News and analysis

There were many big moments in the debate between Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Labor leader Anthony Albanese on Sunday night, but one key point highlighted the strategies likely to shape the final two weeks of the election campaign.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has rejected accusations that he and Anthony Albanese were disrespectful towards the moderator of their second election debate last night.

The second leaders’ debate of the election campaign, hosted by Channel Nine, attracted 641,000 viewers, however the network’s own employees have criticised the format as a “shambles”.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Sunday bared the airdates of the presidential and vice presidential panel interviews.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is investigating one of its own, no less than its longtime spokesman James Jimenez, over a controversial election debate partnership that resulted in a P14-million debt to a five-star hotel.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) assured Sunday its investigation on the scrapped presidential and vice presidential townhall debates will not affect preparations for the May 9 elections.

U.S. Senate candidate Mike Durant rejected three debate dates offered by the Alabama Republican Party, making it increasingly unlikely that the GOP frontrunners will meet on stage before next month’s primary.

Anthony Albanese and Scott Morrison will go head to head in a second leaders’ debate less than a fortnight out from the federal election, the Nine network has announced.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) official leading the investigation into the P14-million debate debt fiasco involving its contractor recommended that spokesman and education and information department (EID) chief James Jimenez and his deputy be temporarily relieved of media duties.

Philippines presidential frontrunner Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Friday turned down his closest rival's challenge to a debate, saying a face-off with Leni Robredo will never happen and he prefers to communicate directly with the public.

Albanese needs to agree to further debates as soon as possible to make his case for change, to put his policies and ideas under the spotlight of public scrutiny.

Six presidential candidates and four vice presidential candidates have agreed to join in the panel interviews conducted by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), according to Commissioner George Garcia.