It’s beginning to smell a lot like an election year, with Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton spending Monday sharpening their attack lines on each other.
The prime minister was not much impressed by his rival’s unofficial campaign launch, calling Sunday’s rally in Melbourne a “damp squib”. The opposition leader, facing pressure to announce some new policies, reckons Albanese would not have to “throw this mud” if he’d enjoyed a more productive stint in the Lodge.
The argy-bargy came as Labor announced a $3bn equity boost for the NBN after the first federal cabinet meeting of the year.
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In pictures
People take part in an ice-water endurance ceremony at Teppozu Inari shrine in Tokyo, as captured in the Guardian’s daily selection of photographs from around the world. Participants brave the cold to purify their souls and pray for good health in the new year.
What they said …
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“Burn Hollywood Burn is a protest song … [it has] nothing to do with families losing everything they have.”
Public Enemy’s Chuck D has asked people to stop using the rap group’s 1990 protest track as a soundtrack on social media videos of the California wildfires.
In numbers
Fewer GP clinics than ever will take new bulk-billed customers and out-of-pocket charges continue to rise, healthcare directory Cleanbill’s data has found. Experts say the findings are concerning, but not surprising.
Before bed read
Attention Sydneysiders: don’t tell Bridie Jabour “this city is so boring” until you’ve been a teenager in rural Australia.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: OWL. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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