TV host slams ‘Pinocchio PM's' raft of campaign lies, reveals where Coalition campaign went wrong while delivering major pre-election verdict

Sky News AU

02-05-2025

Sky News host Danica de Giorgio has provided her verdict on the 2025 Federal Election campaign, rebuking the Prime Minister for espousing a litany of mistruths and emphasising the higher than usual soft vote amongst an increasingly disillusioned electorate.
As the election campaign enters its final stretch, polls are overwhelmingly predicting the Labor will be re-elected as either a minority or majority government. Yet they also indicate support for the major parties has plummeted to historic lows.
In today's Australian Financial Review/Freshwater Strategy poll, Labor led the Coalition 51.5 per cent to 48.5 per cent two-party-preferred, with the Coalition's primary vote falling 2 points to 37 per cent while Labor's rose 1 point to 33 per cent.
De Giorgio described the five-week contest as one of the 'most disrupted election campaigns in history', stressing it should have served as a 'referendum on Anthony Albanese'
'It has been a boring campaign, you can see that from the unusually high soft vote, that voters are disillusioned,' she said.
The host argued that the consistently high number of undecided voters in a variety of polls demonstrated that punters disapproved of Anthony Albanese, yet did not know who Peter Dutton was or what he stood for.
The campaign was also saturated with embellished claims and outright distortion of the truth, with de Giorgio labelling Mr Albanese the 'Pinocchio Prime Minister' and the 'king of con'.
'Labor was elected on a cost-of-living mandate. I don't need to tell you how that's worked out – you know. Housing affordability has never been worse," she said.
De Giorgio fiercely criticised Labor for advancing several scare campaigns, primarily in relation to Medicare and nuclear energy and stated that both were misleading and inaccurate.
The presenter said, 'Labor's number one tactic this election – if not obsessing over Peter Dutton – it's been scare campaigns' and reiterated the PM's constant message that the LNP would defund social services was false, stating 'the Coalition pledged nine billion dollars for Medicare, more than Labor's pledge'.
However, she also exposed how the Coalition failed to seize opportunities and capture the momentum leading into the campaign, stating it would 'take a miracle' for Peter Dutton to secure a majority in the nation's parliament.
'There has been no contest of ideas. Policy has been more like thought bubbles – and policy on the run, made up day by day'.
De Giorgio also panned Peter Dutton for not being bolder in his responses, selecting his 'wishy washy' reaction to President Trump's sweeping Liberation Day tariffs as the 'moment something changed'.
'The answer is yes, you trust the leader of the free world as our number one ally,' de Giorgio said.
According to the Sky News host, from this point on the Opposition Leader's strategy became 'weaker – and almost fearful, and it spiralled from there'.
The host also stressed that 'nuclear was a key, point of difference for the Coalition' and questioned why the Opposition Leader gradually toned down his rhetoric 'from the reality of this great resource?'.
'It's been a real shame to see a backdown of sorts. Now I am not being negative, but what does the Coalition stand for?' she asked.
Ms de Giorgio concluded by officially endorsing the Opposition Leader for the top job, imploring that 'Peter Dutton should be prime minister tomorrow'.
'[Peter Dutton] represents the change this country so desperately needs – to lift us out of Labor's man-made rut'.
'Peter Dutton is a strong leader, a good man, you can see he genuinely loves this country and wants to see it thrive. Surely, voters will not overwhelmingly reward Albo after the mess he has left this country in'.