Hello and welcome to today’s election edition of the Afternoon Update.
Four days in and we’re already knee-deep in tried-and-tested campaign strategies, like wearing hi-vis and hugging babies.
In the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, Peter Dutton sat in a mining truck that wouldn’t start – cue metaphors about the Coalition’s stalled campaign – but it didn’t appear to deter the opposition leader himself, who revealed plans to move into Sydney’s Kirribilli House instead of Canberra’s The Lodge – should he win the election, that is.
Anthony Albanese, in Western Australia for what he said was his 30-somethingth visit, swiftly labelled Dutton’s home goals “a fair bit of hubris”. In his whirlwind tour of Perth, the PM visited a hospital to pledge $200m for a major upgrade – and had a cuddle with baby Amber, which he called the highlight of his day – while at his daily press conference, he was pressed for details on a Chinese research vessel off Australia’s coast.
A quick warning – tomorrow is April Fools’ Day. A day to be vigilant about campaign promises, if ever there was one.
Today’s big stories
Albanese said defence was monitoring a Chinese research vessel that was situated south of Victoria’s Portland on Monday afternoon. The Tan Suo Yi Hao was in New Zealand, has not announced plans to visit any Australian ports and was expected to return to China in late April. Was the PM concerned about the vessel? He answered that he’d “prefer that it wasn’t there”.
Albanese also confirmed that a new environmental protection agency won’t be “the same model” as that which derailed late last year. “There are industry and environmental groups who both recognise that it’s not fit for purpose,” he said in Perth. “What we’ll do is work it through, we’ll consult widely, make sure that we get it right.”
What they said
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“We would live in Kirribilli.”
The people of Canberra may feel a bit slighted by Dutton these days.
On the heels of massive potential cuts to federal public service jobs – many of which are in the capital – the leader of the opposition revealed he’d “take Sydney any day over living in Canberra”, should he become PM.
To the Labor frontbencher Katy Gallagher, the move looked like Dutton “arrogantly measuring the curtains at Kirribilli House whilst he continues to kick Canberra”.
How social media saw it
The Liberal party took no time to jump on to a prime ministerial gaffe involving a misplaced “no”.
When speaking about a possible deal with the Greens, the PM said: “If you ask me, ‘Do you rule out governing in coalition with the Greens?’, the answer to that is no. I don’t negotiate with the Greens.”
The big picture
They got going in the end. But Dutton’s press conference in the Hunter region left reporters with more questions than answers about his energy, gas and nuclear policies – as he stood among the community that would live beside a large nuclear reactor under the Coalition’s plan.
Watch
The 2025 Australian federal election will be held on Saturday 3 May. But wait … what does that actually mean? Haven’t we known about the election for months? What is this parliamentary ‘caretaker mode’ everyone keeps going on about? Guardian Australia’s Voting 101 video series is back for another federal election campaign, with reporter Matilda Boseley ready to explain everything you need to know.
And in other news …
James Bond should not be a woman due to franchise’s ‘profound sexism’, says Helen Mirren
Rain records to fall in Queensland with Townsville to set new annual high – in April
Trump says ‘there are methods’ for seeking third term in White House
Cadia goldmine operators fined $350,000 for breaches of NSW clean-air laws
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: MEGA. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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