Turnbull lands glove on “billion dollar Bill”

Every day in the campaign Mr Shorten or a Labor frontbencher has fronted the media promising programs costing many millions of dollars, including a $1 billion to be “diverted” into state Labor’s Metronet project, which would include a new train station at Karnup and a link between the Mandurah and Thornlie lines.

The Liberal party has released a sharp advertisement, drawing attention to Mr Shorten’s glib comment at a town hall event in Woy Woy in New South Wales on Friday night after promising $1 million for a road.

“You can put that on the 'spend-o-meter'. That's another million,” Mr Shorten joked, winning laughter and applause from the Labor crowd.

He will wear that off the cuff remark like a dead weight around his neck for the rest of the campaign; every time he promises a cent he risks being marked reckless or – even worse – unable to deliver.

Promises come easy from the opposition benches, where there is an absence of responsibility for the spending of taxpayer dollars.

But Labor’s record in government adds to the complexity of Bill Shorten’s troubles; between 2007 and 2013 they spent like an opposition promises, but in government, and with real money.

Speaking on Wednesday evening, Treasurer Scott Morrison said Labor’s government turned the $20 billion budget surplus left by John Howard into a $54 billion deficit in just two years, a claim Labor is yet to effectively counter.

Mr Shorten has exposed a chink in his armour by promising massive spending from opposition and then joking about it.

And Mr Turnbull didn’t miss his mark, saddling Mr Shorten with name “billion dollar Bill”.

“Australia, don't take his jokes about the spend-o-meter as funny gestures. They know when they talk about the spend-o-meter, they're talking about their future and threatening their jobs and the growth of the economy,” he said.

On the surface, Mr Shorten didn’t seemed troubled, but his advisers would be frantic.

“What Mr Turnbull calls me doesn't worry me in the slightest,” he said.

“Let's call Mr Turnbull's actions in the last few days for what they are. A great big fat lie.”