Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison defends comments that he's 'blessed' to not have children with disabilities

Australia's general election is just one month away and a comment about disabled children may have severely damaged Prime Minister Scott Morrison's campaign. 

Prime Minister Morrison and opposition leader Anthony Albanese went head-to-head at the first leaders' debate last night. 

Morrison opened the showdown against the Labor leader.

"So it is a choice between a stronger economy and a weaker economy."

Albanese was quick to hit back. 

"They don't have a plan for the future." 

Albanese's campaign hasn't been filled with that same confidence, booed on stage while introducing Jimmy Barnes, and is often recalling reporters for policy he got wrong. 

But where the debate quickly became heated is when the topic of border protection came up.

"When you were deputy Prime Minister, why didn't you support turn-backs then?" Morrison asked. 

"You weren't proposing that then," Albanese said, before Morrison quickly replied: "We were, I'm sorry we were it was our policy."

Divisions, too, surrounding China's new security deal with the Solomon Islands.

"Why would you take China's side?" Morrison asked. 

"This is an outrageous slur from the Prime Minister," Albanese said.

"This isn't so much a Pacific step up, it's a Pacific stuff up."

But it was when a mother in the audience spoke about her autistic child that Morrison slipped up. 

"Jenny and I have been blessed, we've got two children who haven't had to go through that."

Morrison was quick to defend his comments on Thursday. 

"Every single child is precious and a blessing to every single parent."

And now it's up to Australian voters to decide who won. 

"I think Albo probably," one audience member said. 

"Anthony Albanese," another said. 

"I think Scott Morrison tonight."

But it's election night May 21 where the winner matters the most.