What we learned, Tuesday 29 April
We’re going to leave it here for the day – thanks for following along. In case you missed it, here’s what happened today:
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has labelled Peter Dutton’s comments about country acknowledgments “pure culture-war stuff” that “turns a lot of people off”, saying that organisations should be left to decide whether they want their events to start with ceremonies of welcome.
The opposition still has not released its costings, despite being four days out until election day. Asked about it on the campaign trail, Peter Dutton says the costings will be provided “in due course”, adding the costings would “demonstrate that the bottom line will always be better under a Liberal government”.
The fight over the Brisbane seat of Griffith, which is held by the Greens’ housing spokesperson, Max Chandler-Mather, heated up today. Anthony Albanese, visiting the seat, took aim at the Greens MP, saying he had “personally held up” investments in housing. The Greens leader Adam Bandt hit back, saying Chandler-Mather had “done more than anyone in parliament for renters and first-time buyers”.
Former Liberal minister Ken Wyatt said politicising welcomes to country “just adds to the division”, saying that he was “disappointed” with anybody who did not take the time to understand the importance of being welcomed into someone’s home country or region.
Peter Dutton doubled down on his criticisms of the journalists covering his election campaign, calling the media “activists” and “so biased”, in an interview with Sky News last night. The comments came after Dutton referred to the ABC and Guardian Australia as “hate media” a few days ago, comments his Liberal colleagues tried to walk back, suggesting they had been made “tongue in cheek”.
Be sure to join us again tomorrow as we enter the final countdown to election day.
Updated
Welcomes to country not cited among ‘priorities’ for veterans in pre-election discussions between RSL and political parties
Welcome to country ceremonies were not mentioned by the Coalition, Labor or the Greens in their engagement with the RSL on matters identified as being top priorities to veterans.
The RSL wrote to all three parties earlier this month seeking information about how they would address “five priority” issues affecting the wellbeing of veterans in Australia.
The questions included:
What are your top priorities when it comes to implementing the recommendations of the royal commission?
How will your party ensure veterans and their families receive the advocacy support they require?
How do you and your party plan to eliminate barriers to essential healthcare for veterans and their families?
Can you commit to adequate funding and resources for DVA to ensure there isn’t a recurrence of the claims backlog?
In these turbulent times, how will your party ensure we are prepared to meet current and future national security challenges?
The RSL did not include any reference to welcome to or acknowledgment of country, nor did the official responses of all three major parties. The responses are now available on the RSL website.
Updated
Greens claim that Labor have not reduced reliance on external consultants, as claimed
The Greens have cited research from the parliamentary library to allege the Albanese government has not reduced its reliance on external consultants as claimed, calling on it to set targets for the phased reduction of their use.
Research by the parliamentary library, provided to the Greens and seen by Guardian Australia, states the value of contracts with the so-called big four consultancy firms (KPMG, EY, Deloitte, PwC) fell from $275m in 2021-22 to $121m in 2023-24. This reflected the government’s unease with the big four firms post a scandal involving PwC Australia.
But the same research states the overall spend on consultancy contracts fell from $683m in 2021-22 to $634m in 2023-24 – a drop of just $49m.
Greens senator Barbara Pocock said most of the $5.3bn saved by the government during its first term was not from consultants, but instead from external labour hire contracts.
In the wake of the PwC scandal, Labor has convinced everyone that their crackdown on contracts with the big four consulting firms has led to reduced spending on consultants, but it hasn’t.
During their first year in office consulting contracts were cut by almost $100m but in 2023-24 Labor’s total spend on consultants rose to just over $643m, roughly $40m less than the Morrison government spent in 2021-22.
I made some very clear recommendations following the two parliamentary inquiries into the Government’s use of consultants, advocating targets for a phased reduction in spending on consultants across all departments and agencies. Why won’t Labor commit to the Greens policy of reducing spending on external consultants by 15% each year over five years?
Updated
Greens leader hits back at Albanese over ‘policy of unlimited rent rises’
The Greens leader, Adam Bandt, has hit back at Anthony Albanese over comments about the Greens’ housing spokesperson, Max Chandler-Mather.
The prime minister was in the Brisbane seat of Griffith today, which Labor is hoping to take from Chandler-Mather, who has been outspoken about renters’ rights throughout the last term of parliament.
During an event today, Albanese called out Chandler-Mather, saying:
We know that the local MP here has held up, personally held up – as the Greens party housing spokesperson – held up investments like this, has held up investments in the Housing Australia Future Fund, held up the Help to Buy scheme which is … about equity in home ownership, held up the build-to-rent scheme.
Speaking to the ABC this afternoon, the Greens leader said it was “pretty brave” of the prime minister to go to Brisbane “to spruik Labor’s policy of unlimited rent rises and $180bn in handouts to other property investors and sending already unaffordable house prices soaring.”
As to Max – Max Chandler-Mather is the member for renters and first-time buyers, he has done more than anyone in parliament for renters and first-time buyers including through the negotiations of the prime minister was referring to, securing an extra $3bn for public and community housing.
Updated
Malcolm Turnbull labels Dutton’s welcome to country comments ‘pure culture-war stuff’
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has labelled Peter Dutton’s comments about country acknowledgments “pure culture-war stuff” that “turns a lot of people off”, saying that organisations should be left to decide whether they want their events to start with ceremonies of welcome.
“[It’s] a division,” Turnbull told ABC News. “This is Peter Dutton going to things that aggravate his base, that play well on Sky News and 2GB and the rightwing media system which he has drawn a lot of his inspiration and ideas and unfortunately for him, they played poorly, I would say, in the general electorate.”
Turnbull said that his position on welcome to country and acknowledgments of country was that “it’s a matter for every organisation. If this RSL wants to do it, fine, if they don’t want to do it, fine, it’s not compulsory.”
What the government should be doing is saying, they should decide whether they want to have welcome to country, an acknowledgment of country, [at the] opening of parliament … but on other occasions, leave it to people and organisations to make up their own mind.
This is just – look, this will work for him in some areas but it is just pure culture-war stuff and I think it turns a lot of people off. I think it’s a mistake to go down that route.
Updated
Former department secretary raises concerns over Labor’s plan to cut consultants and labour hire
A former deputy secretary of the finance department, Stephen Bartos, has raised concerns about government services being affected if a re-elected Albanese government slashes its use of external labour and consultants without rebuilding the capacity of the public service.
Labor plans to save $6.4bn over four years by restricting the government’s use of consultants, labour hire, contractors and non-staff expenses such as travel, hospitality and property purchases. This is in addition to the $5.3bn it has saved since the 2022 through similar measures.
The finance minister, Katy Gallagher, insists this can be done without sacrificing services offered to Australians. But Bartos, now a professor at the University of Canberra, says the government will need to spend money to ensure that is the case:
Some of the least necessary consulting contracts have been targeted already. They’ve also been investing in rebuilding the capability of the public service. It’s very hard to cut out consultants without ruining services until you have rebuilt capability. To the extent that they are confident they have recreated some internal capability, it is actually easier to make the savings.
If you get rid of consultants and there is nobody else to do the work, you’ve got a problem. Conceivably, they can find public servants to do that work, in which case, the savings are less than quoted because you have to hire and pay those public servants.
Bartos said it was difficult to analyse the savings measure as very little detail had been provided by the government, days before an election:
This is the difficulty in seeing a costing that is just a set of numbers, rather than a detailed explanation of what the assumptions are and what the mechanism to implement this is.
Updated
Former Liberal minister says acknowledgment of country at council meetings ‘appropriate’
Former Indigenous affairs minister and former state director of the New South Wales Liberal party, Philip Ruddock, says it is appropriate to hold an acknowledgment of the country at local council meetings.
In recent days, Peter Dutton has criticised the acknowledgments as “overused” and said they were not necessary at many events, including the Anzac Day dawn service and on commercial flights. He said welcome to country ceremonies were appropriate at the opening of a new parliament, after an election.
When Ruddock was the mayor of Sydney’s Hornsby shire, he signed off on an acknowledgment that noted the Darug and Guringai peoples are the traditional owners of the Hornsby land. The statement, read at council meetings and included in corporate documents, said: “We acknowledge and uphold their intrinsic connection and continuing relationship to country.”
In 2021, Ruddock said the acknowledgment was “another step in a direction council has been moving to for a long time, to ensure that members of the First Nations are properly included within our community and are an active part of our broader society”.
Ruddock told Guardian Australia he still believed that was appropriate:
We had an acknowledgment at council meetings and I believe they were appropriate. We didn’t have them at every event, we still worked on the basis that we would do it where we thought it was appropriate.
Updated
Thank you all for joining me on the blog today, I’ll leave you now with the wonderful Kate Lyons to take you through the afternoon.
Have a great arvo (go pat a dog!) and I’ll catch you here bright and early tomorrow morning.
Albanese hits the streets in Brisbane’s south
Anthony Albanese is out on the street again this afternoon, braving the public in the electorate of Moreton.
Moreton is a safe Labor seat, held at the last election with a 9.1% margin, by retiring MP Graham Perrett.
Dogs seem to be a running theme on the Albanese campaign trail today.
Updated
Interactive map: which electorates will see the tightest races?
With just a few days left of the campaign, there are a few key seats that will make or break the election for the major parties.
You can see those that will come down to the wire, and those that are the safest here.
It’s a fun map to explore (trust me!)
Updated
Did Dutton get the inflation rate wrong?
Near the beginning of Dutton’s presser earlier, he was asked what the current inflation rate is.
He said, “2.7% is the answer to your question.”
The headline inflation rate for February, which is the latest figure we have, was 2.4%. So was he wrong?
Dutton’s 2.7% could have been referring to the annual trimmed mean inflation, which excludes the annual fall in electricity, and other pricing volatility.
Updated
Greens senator calls Dutton’s welcome to country comments ‘shameful’, ‘nasty politics’
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young says Peter Dutton’s “doubling down” against welcome to country ceremonies are “shameful”.
She told ABC Adelaide radio she’s concerned the heckling during a ceremony at a dawn service on Anzac day has been “given licence” by some in politics looking to “divide”.
I think that the disruption at the dawn service on Anzac Day was an absolute disgrace from those neo-Nazis. I think, unfortunately that type of disruption has been given licence by some in politics who have sought to divide rather than look at what brings us together.
Welcome to country ceremonies are such a simple but important way of acknowledging our past, who we are as a country … It is nasty politics and it is Trump politics and it has no place in Australia.
Updated
Analysis: Dutton cuts press conference short
Going back to Peter Dutton’s press conference – that was one of the shortest media appearances he’s given on the campaign, barely getting beyond 15 minutes (including the opening preamble from himself and the local Liberal candidate) and only taking a small number of questions.
He appeared strongly on the defensive today, and wouldn’t repeat criticisms he’s made in recent days about the media, particularly the travelling pack of journalists following his campaign, who he last night called “so biased” and “activists” on Sky News.
Dutton has recently been giving all, or nearly all, journalists a question each day at his press conferences, most recently going around in a circle so everyone gets a turn (and to avoid journos shouting over each other). But today he took only a handful of questions, skipping over a number of journalists, in a way he normally doesn’t.
He said at several points that he was on a tight schedule – “we’re going to do one each today because we’re up against the clock,” he claimed early on.
But after skipping a few journalists, Dutton was asked why he wasn’t giving everyone a shot at questioning him today.
“Why have we been skipped over?” one journalist asked.
“Well, we’re going to go this way,” he replied.
Dutton was asked about his Sky comments in the last question he took before cutting the press conference short.
He didn’t directly answer, saying he believed voters were not focused on the “feelings” of any of the press pack. When pressed on whether it was just a convenient excuse to blame the media, and if he thought anyone in the press conference was biased, Dutton wrapped the press conference and walked off after about a dozen questions.
Updated
Albanese comments on Canadian election, thanks Mark Carney ‘for defending Vegemite’
Anthony Albanese has commented on the election results coming out of Canada, which show Liberal leader Mark Carney on track to defeat the Pierre Poilievre-led Conservatives.
Well it looks very positive for him. I’ve had a couple of really warm conversations with him. I thank him for defending Vegemite – [that was] a really practical outcome of the friendship that we have between Australia and Canada. We have a close relationship, we are very similar countries, both part of the Commonwealth, we share a lot in common.
Albanese is asked if it’s a positive for the western alliance that Canada’s incumbent government retained power.
Mark Carney has shown in the short time that he’s been prime minister that he’s determined represent the national interest of Canada.
Asked about Carney’s tough approach to dealing with US president Donald Trump, the prime minister said:
Mark Carney has stood up for national interests, just as I stand up for Australia’s interest.
Updated
Coalition would commit $113.6m to Moss Vale bypas: Dutton
A Liberal government would commit $113.6m to a Moss Vale bypass, Peter Dutton has announced.
The northern bypass commitment, confirmed by Dutton at a press conference in the southern highlands town on Tuesday, would reduce traffic and improve safety for drivers and pedestrians, the Liberal leader said.
Dutton’s announcement said the road would be delivered in partnership with the NSW state government, and that his federal commitment would contribute most of the necessary funds for the 3.4km bypass.
The Coalition is seeking to take Whitlam, a longtime Labor stronghold, at this weekend’s election. Liberal candidate Nathaniel Smith is looking to capitalise on the retirement of veteran Labor member Stephen Jones. Dutton said:
For too long, this region has been taken for granted by Labor. The local community has been crying out for the Moss Vale northern bypass and unlike the Albanese Labor government, the Coalition has listened.
Smith said the road would make the southern highlands “a more enjoyable place to live, work and visit”.
Reducing traffic along Argyle Street has been a longstanding concern for our community, particularly with the recent surge in residential development.
Updated
Dutton ignores questions on his labelling of ABC, Guardian as ‘hate media’
The press conference ends somewhat abruptly, after a final question from ABC reporter Pablo Viñales on Dutton’s comments calling the ABC and Guardian “hate media”, and labelling some journalists “activists”.
Dutton says:
I think what Australians are concentrating on only days out from the election is not the feelings of, you know, with respect, anyone but …
He’s interrupted, with a journalist saying that he’s the one that’s taken issue.
Dutton ignores them, and goes to his campaign spiel, touting his cost-of-living policies and the local candidate standing with him.
Journalists try to interrupt, saying, “Isn’t blaming the media just a convenient excuse at this point of the campaign?”
Again he doesn’t answer and ends saying he wants to “keep our country safe”.
The press conference went not much over 15 minutes.
Updated
Mark Carney set to win Canadian election
Across the other side of the world, it’s looking like the progressive Liberal party in Canada, with leader Mark Carney, will win the Canadian election.
We all know that Donald Trump has been a prominent feature of the Australian election campaign, and even more so in Canada.
Dutton, when asked about the impact Trump has had on that election, repeats a previous line that the Australian election is “between Anthony Albanese and myself”.
He won’t say whether there’s been an impact on Canada’s Conservative party, and says “I haven’t seen the results yet… we’ll wait and see the results”.
Updated
Dutton rules out nuclear site in his Dickson electorate
Dutton says there’s not going to be a nuclear site in his electorate, after treasurer Jim Chalmers claimed twice that the Coalition would build a plant in Dutton’s seat of Dickson.
Dutton was asked recently whether he’d feel comfortable living near a nuclear power plant, to which he replied yes. Then Chalmers twice told reporters that the comment meant the Coalition would build a plant in his seat. On Monday, Chalmers said:
To all of those people in that wonderful part of south-east Queensland, in the electorate of Dickson, you all need to know that your local member wants to build a nuclear reactor in your suburbs.
Today, Dutton accused Labor of “playing games”:
Those seven sites were identified around the country. There’s not one in my electorate. So the prime minister can play all sorts of games.
He was also asked about the anti-nuclear protesters earlier today, when he was pledging funding for a local football club. He blames the teals and the Greens for pulling “stunts”.
In relation to the kids who I think were disappointed to have their event disrupted, it would have been nice to spend more time with them but there were Greens and teal supporters dressed up and it was a stunt …
It made no difference to me in terms of protest activity, but it disrupted an event where we wanted to talk about helping kids play junior rugby.
Josh Butler had the full story here.
Updated
Dutton says costings will be provided ‘in due course’ with only four days until election
It feels like rapid-fire today, Dutton’s giving shorter answers, and skipping through reporters trying to ask follow-up questions.
He’s asked about how he’ll pay for all of his promises (a reminder, the Coalition hasn’t yet released its costings). The AFR’s Michael Read says Dutton’s mentioned that the tax offset and petrol excise will cost $16bn, and he’s looked at reversing Labor’s tax cuts to pay for defence spending – so how will it all be paid for?
Dutton says the costings will be provided “in due course” (there are only four days left until election day).
We’ve provided some of the costings and we’ll provide those costings in due course in relation to our policies but they’ll demonstrate that the bottom line will always be better under a Liberal government. We’ll always manage the economy more effectively.
Asked later in the presser whether it’ll be hard to claw back the $100bn in Labor spending that the Coalition has opposed, Dutton says he’s gone through all the numbers with the Parliamentary budget office.
We’ve made commitments in relation to many programs and they’ve been properly funded. We’ve gone through all of the numbers with the PBO in relation to a number of policies and we’ll release that detail.
Updated
Dutton quizzed over Exclusive Brethren church members volunteering for Liberals
There are plenty of Coalition-related headlines today – the next that gets thrown to Dutton is on members of the Exclusive Brethren church volunteering for his party.
Dutton says the Liberal party “has not recruited people from particular religions”.
We’re not discriminating against anybody on the basis of their religion. We have people of I suspect every religion supporting us …
Again the reporter tries to push back, saying, “Isn’t it weird that … ” before they also get cut off by Dutton and he moves to the next reporter.
Updated
Dutton refuses to say whether Liberal Fowler candidate who made remarks at Tanya Plibersek should be disendorsed
Dutton is asked about a candidate who, it was revealed yesterday, had made disparaging remarks at Tanya Plibersek after it was reported her daughter had experienced domestic violence at the hands of a former partner.
Dutton yesterday said the candidate for Fowler, Vivek Singha, had apologised but wouldn’t address questions on whether the candidate should be disendorsed.
He’s asked again today whether it’s appropriate he should sit in a Coalition party room when the Coalition has been touting its plan to address domestic violence. Dutton says:
I’ve condemned the comments you referred to. They’ve been apologised for. I’m not going to take a lecture from the Labor party …
The reporter interjects to say it’s not a “lecture from the Labor party”. Dutton continues:
I’m not going to take a lecture from the Labor party in terms of candidate selection. They have people out there who are questionable to say the least.
He then moves on again despite the reporter trying to push back again.
Updated
Peter Dutton evades question on One Nation preference deal
The Coalition has made a preference deal with One Nation – something that hasn’t been done by the Liberal party from John Howard to Scott Morrison.
Dutton is asked why the minor right-wing party has been preferenced in the majority of electorates.
He doesn’t really answer the question:
We’ve taken the decision that we want to make sure that Australians can preference us first. That’s the most important way to be able to change this government …
The reporter pushes back asking specifically why One Nation is being preferenced.
But Dutton is trying hard to control the press pack today and says he’ll only take one question each from reporters, and goes to the next question.
Updated
Dutton says Greens, ETU and CFMEU members ‘intimidate’ polling station workers
Dutton is asked about the vandalism of his office in his seat of Dickson.
He blames the Greens as well as ETU and CFMEU union workers for their behaviour.
I want to make sure that we have disagreements and we can have disagreements …
To see Greens supporters and others out there shouting at booths, you know, we employ security guards now at booths because ETU workers and CFMEU workers intimidate older ladies. And you see the vandalism, that is outrageous.
Updated
Dutton fronts the media – take two
Peter Dutton has now moved to the southern highlands in NSW, after the location of his first planned media appearance was taken over by some protesters.
Dutton starts his preamble with the campaign greatest hits – he spruiks the tax rebate, fuel excise cut, and investments in crime and defence.
It’s a quick preamble, and he gets on to questions – the first on whether he’s been underestimated by voters.
Dutton doesn’t really go to the crux of the issue, but says, “I think there are a long way to go and people are undecided.”
Updated
Vote with your treat: Kiis FM dogs predict Labor election win
The dog days could soon be over for the prime minister as a different species of pollster moves in his favour, AAP reports.
The fate of Anthony Albanese’s campaign was placed in the snouts of predictive pooches during an FM radio blitz in Brisbane on Tuesday morning.
Suki, Snapper and Marlin, who belong to the crew of the Robin and Kip with Corey Oates radio show, were asked to choose between two treat plates: a red one for Labor and blue for the Liberals.
As the humans vacated the room, Suki and Snapper made a beeline for the Labor dish while Marlin took a moment to ponder before following suit.
The hosts also discussed Albanese’s own cavoodle as the prime minister brandished fresh socks emblazoned with his fur-baby’s face.
“I share custody of Toto with my ex-wife,” he told Kiis radio.
Updated
Video of people in Monique Ryan T-shirts referred to AEC integrity taskforce
The Australian Electoral Commission has referred to its integrity taskforce a video which showed two people wearing Monique Ryan T-shirts and saying a community organisation – which has historical links to the Chinese Communist party’s foreign interference operation – told them to vote for the teal MP.
An AEC spokesperson said in a statement that it is aware of the story published in the Age newspaper.
Ryan told Sky News this morning she had contacted the AEC and the Department of Parliamentary Services about the issue, and told them to investigate if there were any concerns.
Certainly no one’s been compelled to volunteer for me, but I’m grateful for those people who’ve come out to volunteer on my camp.
The AEC spokesperson said it was also aware of Liberal senator James Paterson’s comments calling for the matter to be investigated by the federal police and Asio.
The AEC is aware of the article published in The Age yesterday, as well as the statement published by Senator Paterson. The AEC will review this matter in the same way that we review all matters that are raised with us.
This includes referral for consideration by the Electoral Integrity Assurance taskforce. The AEC was not contacted by the Age prior to the original story running.
Multiple agencies contribute to the electoral integrity assurance taskforce, including the federal police, Asio, Australian signals directorate and home affairs department.
Updated
Coalition pledges $3.5m for sports pavilion in Gilmore on NSW south coast
Before Peter Dutton’s media appearance was gatecrashed by anti-nuclear protesters from a local union group, he was meeting members of the St George’s Basin Dragons football club.
We’ve now got the announcement he was planning to make there, a $3.5m commitment to build a pavilion at Francis Ryan Reserve in Sanctuary Point.
The money will go toward a new amenities building, to include changerooms and amenities for women and match officials, a veranda, a kiosk and store, fitness spaces, a ticket booth, and a terrace comms box.
It’s in the Labor seat of Gilmore, where Liberal candidate Andrew Constance is challenging. Dutton said in a statement:
This new pavilion will meet the needs of this growing community and the increased participation of young women and girls in rugby league and cricket.
A Coalition government I lead will never leave Sanctuary Point or the South Coast behind. The community has a powerful and experienced advocate for their needs in Andrew Constance.
The Dutton campaign is winding its way through the beautiful NSW south coast today. We’re expecting the rescheduled press conference to occur sometime later today, once we stop the bus.
Updated
PM visits Bonner and gets snapped with another baby
We have some more pictures of Anthony Albanese out at a pre-poll station in the LNP held seat of Bonner.
Pollies just love holding babies out on the campaign trail don’t they?
Updated
Welcome to country ceremonies to go ahead at Women’s State of Origin and NRL’s Magic Round
Welcome to country ceremonies will be held as planned before both Thursday’s Women’s State of Origin clash and the men’s Magic Round, which gets under way on Friday, as the NRL remains committed to its Reconciliation Action Plan despite the politicisation of the practice.
Peter Dutton said the ceremonies were “overdone” in a televised debate on Sunday with the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, who said deciding whether to include a welcome to country was up to individual organisations but that the practice was a “matter of respect”.
The Magic Round will be held on the same day as the federal election on 3 May.
You can read the full story here:
The Australian electoral commission put out a call yesterday, encouraging those attending the Magic Round to “vote before you go”.
Updated
Final leaders’ debate attracts 973,000 viewers to Channel Seven
The final of four leaders’ debates on Seven averaged 973,000 viewers on Sunday night as the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, faced each other for the last time before polling day.
The figure was slightly lower than the debates on Nine (1.1m) and the ABC (1.01m) earlier in the election campaign.
Sky News Australia hosted the first debate, which had 200,000 viewers on subscription service Foxtel, and another 210,000 free-to-air regional viewers in the four aggregated regional markets.
The ABC debate recorded a total average national TV audience of just more than 1 million people and had a national reach of more than 1.7m across scheduled broadcast and ABC iview.
The ABC program which followed, The Insiders: Debate Analysis Special, achieved an average national TV audience of 748,000 and had a national TV reach of almost 1.3 million.
Updated
Albanese visits Liberal-held seat of Bonner – again
Albanese has made another brief stop to a pre-poll station, this time in Wynnum in the seat of Bonner in Brisbane.
It’s the prime minister’s second visit to the Liberal-held seat in a matter of weeks – a clear sign that Labor believe it’s winnable on Saturday.
Albanese was largely well received at the booth, posing for selfies and cuddling babies alongside Labor’s candidate, Kara Cook.
He was heckled by a Libertarian party volunteer, who repeatedly shouted “what’s a woman, Albo?” and “what are you going to do about the price of housing, Albo?”
The visit was a good example of the risks and rewards of campaign stops in uncontrolled environments.
Albanese has done several pre-poll visits already this week, as well as a street walk down a busy mall, suggesting he and his team are willing to cop a few sprays in return for the visibility.
Updated
Chalmers again claims Coalition would build nuclear plant in Dickson, drawing rebuke from opposition
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has – for the second day in a row – claimed Peter Dutton would build a nuclear power plant in his Queensland electorate of Dickson.
The Coalition believes this is a scare campaign that has no basis in fact.
This is what Chalmers said at a press conference a short time ago:
We are not doing what Peter Dutton wants to do, which is build a nuclear reactor in the suburbs of his local community.
On Monday, Chalmers said:
To all of those people in that wonderful part of southeast Queensland, in the electorate of Dickson, you all need to know that your local member wants to build a nuclear reactor in your suburbs.
When the claim was first made by Chalmers at a press conference on Monday, a Coalition spokesperson issued this statement:
We have been emphatic that only the seven identified communities, each with a retiring or recently retired coal fired power station, are being considered as possible locations for zero-emissions nuclear energy. No other locations will be considered. Dickson is not among the seven sites identified by the Coalition. This is another attempt to try and make Australians forget about the fact that significant electricity bill increases under Labor.
There are two proposed nuclear sites in Queensland.
One is Tarong, 120km north west of Brisbane, and the other is slated for Callide, 405km north west of Brisbane, in central Queensland.
Updated
Dutton ‘happy to have a chat’ with independents if hung parliament, but ‘never’ the Greens
Dipping back into opposition leader Peter Dutton on 2GB earlier, he said if there is a hung parliament he would be “happy to have a chat” with independents “but we certainly will never form government with the Greens”.
I know the prime minister looks down the barrel of the camera and says that he would never form government with the Greens, but he was there with Julia Gillard negotiating that last time around, and as I say, it would be a disaster.
We can have sensible discussions with independents. I’ve been very clear about that.
Last night, Greens leader Adam Bandt told ABC Q&A that in 2010 during the hung parliament, Tony Abbott had given him a ring to talk about giving the Liberal party his support for minority government.
Updated
Dutton abandons planned press conference amid anti-nuclear protest
Peter Dutton has abandoned a planned press conference after trade union protesters interrupted his appearance at a local football club.
Arthur Rorris, head of the South Coast Labour Council, joined with two other union supporters wearing hazmat suits and holding a fake Geiger counter in the back of Dutton’s media appearance at the St Georges Basin Dragons junior rugby league club in Sanctuary Point.
Dutton was making a local announcement for the footy club and was preparing to hold a press conference when the three men entered the ground and called for the media’s attention. Standing in the area where Dutton was to hold his presser, the men played air raid sirens on a phone and held props including nuclear symbols.
Members of the footy club tried to shoo the men away, critical that the announcement for junior football players had been overshadowed. One club official called the protesters “muppets”.
Rorris later identified himself to media as head of the local labour council, and that he was joined by officials from the Tafe and ports sectors.
Dutton got into a car and left without holding his planned press conference. We’ll let you know what happens next.
Updated
Dutton believes he will hold his seat: ‘There’s a lot of support out there from quiet, forgotten Australians'
Peter Dutton was on 2GB a short while ago. The opposition leader was asked if he is concerned about his seat of Dickson – Queensland’s most marginal seat.
Dutton said:
I’ve been very fortunate to hold it since 2001 ... We’ve had Get Up and the Greens and now the Teals and the Labor party all band together and tell lies and spread all sorts of misinformation. But in the end, I think the people in my electorate are smart enough to see through.
It’s always a tough fight, but I believe that we can win. And there’s certainly a lot of good feedback from our pre-polling volunteers, a lot of people coming up just saying, ‘Look, I know what the polls are saying, but I’m voting for Peter because I want to get our country back on track’. And there’s a lot of support out there from quiet, forgotten Australians.
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Dutton at the farmers’ market – in pictures
As Josh Butler brought you earlier, Peter Dutton did a walk around a local farmers’ market in Nowra, in the New South Wales seat of Gilmore.
We’ve been told he didn’t have a look at the price of eggs at the market.
(For those playing at home, Dutton and Albanese were asked at the Channel 7 leaders debate for the price of a dozen eggs – and Dutton said $4.20.)
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KAP MP received police caution for having beer in Indigenous community
The Katter’s Australian party MP Nick Dametto has revealed he was cautioned by Queensland police over an incident where he unintentionally took alcohol into an Indigenous community earlier this month.
Dametto posted a photograph of himself holding a can of full-strength Great Northern beer on Curacao Island on Good Friday on his Facebook page earlier this month.
The island is part of the Palm Island local government area, which is covered by an alcohol management plan banning drinks over 4% alcohol by volume. The Great Northern original lager is 4.2% strength.
He made what’s called a personal explanation in parliament on Tuesday morning.
At the time, I was unaware that I may have been in breach of the Palm Island alcohol management plan …
Mr speaker, the incident was subsequently investigated by Queensland police, and following the investigation, an adult caution was issued. I can advise the house that the matter is now finalised.
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Rugby Australia has confirmed that it will conduct live Welcome to Country ceremonies at all its Wallabies home games this year.
Rugby Australia’s confirmation that it will continue with the ceremonies follows comments from Football Australia, who yesterday said in a statement to the Guardian:
Football Australia remains deeply committed to Reconciliation in Australia. As the ‘world game’, it is our responsibility and privilege to share the rich histories and cultures of Australia’s First Nations peoples with the world.
Our First Nations peoples and cultures are important [to] our game. We continue to find meaningful ways to show our respect, including through Acknowledgments and Welcomes to Country at major events, staff and leadership gatherings, and large stakeholder meetings. Our new national team jersey proudly pays homage to the deep cultural heritage, artistry, and enduring spirit of First Nations peoples, carrying their stories onto the global stage.
Guardian Australia contacted major sporting organisations about their policies regarding incorporation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander protocols into public events in the wake of renewed debate about the matter over the weekend.
That was sparked after a small group of people, including known neo-Nazis, booed during Welcome to Country ceremonies ANZAC Day dawn services being performed by Aboriginal elders, and NRL club Melbourne Storm came under fire for being accused of cancelling a Welcome to Country at its Anzac Day NRL match at the last minute.
The NRL and AFL did not respond to requests for comment.
Dutton checks out fruit and veg at Nowra farmers' market
Peter Dutton is visiting a farmers’ market in Nowra, wandering the aisles and inspecting some of the fruit and vegetables on offer at the store. He’s with local Liberal candidate Andrew Constance.
Dutton has chatted briefly to a few customers doing their shopping, and is talking to The store owner about cost of living pressures like power bills.
The Liberal Leader hasn’t done many of these unscripted public appearances, where the environment is less controlled. The shop isn’t busy, but there are a small number of people doing their groceries. It’s always funny to see unsuspecting punters, just going about their daily errands, accidentally wander into a photo op when their local shop or street is taken over by a politician’s visit.
Dutton is wandering the aisles, with his wife Kirrilly picking up some fruit and yoghurt. Dutton lingered at a display of sweet potatoes, picking up one tuber and checking it out for a while - perhaps hamming up for the cameras, considering that he has hiked his family’s nickname for him is “Mr Potato Head”.
The owner is talking about the costs for delivery and storage of fresh goods. Dutton says cost pressures are “economy wide”.
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‘How do you cost things when you are all over the shop?’
The PM is asked a final question on the Coalition’s accusation that Labor is engaging in a “spend-a-thon”.
Albanese says that his party has now put out their costings, and turns the attention back to the Coalition, who are yet to release theirs.
This mob, to be fair to them, it must be difficult for them to find costings because from day-to-day their policies change. How do you cost things when you are all over the shop?
He then takes a tangent, criticising the opposition over a variety of issues – including on media reports about a Exclusive Brethren members volunteering for Coalition, and the Coalition’s decision to do a preferences deal with One Nation.
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Albanese questioned about cuts to public service consultants and contractors
Albanese is pushed on whether the Labor party is also cutting down the public service, like Peter Dutton, by promising to get rid of more consultants, contractors and labour hire, to save $6.4bn over the forward estimates.
The figure was unveiled in yesterday’s costings released by the treasurer and finance minister.
Albanese goes on the defensive and says: “That is completely not right”.
What we’re cutting out [is] some of the waste. Some 54,000 consultants over the period of office. I have met people... who used to be a deputy secretary of the department earning reasonable wages, $200,000 for a senior role.
Now they are working half the time, getting paid double the amount under when the Coalition were in office, doing the same thing providing advice as consultants for the big four firms in particular. A complete collapse.
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Chalmers: ‘There will be no reason to lose the AAA if Labor is re-elected’
The prime minister and treasurer are dismissing concerns of ratings agency S&P indicating Australia’s AAA debt rating could be in jeopardy if debt and deficit worsen.
Jim Chalmers said:
The ratings agency should be very pleased and reassured of the progress we made in the budget in just three years in office.
There will be no reason to lose the AAA if Labor is re-elected. We have shown … the enthusiasm for economic management. We have a good record for responsible economic management.
We value the AAA credit rating. We got them stable under Labor … We are providing exactly the right kind of responsible economic management the ratings agencies value.
Anthony Albanese said of Chalmers: “This bloke here is the only treasurer in a long period of time who has delivered two budget surpluses.
“We are indeed very proud of our record.”
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Albanese says Dutton’s campaign will ‘go down very badly in his electorate’
Anthony Albanese says Peter Dutton has “gone away from his electorate” of Dickson, “not to it”.
“I think that will go down very badly in his electorate.”
He told press the opposition leader “showed a level of arrogance … very early on when he in an interview said he wanted to live in Kirribilli House”:
A Queensland prime minister who wanted to not live in the national capital but prefers Sydney to living in the prime minister’s residence in the Lodge. I think that will go down very badly in his electorate.
The prime minister said Labor will continue to campaign in Dixon.
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Chalmers: ‘If we want to build more homes for Australia, we need to elect Renee Coffey’
The prime minister is joined by treasurer Jim Chalmers in Griffith.
Chalmers says electing Labor’s Renee Coffey in the electorate will bring tax cuts:
If we want to build more homes for Australia, we need to elect Renee Coffey to the Australian parliament. We need to elect Renee Coffey to the parliament if we want tax cuts.
Only one party is going to this election with a credible, costed, coherent economic plan and it’s the Labor party. And housing is at the absolute core of our responsible economic management.
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Albanese takes aim at Chandler-Mather in visit to Griffith
Anthony Albanese is speaking live from the Brisbane electorate of Griffith.
The prime minister says the local MP, the Greens’ Max Chandler-Mather, has “personally held up” housing policies:
The local MP here has personally held up, as the Greens party housing spokesperson … investments in the Housing Australia Future Fund, held up the Help To Buy scheme, about shared equity in home ownership, held up the Build To Rent scheme that’s about private rental properties that will result in well over six figures of houses being built, according to the property council, according to the industry.
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Paterson calls for Asio investigation into volunteers on Ryan campaign
Earlier on ABC News Breakfast, shadow home affairs minister James Paterson was asked about those reports in the Age, which Monique Ryan just addressed on Sky News.
He said the reports, if confirmed, would “constitute a serious act of foreign interference”.
An organisation connected to the [United Work Front] department, which is the overseas influence arm of the Chinese Communist party that Xi Jinping has described as his “magic weapon”, has been directing people to volunteer on the campaign of Monique Ryan in Kooyong.
I think it’s critical that the federal police and ASIO investigate this and Monique Ryan be transparent about what involvement she’s had.
To recap, Ryan said the volunteers had attended a dinner where Ji Jianmin had told them they should support Ryan, and Ryan has gone to the Australian Electoral Commission and Department of parliamentary services, telling them if they have any concerns, they should investigate.
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Monique Ryan invites investigation into Chinese Australian volunteers ‘in the interests of full transparency’
Monique Ryan has responded to reports in the Age newspaper that volunteers wearing Ryan t-shirts have been filmed saying a community organisation, which has historical links to the Chinese Communist party’s foreign interference operation, told them to vote for the teal MP.
In the footage, the Age reports a woman says the instruction came from Ji Jianmin, president of the Hubei Association, an organisation that has been accused of working with the United Work Front Department, a department of the Central Committee of the CCP.
Ryan told Sky News:
[They’re] people who attended a dinner where a community leader [Jianmin] said that he supported me and he supported my values, and thought that I’ve been very supportive of the community in recent years, and for that reason he thought people should support me now. I’m grateful for the support the Chinese Australians have given me in the last three years.
Shadow home affairs minister James Paterson told ABC News Breakfast this morning that the federal police and spy agency ASIO should investigate the reports.
Ryan is asked whether she would support that investigation:
I don’t want there to be any concerns about this, and in the interests of full transparency, I’ve contacted the AEC and the Department of Parliamentary Services and given them the details that I gave to the Age yesterday about my relationship with those volunteers and with Mr Ji and I’ve said, look, if you’ve got any concerns, please investigate.
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Why millions of Australians are casting their votes early
One of the most notable features of this federal election looks like the number of people who are voting early. Whether it’s to beat long queues or long drives, or just the convenience of getting it done before the weekend, we talk to pre-pollers and ask experts what it tells us about the way society is changing.
And in the latest of our Anywhere but Canberra series, Melbourne IT worker Irfan Syed tells us he is “struggling big time” with cost-of-living issues but will be voting Labor as he usually does because of their policies on health, immigration and the economy.
Dutton lands in Nowra for visit to Labor-held seat of Gilmore
Peter Dutton’s campaign has landed in Nowra, in the Labor seat of Gilmore. The Liberal leader made the short flight from Sydney this morning, and we’re expecting an event with Andrew Constance, the perennial Liberal candidate, this morning.
In some political spotting this morning, we’ve just seen former Liberal minister Marise Payne outside the event. More to come soon.
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Albanese to tour housing project in Brisbane in seat held by Chandler-Mather
Anthony Albanese is making his first campaign stop on Tuesday in the inner-city Brisbane seat of Griffith, held by Greens housing spokesperson Max Chandler-Mather.
Albanese is inspecting an under-construction housing development in Stones Corner, which will include 50 social and 32 affordable dwellings.
Housing is a major pillar of Albanese’s re-election campaign, with Labor promising 100,000 homes for first-home buyers and an expansion of its 5% deposit scheme to all first-home buyers.
Albanese is touring the site – built with funding from federal housing programs – with Labor’s candidate in Griffith, Renee Coffey, the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, and the health minister, Mark Butler.
The prime minister is due to hold a press conference shortly, where you can bet he’ll accuse the Greens – and Chandler-Mather in particular – of holding up desperately needed housing projects with its “blocking” of key legislation in parliament.
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Paterson: ‘We do not ask our volunteers about their religious beliefs’
The shadow home affairs minister, James Paterson, has responded to reports that members of a separatist Christian sect, who do not vote, have been campaigning for the Liberal party in marginal seats.
Paterson tells ABC News Breakfast:
There’s no religious test for participation in public life in Australia, and the Liberal party is not going to start enforcing one. We do not ask our volunteers about their religious beliefs.
Paterson is pressed on whether the volunteers share Liberal values and whether enough has been done to vet them.
Paterson pushes back:
Are you suggesting that we should interview potential volunteers about their religious beliefs?
I think that would be an extraordinary thing in a country that has no official state religion, that has freedom of religion, that we would say that some people are not welcome to participate in the political process because of their beliefs.
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Dutton appears hesitant to back royal commission into domestic violence
Peter Dutton has appeared hesitant to commit to a royal commission into domestic violence, speaking to 4BC radio this morning.
Dutton spoke to the program in May last year and said:
I think there’s a strong argument for a royal commission if we know that it’s going to produce the evidence that gives us a path … it’s a yes if that’s what’s required.
But today, Dutton seemed less inclined to back a full royal commission:
We will do … whatever it takes to reduce domestic violence in our country. It’s a scourge, and you can spend a lot of money on a royal commission and you can make lawyers rich, and then you end up with recommendations that seem pretty obvious anyway.
But pushed by host Peter Fegan again on whether the Coalition would support a royal commission, Dutton then says:
Well, if a royal commission is required, then yes.
Domestic violence has only become a campaign issue over the last week, after the Coalition announced a $90m package, and both major parties made other more localised announcements on housing and women’s shelters.
Dutton has previously pledged a royal commission into child sexual abuse in Indigenous communities, which has been rejected by First Nations groups.
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Ken Wyatt on welcome to country on Anzac Day: ‘I don’t know what the contentious issue is’
Wyatt is asked specifically about welcome to country ceremonies on Anzac Day, and says he doesn’t know “what the contentious issue is”.
I don’t know what the contentious issue is, and whether people, as individuals, have perception that it’s political as opposed to welcoming. That becomes the matter that they raise with politicians, who then don’t go back and do their own work in terms of finding out what does welcome to country really mean, and distinguishing it from acknowledgement to country.
Back in 2020, as a minister, Wyatt led calls for the WA RSL to reverse a ban on the Aboriginal flag and welcome to country ceremonies at all of its Anzac and Remembrance Day services.
Asked what it was like to talk to the WA RSL to get them to drop that ban, Wyatt says:
It was a good, amicable conversation. It’s no different to what I’m having with you now, in terms of saying, this is about knocking on your door, looking at the opportunity of saying, ‘Hey, we’re Australians, we’re on the same continent, but all we’re doing is welcoming you to our Whadjuk country, or Gadigal, or whatever, and making people feel as though they’re part of a friendship. That’s important.
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Ken Wyatt says politicising welcome to country ‘just adds to the division’
Former Liberal minister Ken Wyatt is on RN Breakfast and says welcome to country ceremonies are about being welcomed into “somebody’s home or somebody’s homeland”, and believes politics should “stay out of it”.
Wyatt was the first Indigenous minister for Indigenous Australians, but lost his seat in 2022, and left the Liberal party entirely during the voice to parliament referendum over the party’s stance.
Wyatt is asked whether he’s disappointed in how Peter Dutton, who has said the ceremonies are “overdone”, has handled the issue.
I’m disappointed with anybody who doesn’t take the time to understand the importance of friendship, welcoming and acknowledging that you are part of the community and you’re being welcomed into somebody’s home country, home region, and to politicise it just adds to the division. We have enough challenges in dealing with so many issues.
I think when you start to politicise elements of Aboriginal affairs or cultural practices, then you start a process of allowing division to occur.
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Albanese says Dutton bus mishap ‘symbolic’ of his campaign
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is doing a run of FM radio interviews in Brisbane after touching down in the Queensland capital very late on Monday night.
Straight off the bat on B105 Brisbane, Albanese has a dig at Peter Dutton, joking that yesterday’s mishap with the media bus following the opposition leader was “symbolic” of his campaign.
Albanese is asked about his personal opinion of his political rival.
We got on OK. This [election] is about two very different views about how the country should [be run]. I think he [Dutton] is a deeply conservative man.
Albanese confirmed he would visit a housing construction site later this morning, where he will no doubt spruik Labor efforts to build more social housing and help first-home buyers break into the market.
The prime minister has made several visits to Brisbane during the campaign with Labor targeting the seats of Griffith and Brisbane, which fell to the Greens at the 2022 election. It is also eyeing a surprise win in Liberal-held Bonner.
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When asked about Liberal preferences, Paterson says One Nation won’t actually win any lower house seats
Asked about the Coalition’s decision to preference One Nation in seats across the country, something that wasn’t done under any other Liberal party from John Howard to Scott Morrison, Paterson says – somewhat unsurprisingly – that it’s a matter for the “party organisation”.
Paterson says the Liberal preferences won’t be distributed to the One Nation candidates anyway.
The Liberal party preferences will not be distributed to One Nation candidates in any set around the country, because One Nation is not in contention to win any lower house seat anywhere around the country.
They’re [Labor are] preferencing the Greens, who can win those seats and will receive Labor preferences if Labor is eliminated in some of those seats.
While Paterson might be right that One Nation won’t necessarily get enough votes for the Liberals’ preferences to go to them, it does mean that the minor rightwing party has put the Liberals as their second preference in some seats – and that could swing some seats to the Coalition’s favour.
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James Paterson agrees with Dutton on welcome to country ceremonies but booing ‘not appropriate’
Following Katy Gallagher on RN Breakfast is Coalition campaign spokesperson James Paterson.
They start on welcome to country ceremonies, and Paterson says he agrees with his leader that they’re “overdone”.
Sally Sara asks Paterson why Dutton, who on Anzac Day said we should be proud to celebrate our Indigenous heritage on the day, but then said yesterday that dawn services were not “significant” enough for welcome to country ceremonies.
Paterson denies that that was a change in position, and says the booing on Anzac Day was “not appropriate”.
It is never appropriate to boo at an Anzac day ceremony for any reason, but it is especially not appropriate to boo the images of Indigenous soldiers who bravely and proudly served our country in uniform, especially when, frankly, their country didn’t treat them very well as citizens at the time.
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Gallagher pressed on Labor’s spending and AAA rating warning
Labor’s costings follow a warning to both parties from ratings agency S&P yesterday that spending soaring towards post-second world war highs could threaten Australia’s AAA rating.
On the ABC’s 7.30 last night, Anthony Albanese said there was “no suggestion” the AAA rating was at risk, saying “the triple A credit rating is there”.
Katy Gallagher is asked on RN Breakfast whether Labor’s spending commitments are a risk to that rating.
The budget is actually slightly better after we have provided these costings than it was at budget time. We’ve more than fully offset the spending.
Gallagher then takes a stab at the opposition over their nuclear plan.
But host Sally Sara presses on the many years of deficits that are forecast and what Labor’s going to do about it. Gallagher says:
There’s continued work to do on budget repair. There’s no doubt about that. But we have, you know, from what we inherited when we came in to government in 2022, you know, we had a deficit in that first year of $78bn, we turned that into a surplus.
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‘Final result could be closer than this poll suggests’: Roy Morgan
The latest Roy Morgan poll has Labor ahead on 53% (up 0.9% from the 2022 federal election) ahead of the Coalition on 47% (down 0.9%) on a two-party-preferred basis.
This would be enough to return Anthony Albanese to government with an increased majority but nevertheless shows a swing of 2.5% to the Coalition compared with a week ago.
The move is the result of early voting showing a bias towards the Coalition, Roy Morgan said.
Around 2.4 million Australians voted last week (representing over 13% of the total enrolment) and an analysis of early voters shows the Coalition performing better among those who had already voted. These trends suggest the final result could be closer than this poll suggests as we approach election day and we could still be facing a potential minority government if the ALP fail to gain a majority.
Despite the large two-party preferred swing, the primary support for the major parties was little changed on a week ago with the Coalition on 34.5% (up 0.5%) now just ahead of the ALP on 34% (down 0.5%).
Coalition’s policy costings to come ‘in the next couple of days’, Taylor says
While Labor’s costings are warm off the press (released yesterday afternoon), the Coalition are still waiting to put out their numbers on how they’ll pay for all of their promises.
A lot of Labor’s election commitments had already been included in their March budget and mid-year budget update back in December, and they said they’ll find $6.4bn over the forward estimates to pay for the rest of their promises through cutting consultants and contractors in the public service.
But the Coalition still has to cost all their commitments, including their nuclear plants, and backing the government’s $8.5bn spend to increase bulk-billing.
Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor tells Sunrise those numbers will come “in the next couple of days”.
You will see them in the next couple of days … and the sneak preview is you will see a stronger budget position from Labor’s costings yesterday.
Of course there are only four days left of the campaign, and the AEC expects around half of voters to put in their ballots before 3 May.
Asked whether the Coalition can afford the nuclear plant when ratings agencies are warning against excessive spending, Taylor says “we can absolutely afford it”.
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Bandt says he would be ‘astounded’ if Greens not spoken to in potential hung parliament result
They say politics makes strange bedfellows, but some can be a bit stranger than others, as we saw last night on Q&A.
Greens leader Adam Bandt revealed he got a call from former Liberal PM Tony Abbott back in 2010, during the hung parliament.
He rang me. He said, “Hi Adam, it’s Tony Abbott here. I’ve always considered myself a bit of an environmentalist. I think we should talk.”
A very short conversation. A very short conversation and Peter Dutton would get the same response this time.
Julia Gillard ended up securing the support of the crossbench to form a minority government.
There’s a good chance that we could see another hung parliament in this election.
Anthony Albanese has been adamant that “no deal” will be made with the Greens, but Bandt said he’d be “astounded” if conversations weren’t had between the major parties and the whole crossbench.
Everyone says they’re not going to talk but I would be astounded if they refused to respect the parliament that the Australian people select. The flipside of that is that we’ve all got to give a bit.
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Gallagher says Dutton’s welcome to country comments an attempt to distract from ‘train wreck’ campaign
Peter Dutton’s comments that welcome to country ceremonies are “overdone” has continued to shape political debate today.
Gallagher is asked whether a Labor government would continue to deliver support for welcome to country ceremonies.
Gallagher says that the ceremonies are a matter of “respect” and accuses Dutton of trying to “distract” from his campaign.
The government has a position that this is a measure of respect to support welcome to country … I think the issue that Peter Dutton has raised in the last couple of days is to distract away from the train wreck of a campaign they’re having.
Pushed on whether the government will continue to support the ceremonies financially, Gallagher says:
We haven’t made any changes to the way that we would be operating in the first term to how we would operate in the second term.
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Opposition’s ‘Americanisation’ has been a factor in election campaign, Gallagher says
The finance minister, Katy Gallagher, is doing the media rounds for Labor this morning, starting on ABC News Breakfast.
While the Canadians head to the polls for an election that has been strongly coloured by Donald Trump, Gallagher is asked how much impact the Trump factor is having over here.
Gallagher says people are “pretty switched on to” the issues of the US, but what’s happening in Canada won’t necessarily happen here.
I think the contest here – and people are pretty switched on to it – is between Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton and I think there’s certainly a feeling around the need for stability in these uncertain times …
I think when it comes to the Trump influence or the American influence, I think certainly in policies where we’ve seen, particularly from the opposition, the Americanisation of, say, Medicare or working from home, those types of things have definitely been a factor in this campaign.
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Good morning,
Krishani Dhanji here with you, with just four days left of this election campaign.
The PM is in Queensland this morning where Labor is hopeful of gaining some territory, while Peter Dutton is starting the day in Sydney, after campaigning in the ultra marginal seat of Bennelong last night.
The countdown is on, the people are voting, the leaders’ planes and buses are traversing across the country, and we are here to bring it all to you.
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Rightwing minor party boost could give Dutton 'narrow path' to PM
The polls aren’t all bad news for Peter Dutton – with at least one pollster thinking he still has a narrow path to minority government thanks to voters backing smaller parties.
Scott Morrison’s former media chief turned consultant Andrew Carswell said a path to victory was still possible for the Coalition.
“The path is narrow, though it’s narrowing by the day, but I think the best most can do is ignore the established polls out there at the moment, because what we’ll see on Saturday will be out of step,” he told Associated Australian Press.
“While Labor is very much the short odds to be in minority government, it will be closer than people think.”
Despite Carswell saying a majority government is “awfully difficult” for the Coalition to achieve, a rise in support for rightwing minor parties could flow back to the opposition.
“The preferences that come from One Nation, Trumpet of Patriots and other centre-right minor parties to the Coalition is dramatically higher than in 2022,” he said.
“One Nation is a party of protest, they preference away, generally speaking, from incumbent governments, and that will bring in to play some seats that will be a surprise for people on election night.”
The latest YouGov poll showed One Nation had a 10.5% primary vote, while Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots stood at 2%.
The result for Pauline Hanson’s party is more than double the result it got at the 2022 poll, when it had just under 5% of the primary vote.
In many electorates, Coalition how-to-vote cards have urged supporters to put One Nation second on their ballot.
Carswell said Victoria was still looking strong for the Coalition, particularly in outer-suburban seats where cost-of-living pressures were hitting hardest.
“The further from the CBD, the better – there is the chance of some surprises on election night in outer suburban seats,” he said.
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I've done nothing wrong, says Bennelong candidate Scott Yung
Embattled Liberal candidate Scott Yung maintains he has done nothing wrong in terms of past questions about disclosing campaign donations or the use of social media influencers, saying he had always acted “in accordance with the law”.
The Bennelong challenger also said it was “a joke” that he had been criticised for handing out Easter eggs to children as part of his campaign.
Liberal leader Peter Dutton visited Bennelong, one of the most marginal Labor seats in the country, for the first time in the election campaign on Monday night. In a low-key campaign stop at a local club, Dutton addressed a small group of supporters of Yung’s campaign, shaking hands with people clad in Liberal T-shirts and backing the candidate.
As Guardian Australia and other outlets have reported, questions have swirled over Yung’s candidacy, including over disclosures made during his 2019 tilt for a state government seat, and the use of influencers to endorse his candidacy.
Yung and the Liberal party have maintained he had done nothing wrong, and that he had made appropriate disclosures.
On Monday, media travelling with Dutton managed to ask Yung several questions at the sports club. He said “everything’s done in accordance with the law”.
“I checked the records,” he said.
Dutton’s staff, who had remained at the event after the leader had left, attempted several times to wind up the impromptu appearance by asking reporters to return to the campaign bus.
Asked about his decision to hand out chocolate eggs outside a school during a campaign stop, Yung defended it as “in the spirit of Easter”.
“Can I just say, what a joke that I got slammed for that. I think it’s in the spirit of Easter. I asked parents if I could give an Easter egg to their children,” he said.
Asked by Guardian Australia about social media influencers, Yung said: “Let me just make this very very clear again, we have not paid any social media influencers in 2019.” Asked if he had paid influencers in 2025, Yung said “no”.
Read more here:
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More from Josh on that Dutton interview on Sky last night:
In recent weeks Dutton has faced vigorous questioning on his nuclear and gas policies, plans to slash the public service, and his economic credentials. Dutton has sowed confusion by declining to give details about his public service plan or mooted cuts to migration, and gave public apologies for a ditched Coalition policy to wind back working from home for public servants, as well as over incorrect comments about Russia’s interactions with Indonesia over military issues.
On Sky, Dutton also again accused Labor and Albanese of “lying”, “scare campaigns”, and “completely baseless” claims.
“I think there is a turning of the mood,” Dutton claimed of his feeling about the voting public.
“There’s a big disparity in what we’re seeing, the track polling in marginal seats ... There’s a lot of anger against the government, particularly in outer metro and regional areas, and I don’t think that’s been picked up in the national polls.”
'Activists, not journalists': Dutton doubles down on criticisms of 'hate media'
Peter Dutton has doubled down on his criticisms of the journalists covering his election campaign, calling the media “activists” and “so biased” after numerous stumbles and slip-ups at press conferences in the last month.
In an interview on Sky News last night, Dutton claimed internal Liberal track polling was “much more positive” for his election prospects than published opinion polling, which uniformly shows Labor in an election-winning position with around a 52-48 two-party lead.
A day after Dutton referred to the ABC and Guardian Australia as “hate media”, he again criticised the journalists following his campaign. Several Liberal colleagues including James Paterson and Jane Hume claimed yesterday Dutton was joking or making a “tongue in cheek” comment with his criticisms of media, but on Sky, the Liberal leader did not repeat that defence himself, nor back away from his previous comments.
Referring to the “hate media” comment, Sky host Sharri Markson asked, “Do you think that sort of media and others like them actually hate mainstream Australian values?”
Dutton said in response that some media were “so biased” and “many of them are just activists, not journalists”.
“They’re playing to a particular audience, a Green voter,” Dutton claimed.
“I think the leftwing media, by polling day, will be counter-productive in what they’re doing.”
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the best of the overnight stories and then it’ll be Krishani Dhanji to guide you through the day.
With the final few days of campaigning to go, our latest Essential poll shows Labor still holds an election-winning lead by 52-48 points over the Coalition on a two-party basis. The survey also reveals Peter Dutton’s personal approval rating has slipped for the fourth poll in a row. More details coming up, plus what the latest Roy Morgan poll shows, and one pollster – a former adviser to Scott Morrison – who sees hope for Dutton. We’ll be on their trail again, with Anthony Albanese campaigning in Brisbane today, while Dutton will be starting the day in Sydney.
But the opposition leader remains defiant. In a Sky News interview last night, Dutton renewed his criticisms of the journalists covering his election campaign, describing reporters as “activists” and “so biased” in coverage of his numerous stumbles and slip-ups at press conferences in the last month. We have more details, including the Coalition leader reiterating one of his favourite talking points: that those polls showing him trailing Albanese are wrong.
Plus: Liberal candidate for Bennelong, Scott Yung, insisted last night he has done nothing wrong in terms of past questions about disclosing campaign donations or the use of social media influencers, saying he had always acted “in accordance with the law”. More coming up.
