Who won the third leaders’ debate? Five takeaways from Albanese v Dutton

Tony Dutton’s campaign has faced significant criticism for its stumblebums, policy flip-flops, and mixed messaging, coinciding with a sharp decline in opinion polls. During a recent debate, he blamed Labor for the collapse of his campaign, pointing to Labor’s negative ads—but acknowledged the Coalition’s nuclear energy policy might be at fault. The opposition leader dismissed Dutton’s nuclear costing figure, which has drawn criticism from critics and praised by supporters. Meanwhile, Dutton has long been pilloted over remarks about Australia’s Pacific nations and climate change, making him a poor choice for uncertain times.