• Is there anyone in the country other than in the Labor and Liberal camps who thinks last night’s debate wouldn’t have been made at least more interesting, if not more enlightening, with the presence of Bob Brown?
  • Yesterday’s press conference by Tony Abbott, Scott Morrison and Cory ‘Ban the Burqa’ Bernardi, at which the Liberals announced their immigration policy, properly merits the overused description ‘debacle’. They couldn’t explain how their “cap” would work or to whom it would apply, were entirely inconsistent on what role the neutered Productivity Commission would play, were unable to respond to evidence that suggested their cap might amount to an increase, rather than a decrease, in immigration and resorted to Labor’s trick of deferring controversial issues until after the election via a White Paper process. Notionally, Labor should be able to launch a solid assault on the Liberals on this, and Tony Burke has been blitzing the media yesterday and this morning to do so. But Labor will find it can be awfully hard to articulate a coherent case when your lips are permanently pursed in a dog whistle.
  • With immigration likely to dominate today at least, we’re engaged in one of the more interesting political experiments seen for years. Rarely have both major political parties — and the Greens — embarked on a policy so demonstrably at odds with the views of the commentariat, including conservative commentators, and business. But the question is whether voters, including the millions of Australians who are either immigrants or the children of immigrants, will work out that they’re being sold a pup by political parties anxious for their votes.
  • At some points one feels — or hopes, perhaps — that voters’ fabled common sense will kick in against both parties.
  • Watch for Labor to ramp up its attack on the Liberals’ paid parental leave tax. Gillard’s most effective line last night was to talk about that tax driving up grocery prices. Labor will set out to “great big new tax” Abbott, but connect it directly to the issue both sides acknowledge as a key one.
  • This morning’s Newspoll finally reverses what had been an ominous trend for the Coalition of a steadily-widening gap between the parties. Labor has been relying on the electorate sleepwalking to the ballot box and delivering it victory. Have they got a Plan B if the polls show it’s tight?
  • Evidence that the Liberal campaign is short of money part XXIV: apparently Andrew Robb has to do everything. Last night he was chief debate spinner for the Liberals, and live-tweeted the debate. But finally a win for the hard-working Liberal campaign HQ. Less than two hours after the end of last night’s debate, it produced a transcript. Labor’s is yet to appear.