Our leaders tirelessly talk about the cost of living, so why can't they get the price of eggs right?
COMMENT
Watching politicians flail on live TV is a live sport everyone enjoys ... until you remember one of these blokes will soon be running the country.
In a stunt as old as time, the pair were asked to guess the price of a supermarket staple in their final debate and it went down like an airplane omelette. You always knew it was going to make you cringe.
To be fair, I don't think anything can match NSW housing minister Rose Jackson's wild assumption that Sydney rentals go for ' a couple hundred dollars per week', but Mr Dutton's Hail Mary comes close.
When asked what a dozen yolks goes for these days, Mr Dutton stumbled and gave a figure less than half the standard rate.
'$4.20,' he said, wildly oblivious to the fact a dozen standard-issue cage eggs at most supermarkets has pushed near $9 and in some cases, beyond.
Mr Albanese guessed $7, but only after Mr Dutton was told $4.20 would be lucky to get you six. His answer wasn't as damning, but still isn't a great look for the darling of Australia's centre-left.
While it's clear guys in this position don't stroll down to Woolies for a bag of groceries every day — they have sponsored events to fill their bellies at — it should be said that if you're running a cost of living smear campaign against your opponents, you'd hope your figurehead at least knows the basics.
That comment alone would have pushed an untold amount of still-undecided voters away from Mr Dutton. As someone who doesn't feel like they have a dog in the fight — I'm a self-branded political hobo with no real home to turn to in Aussie politics — Mr Dutton's comment rubbed me, and likely millions of others, the wrong way.
Last week, the Sydney Morning Herald ran a piece about ' soft voters ', generally young people who feel like they're always playing catch-up and have rapidly lost their optimism for any political party.
These are the people who can be swayed last-minute before they inevitably pick up the pencil on voting day. We like to include everyone in the process Down Under, even those who understand the man calling the shots in Canberra isn't really going to change their day-to-day life. But we still make it compulsory for them to participate in the process.
Those are the people Dutton must target this week.
Amid the countless TV appearances speaking about complex issues like nuclear power, defence and trade, a simple slip-up over a dozen eggs has potential to send Dutton's campaign tumbling down the basement staircase a-la Homer Simpson.
Unlike economics and tax policy, it's an easy thing to remember for the hordes of Aussies who will no doubt be dragged into a conversation about the election this week.
They'll be thinking about it on Saturday morning when they treat themselves to a $19 bacon and egg roll, and they'll probably think about it again when they find a melted Easter egg in their jacket pocket while waiting in line for the booth.
The problem is that the rising cost of living affects (almost) everyone, and Liberal supporters doing it tough will be feeling a bit let down that their man hadn't even brushed up on what it's like to live in 2025 Australia.
Don't politicians expect these questions anyway?
I really didn't want to fill this article with lazy egg puns, but my brain is a bit scrambled after an hour of scrolling back through the debate.
Australia votes on May 3.
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Tasmanians will go to the polls on July 19 after the embattled Liberal premier's request for an early election was granted. Jeremy Rockliff returned to Government House on Wednesday evening to meet with Governor Barbara Baker, six days after he lost the confidence of the parliament. In a statement after the meeting, Ms Baker confirmed she would dissolve parliament and issue the writ for an election to be held on July 19. It will be the fourth state election in seven years after early polls were also held in 2021 and 2024. "Notwithstanding the recent 2024 election, the public interest in avoiding the cost of another election and the prevailing public mood against holding an election, I have granted Premier Rockliff a dissolution," Ms Baker said in the statement. "I make this grant because I am satisfied that there is no real possibility that an alternative government can be formed." Mr Rockliff has resisted pressure to resign and insisted the backing of his partyroom remains solid, despite reports former senator Eric Abetz and ex-deputy premier Michael Ferguson were willing to be leader. "I have a commitment from my team to support me as leader and I am not going anywhere," he said earlier on Wednesday. Mr Rockliff denied he was "driven by ego" in not standing aside from leading the minority government. Liberal MP Jacquie Petrusma didn't directly answer when asked if the party was doing numbers to roll Mr Rockliff. "The premier is a fantastic leader and he has 100 per cent support of the PLP (parliamentary Liberal Party)," she said. Ms Baker also met Labor leader Dean Winter on Wednesday afternoon. Labor, which has just 10 of 35 lower-house seats, had said it would not look to form a minority government with the Greens. "In that meeting (with the governor) I reiterated my position that Labor will not be doing a deal with the Greens," Mr Winter said. Labor, whose no-confidence motion against Mr Rockliff was backed by the Greens and three crossbench independents, had called on the premier to step down. "We've gotten to this point because of Jeremy Rockliff and his refusal to resign," Labor MP Shane Broad said. "I come from a farm and no matter how much you love that old sheep dog, if you can't round up sheep anymore it's time to get a new one." Mr Rockliff claimed the no-confidence motion was a deceptive power grab, while Labor says it was because of the Liberals' poor budget and project mismanagement. The premier took a crack at Mr Winter for failing to "front up" and hold a press conference on Wednesday. The Liberals had already appeared to be in fully fledged campaign mode, visiting a hospital to announce a four-year elective surgery plan. They were returned to power in March 2024, winning 14 seats and cobbling together enough support from the crossbench to govern. Tasmanians will go to the polls on July 19 after the embattled Liberal premier's request for an early election was granted. Jeremy Rockliff returned to Government House on Wednesday evening to meet with Governor Barbara Baker, six days after he lost the confidence of the parliament. In a statement after the meeting, Ms Baker confirmed she would dissolve parliament and issue the writ for an election to be held on July 19. It will be the fourth state election in seven years after early polls were also held in 2021 and 2024. "Notwithstanding the recent 2024 election, the public interest in avoiding the cost of another election and the prevailing public mood against holding an election, I have granted Premier Rockliff a dissolution," Ms Baker said in the statement. "I make this grant because I am satisfied that there is no real possibility that an alternative government can be formed." Mr Rockliff has resisted pressure to resign and insisted the backing of his partyroom remains solid, despite reports former senator Eric Abetz and ex-deputy premier Michael Ferguson were willing to be leader. "I have a commitment from my team to support me as leader and I am not going anywhere," he said earlier on Wednesday. Mr Rockliff denied he was "driven by ego" in not standing aside from leading the minority government. Liberal MP Jacquie Petrusma didn't directly answer when asked if the party was doing numbers to roll Mr Rockliff. "The premier is a fantastic leader and he has 100 per cent support of the PLP (parliamentary Liberal Party)," she said. Ms Baker also met Labor leader Dean Winter on Wednesday afternoon. Labor, which has just 10 of 35 lower-house seats, had said it would not look to form a minority government with the Greens. "In that meeting (with the governor) I reiterated my position that Labor will not be doing a deal with the Greens," Mr Winter said. Labor, whose no-confidence motion against Mr Rockliff was backed by the Greens and three crossbench independents, had called on the premier to step down. "We've gotten to this point because of Jeremy Rockliff and his refusal to resign," Labor MP Shane Broad said. "I come from a farm and no matter how much you love that old sheep dog, if you can't round up sheep anymore it's time to get a new one." Mr Rockliff claimed the no-confidence motion was a deceptive power grab, while Labor says it was because of the Liberals' poor budget and project mismanagement. The premier took a crack at Mr Winter for failing to "front up" and hold a press conference on Wednesday. The Liberals had already appeared to be in fully fledged campaign mode, visiting a hospital to announce a four-year elective surgery plan. They were returned to power in March 2024, winning 14 seats and cobbling together enough support from the crossbench to govern. Tasmanians will go to the polls on July 19 after the embattled Liberal premier's request for an early election was granted. Jeremy Rockliff returned to Government House on Wednesday evening to meet with Governor Barbara Baker, six days after he lost the confidence of the parliament. In a statement after the meeting, Ms Baker confirmed she would dissolve parliament and issue the writ for an election to be held on July 19. It will be the fourth state election in seven years after early polls were also held in 2021 and 2024. "Notwithstanding the recent 2024 election, the public interest in avoiding the cost of another election and the prevailing public mood against holding an election, I have granted Premier Rockliff a dissolution," Ms Baker said in the statement. "I make this grant because I am satisfied that there is no real possibility that an alternative government can be formed." Mr Rockliff has resisted pressure to resign and insisted the backing of his partyroom remains solid, despite reports former senator Eric Abetz and ex-deputy premier Michael Ferguson were willing to be leader. "I have a commitment from my team to support me as leader and I am not going anywhere," he said earlier on Wednesday. Mr Rockliff denied he was "driven by ego" in not standing aside from leading the minority government. Liberal MP Jacquie Petrusma didn't directly answer when asked if the party was doing numbers to roll Mr Rockliff. "The premier is a fantastic leader and he has 100 per cent support of the PLP (parliamentary Liberal Party)," she said. Ms Baker also met Labor leader Dean Winter on Wednesday afternoon. Labor, which has just 10 of 35 lower-house seats, had said it would not look to form a minority government with the Greens. "In that meeting (with the governor) I reiterated my position that Labor will not be doing a deal with the Greens," Mr Winter said. Labor, whose no-confidence motion against Mr Rockliff was backed by the Greens and three crossbench independents, had called on the premier to step down. "We've gotten to this point because of Jeremy Rockliff and his refusal to resign," Labor MP Shane Broad said. "I come from a farm and no matter how much you love that old sheep dog, if you can't round up sheep anymore it's time to get a new one." Mr Rockliff claimed the no-confidence motion was a deceptive power grab, while Labor says it was because of the Liberals' poor budget and project mismanagement. The premier took a crack at Mr Winter for failing to "front up" and hold a press conference on Wednesday. The Liberals had already appeared to be in fully fledged campaign mode, visiting a hospital to announce a four-year elective surgery plan. They were returned to power in March 2024, winning 14 seats and cobbling together enough support from the crossbench to govern.
