Prime Minister Scott Morrison has evaded questions on how taxpayer-funded grants have been used to target marginal seats crucial to winning the election.
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On Thursday in Brisbane, Scott Morrison brushed off pork-barrelling accusations the Commonwealth used community development grants as a Liberal Party slush fund.
ACM revealed $116.6 million in Community Development Grants had been allocated between the budget and the calling of the federal election, with the majority of projects situated in marginal or hotly contested electorates.
Mr Morrison said promising money for projects was a core to an election campaign, and made reference to an aged care facility he visited earlier in Caboolture where the Coalition promised upgrades to telecommunication infrastructure.
"I just don't buy it," he said.
"What elections are is we go to Australians, like in Caboolture where we were today, with seniors who can only get one one bar on their mobile phone or only 3G, and they need some additional mobile towers.
"They raised that with Terry [Young], their local member."
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The Prime Minister said the Australian public know his team and what they stand for.
Eight of the 15 grants allocated to marginal electorates, with six housed in seats held by Labor on margins with less than 5 per cent.
Both leaders on Wednesday night quarrelled during the debate over establishing a federal integrity commission, which could stamp out corruption and the misuse of public funds.
Mr Morrison during the press conference tried to stir up Labor as inferior economic managers, claiming the Coalition are always the ones having to find ways to pay for Labor's expensive policies.
The debate on Wednesday night drew inference to previous Labor governments establishing Medicare and the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
"Mr Albanese spoke about how Labor was a party of big reforms and I made the point that it's always the Liberal and the Nationals that have to work out how to pay for them," he said.
"He's not ... Kevin Rudd and I can assure you he's not John Howard."
The Prime Minister also clarified text messages leaked between him and NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet regarding controversial comments made by Warringah Liberal candidate Katherine Deves.
He said he is in regular texting exchanges with state and territory leaders but did not clarify if the messages were leaked to the media from office.
"They asked me whether Dom had been in contact and I simply said that he had," Mr Morrison said
"I hadn't shared any text messages."
Ms Deves has come under scrutiny for transphobic comments online over her stance on transwomen competing in female sports.
She has claimed trans people were "surgically mutilated" and referenced her views as a fight against Nazis.
Scott Morrison has defended Ms Deves who has been dubbed a captains pick, with moderate Liberals in NSW calling for her to be disendorsed.