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Prime Minister Scott Morrison and opposition leader Anthony Albanese have agreed to meet in a second leader's debate as the federal election draws nearer.

The hour-long debate will be on Sunday, May 8, at 8.30pm, less than two weeks beforeAustralians cast their votes on May 21.

It will be shown on Channel 9 and 9Now, as well as livestreamed via 9news.com.au/

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The debate will feature a panel of three journalists quizzing the two would-be Prime Ministers.

FULL COVERAGE: Fedral Election 2022

Nine political editor Chris Uhlmann, Age and Sydney Morning Herald chief political correspondent David Crowe and Nine radio host Deborah Knight are the journalists tasked with asking questions. 60 Minutes journalist Sarah Abo will moderate the debate.

"They are three of the most experienced journos in the country, Deb had a long stint in the press gallery, she hears talkback every day, she hears people's pain points in terms of hip-pocket and economic issues," Nine director of news and current affairs Darren Wick said.

"No one has any agendas coming into it, and neither leader has made any requests. Nothing is off the table."

"People want to know where each of the parties stand and where the leader stand, they want to see the leaders tested."

In an amendment to their lawsuit filed earlier this spring, Gabby Petito's parents allege during the search for the young woman, Brian Laundrie's parents knew their son had killed her and knew "the whereabouts of her body."

The amended suit, filed by Petito's parents, alleges the Laundrie family went on vacation to Fort De Soto Park in Florida, while Petito's family was "extremely distraught" and attempting to locate her.

CNN has previously reported that documents from Pinellas County, Florida, showed Laundrie's mother had made a camping reservation at Fort De Soto Park for the first weekend of September, only to change it to a later date and add another person.

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Records from the county show the new reservation was made by Roberta Laundrie on September 3, two days after her son returned home. The changed reservation was set to begin on September 6 for three people at Fort De Soto Park, about 75 miles from the family's home.

The lawsuit alleges the Laundrie family went on vacation "knowing that Brian Laundrie had murdered Gabrielle Petito, it is believed that they knew where her body was located, and further knew that Gabrielle Petito's parents were attempting to locate her.

"The Laundrie family attorney told CNN they are confident the case will be dismissed, adding in a statement, "The allegations in the amended complaint may now conform to proper pleadings but they do not give rise to liability under the law. Thus, we are still confident the Court will dismiss the action," Steven Bertolino said.

Petito's remains were found in Teton County, Wyoming, in September, a little more than a week after her family reported her missing. The 22-year-old woman died by strangulation, a coroner ruled. She had been on a cross-country trip with Laundrie, who was her fiance. Laundrie returned to the couple's home on September 1 by himself, and left again roughly two weeks later and disappeared.
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Laundrie's remains were later found in a Florida reserve and a medical examiner ruled he died by suicide. Nearby, authorities found a notebook in which they said Laundrie claimed responsibility for Petito's death.

The suit accuses Laundrie's parents of acting in an "extreme and outrageous way" for several reasons, including for failing to inform Petito's parents that she was dead and where her remains were located and taking a vacation with their son while the Petito family searched for the young woman.

There is no specific monetary amount listed on the lawsuit, but Petito's parents are asking for damages that exceed $30,000.

Analysis: The Prime Minister this week encountered a nightmare scenario that threatens to undermine the attack line that served the Coalition so well in 2019, according to a journalist who understands how Scott Morrison swept to power better than most.

Annika Smethurst, an award-winning political journalist and author of biography The Accidental Prime Minister, did not mince her words when asked about the political impact of Australia this week recording its largest quarterly and annual increases in inflation since 2000.

"It's terrible," she said in this week's episode of the On The Trail podcast.

https://omny.fm/shows/on-the-trail-election-2022/annika-smethurst-the-campaign-on-crack/embed?style=cover

"If you were asking the Prime Minister before the election … 'What's the one thing you really wouldn't want' – and I've spoken to other premiers and politicians who've been in this position – (the answer is) usually 'Rising petrol prices'.

"That's the one they see as really detrimental to the campaign, because most people don't talk about politics every day but they do drive cars, they do drive past petrol stations and it's a real reminder of how things are going.

"I think inflation and the fact that you're paying nearly $6 for an iceberg lettuce is that on crack."

She said that although arguments could be mounted as to how much the government was to blame for the inflation blow-out amid a pandemic, it will weaken one of the Coalition's go-to pitches regardless.

"It's incredibly problematic, and especially given the Coalition's constant argument that they are better money managers," Smethurst said.

"That is something that they've always hinged their campaign on; they're constantly telling us 'It won't be easy under Albanese'; that's their new line.

"It used to be 'Bill's the bill you can't afford'.

"So if you're going to run these campaigns, it's really problematic when, under your administration … people are feeling the pinch as they head to polls."

Follow On The Trail: Election 2022, hosted by Charles Croucher on Apple, Spotify or Amazon.

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The Labor Party is promising to establish a royal commission into the Robodebt scandal if it wins the federal election.

Speaking in Perth, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese and shadow minister for government services Bill Shorten announced the party is committing to establishing a royal commission, the highest form of inquiry with the powers to summon witnesses, into the Robodebt scheme before the end of the year.

FULL COVERAGE: Federal Election 2022

The failed program saw 443,000 Australians wrongly pursued by Centrelink for $1.7 billion in welfare debts they didn't owe, after the Federal Government in 2015 switched to an automated income averaging system that produced false information.

Hundreds of thousands of Australians paid those debts before it was ruled in court that the scheme was unlawful and, in many cases, incorrect.

In 2020, the Federal Government had to refund $721 million in debts that had been wrongly collected from 381,000 people.

A class action settlement worth at least $1.8 billion was also approved for victims of the scheme.

Mr Shorten today said the royal commission would cost up to $30 million and would "find out who was responsible" for the failed scheme.

"We want to find out what with the processes, what advice did they get, did they get bad advice? Did they get no advice? Or did they get good advice that they ignored," he said.

"We want to do the accounting of harm. In essence, the Robodebt royal commission is about justice for the victims."

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Mr Shorten also claimed the proposal of a royal commission is at the request of victims of the scheme.

"I haven't met victims of Robodebt who don't want royal commission," Mr Shorten said.

"I just think taxpayers want justice, victims want justice."

Mr Albanese also took aim at the Prime Minister for not taking responsibility for the scandal.

"This is a guy who was a social security minister who presided over the scheme and yet again he won't take responsibility," he said.

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Scott Morrison said earlier the "problem has been addressed" when asked if the Coalition would also establish inquiries.

"There have been numerous inquiries into this and there's been court matters which we've fully cooperated in, and almost $750 million in response to that," Mr Morrison said.

"And the changes in the scheme have been in place.

"So the problem has been addressed, but any such inquiry, I imagine, would have to start with the process of income assessment, averaging of income, which was introduced by the Labor Party."