Margie Abbott appears with husband Tony to announce childcare indexation policy

Monday, 26 July 2010 15:28

Both the debate and today's childcare announcement show Tony Abbott is trying to demonstrate that he understands that cost of livng pressure are impacting on families. It was also an astute move to reverse, in part, Labor's broken promise on childcare.  In another sign that Abbott is awake to the gender issue, his wife Margie was on the hustings with him. In fairness, she is a Child Carer so it was a highly appropriate announcement for her to be part of.

Whatever you think about the respective skills of Gillard and Abbott, there is a huge difference in the 'optics' of the campaign machines.  Abbott's is a bit haphazard but human.  Pictures of him being mobbed and playing footy with school children and now in cild care centres with his wife is a stark contrast to Gillard's tightly controlled machine.

For her part Julia Gillard is announcing a policy on health. This is something Labor will be keen to differentiate themselves from the Coalition on. Shame is, she was re-announcing something already allocated in the Budget.

See the ABC coverage on both announcements here.