Australia Election: Economy issues top PM Morrison's campaign

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02:57

While Filipinos vote today, Australians will go to the polls in less than 2 weeks to decide whether the country's Prime Minister should remain in the job. While this election features the usual campaign issues including the economy, it's also giving voters a stark choice about how best to govern the country. Greg Navarro explains.

When Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the date for the country's May election, he highlighted one issue in particular.

SCOTT MORRISON AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER "We live in the best country in the world, but to secure your future the road ahead depends on a strong economy."

Just hours later, Australian Opposition Leader Bill Shorten also laid out the focus of his campaign.

BILL SHORTEN AUSTRALIAN OPPOSITION LEADER "What we believe in is making sure that economy works in the interests of working and middle-class people. When everyday Australians are getting a fair go, then this economy hums."

Most elections here center on the nation's economy, and this one is no different. The housing market is slumping, and wage growth is stagnant. But economists point out that unemployment remains low with no imminent threat of a recession.

STEWART JACKSON LECTURER, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY "In one sense the campaign is business as usual for the major parties, talking about tax, how you are going to pay for things, the economy, which is very much the conservative party's strong suit, on the Labor side health and education should be getting a bigger guernsey."

University of Technology Sydney associate professor Bligh Grant says this election is proving to less about specific issues and more about 2 very different approaches to governing.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR BLIGH GRANT UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY SYDNEY "How the economy ought to work and who ought to benefit and very importantly, what government should be doing to make the economy work."

While the campaign season has included feisty debates and classic one-liners, it has also featured a greater focus on the environment.

SCOTT MORRISON AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER "We have a 26 percent emissions reductions target. The Labor Party has a 45 percent emissions target."

BILL SHORTEN AUSTRALIAN OPPOSITION LEADER "This government is not getting our carbon pollution emissions down, they're going up."

GREG NAVARRO SYDNEY "One issue that has played a prominent role in past elections is security, specifically border security, and how best to stop asylum seekers from reaching Australia's shores illegally by boat."

But there has been little talk this time around about protecting the country's borders.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR BLIGH GRANT UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY SYDNEY "Immigration and border security have become marginalized by the competition for ideas over the economy, that's what's occurring in this election to the extent that it is overshadowing personality politics, to the extent that it is overshadowing Australia's relationship with our international partners."

Most polls continue to show Bill Shorten in the lead, and that Scott Morrison has some ground to cover in the final days of the campaign. Greg Navarro, CGTN, Sydney.