election day.
The debate will be broadcast live around the country on Seven, 7plus and 7NEWS.com.au. With so much at stake, we’re hoping to get two straight-talking candidates to answer six important questions head-to-head. They only have 1 minute to answer each question. The real draw is the format, which is designed to facilitate direct engagement between Albanese and Dutton. Each will have four minutes to interrogate, leading to an incredibly invigorating conversation.
The 7NEWS Political Editor, Mark Riley, will facilitate the event. He will be joined by Sunrise’s Natalie Barr to make sure the debate is productive and on-topic. Each candidate will have an opportunity to give their opening and closing statements uninterrupted. They will all have one minute apiece, and a 30-second countdown timer will help maintain an informative and entertaining back-and-forth. Crucially, all microphones will be live during the entire debate so that no one can cut their opponent off with a timely mute.
This debate is no ordinary campaign stop, though it’s an important turning point for the candidates.
“It will be the most important night of this campaign — the candidates’ last chance before polling day to convince voters why they should lead the country,” – Mark Riley
Leaders are getting ready to connect with each other and address what voters care about. Everyone from environmental advocates to the Biden administration views this debate as a critical inflection point. Anthony De Ceglie remarked on its significance, stating, “For many, it will be the defining watch of the campaign and will play a big part in how they decide their vote.”
Following the debate, audiences can catch a special edition of 7NEWS Spotlight. This innovative program will bring you the analysis and insights, tempered by the reaction of a studio audience of 60 undecided voters.
“This final debate comes at a critical moment — just six days out from polling day — and 7NEWS is proud to bring it live to viewers,” – Anthony De Ceglie
