What we learned: Monday 14 April
We will shut down the live blog here for the night. Here’s what made the news:
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said the COP climate conference would be held in Adelaide, if successful in Australia’s bid to host it.
Albanese and his deputy, Tanya Plibersek, have brushed off suggestions of a strain in their relationship after an awkward moment at the campaign launch on Sunday, with the prime minister saying they’re “good mates”.
The Greens will make free Tafe and university a priority in negotiations in the event of a minority government.
The Liberal party raised eyebrows with the release of a diss track about Labor today. The prime minister described it as “beyond my comprehension”.
Channel 7 will host the third and final leaders’ debate, at 8pm on Sunday 27 April.
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, held a press conference with his son Harry today, where Harry said it was almost impossible for him to get into the housing market. No word on whether he would get help from his property- and share-investing father.
Until tomorrow, enjoy your evening.
Updated
David Pocock says major parties missing the ‘long-term thinking and courage’ to tackle housing crisis
The independent senator David Pocock says both Labor and the Coalition are missing “long-term thinking and courage” on housing.
He told ABC’s Afternoon Briefing that while the Labor policy will add to supply, neither party wants to tackle one of the root causes which is the tax system treating housing as an investment vehicle, “not a human right or something you actually need to be able to flourish in your community in society”.
This is what the major parties on missing is long-term thinking and courage to take on these challenges. It seems like the whole election strategy is to basically say “we are slightly better than the other bunch”. How have we got to this point in Australia? I think you are seeing independents across the country listening to their community, saying we want a long-term vision and a plan for this, and we want to tackle the things that have been in the too-hard basket for too long. When it comes to our tax system, capital gains tax, discounts, negative gearing, stamp duty are all things we should be dealing with.
When it was pointed out Labor went to the 2019 election with a policy on this and lost, Pocock says he is hearing the housing situation is desperate, and very different from the situation in 2019.
Updated
Katy Gallagher backs ‘tried and tested’ deposit guarantee
The finance minister and Labor campaign spokesperson, Katy Gallagher, is on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing and was asked to respond to criticism that both Labor and the Coalition’s housing policies announced yesterday will lead to increased prices.
Gallagher said the 5% deposit guarantee is one of a number of programs aimed at getting more homes, and people into homes. She said the Coalition’s policy is “fewer homes and higher prices” forcing young people to “ransack their savings”.
Asked whether she would like to see house prices rise in Australia, Gallagher says the government is focused on making sure there is enough supply.
On whether this transfers the risk to taxpayers, Gallagher said the program already exists, and it’s a “tried and tested” system with only three defaults out of 150,000 in the program already.
Updated
Canavan says migration cuts will prevent house price rises
On whether the Coalition’s housing policies will push up prices, Canavan says that is not the case due to the Coalition’s promised cuts to migration.
I don’t necessarily think that is true in the overall context of cutting migration as well. The other thing we will do is lots of different things going on with policies and the other aspect we will do, which the government has failed to do, and not promising to do anything believable, is we will have 100,000 homes opened up over the next five years by bringing in fewer migrants. We can’t bring in the number of people we are right now, and that’s a big reason for the housing crisis we have right now.
Barbara Pocock says the Coalition’s policy will cause prices to rise, while adding Labor’s policies are just “tinkering at the edges”, and there should be tax reform, including taking away tax benefits for the second or more investment properties. Pocock says rent increases should also be capped, and there should be affordable social housing.
Updated
Canavan ‘all for’ anti-Albanese diss track … but won’t be putting it on his playlist
Asked on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing whether he will put the Liberal’s diss track on his campaign playlist, Nationals senator Matt Canavan says “probably not” – but said it is helping get the message out.
It gets the message out, you are pushing the message that the average Australian is paying $3,000 a year [more] for groceries and the loss of control in energy policy at some of the highest prices in the world is to blame for that. It gets people to understand those issues causing pain for everyday Australians, I’m all for it.
The Greens senator Barbara Pocock says it is “not a memorable hit for the 2025 election” and to connect with young people they need to talk about policies young people care about like student debt, and housing affordability. She said Dutton’s theme song should involve “backflips”.
Updated
‘No way’ Liberal candidate endorses views expressed in paper he co-authored, shadow multicultural affairs spokesperson says
The shadow minister for multicultural affairs, Jason Wood, has told local media there is no way the Liberal candidate for Bruce holds the views expressed in a parliamentary submission he co-authored.
On Saturday, Guardian Australia revealed Zahid Safi co-authored a 2021 parliamentary submission suggesting the Hazara community in Afghanistan was not persecuted on the basis of its ethnicity, contradicting the Australian government and drawing rebuke from international human rights groups.
The comments led members of the Hazara community, which has a significant presence in the electorate of Bruce, to lodge their own dissenting submissions to the inquiry, alleging the co-authors including Safi sought to erase the “well-documented persecution of an entire ethnic group”.
Wood has told the Berwick Star that he spoke to Safi in recent days and said “his input into the report was on the health aspect”:
There’s no way that he or anyone at the Liberal party has the same view [as the report on downplaying Hazara genocide].
Guardian Australia asked the Coalition whether the co-authored report reflected its policy position but did not receive a response.
Safi said he was “a staunch advocate for freedom of religion or belief for all individuals worldwide” and that “a full and fair reading of my submission makes clear that I advocated for every single living individual at risk from the national atrocity and humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan under the Taliban.”
Updated
A quick roundup of the last three questions:
Albanese was again asked about the Liberals’ diss track – he said people can look up his DJ sets on Spotify, and he offered to play his music to the travelling press pool.
On why the work deductions (where you can just claim $1,000 in deductions without needing receipts) won’t come in for 27 months, Albanese said that came off the back of advice from the ATO on when it could be ready for such an initiative.
And finally, he was asked, given Labor is trying to closely tie Peter Dutton and the Coalition to the Trump administration, and Albanese pointed out the Trump administration didn’t do the mortgage tax deduction policy, doesn’t it prove Dutton isn’t like Trump?
Albanese alludes to this story:
Oh, people will make their own conclusion – but people can have a look at the caps that my team wear, and the caps that the other team wear and draw their own conclusions.
Updated
Manufacturing ‘just leaves’ without investment, Albanese says
On whether the investment funding announcement today can keep the industry alive, Albanese says it is a “very specific investment”.
There was a previous investment by the former Labor government many years ago that allowed an upgrade of this facility. And you know what? Those 310 people who work here, and the more than 1,000 people whose jobs depend upon this – they pay taxes, they contribute to the economy, they create jobs in this local economy as well. This is about supporting our manufacturing.
He said without supporting manufacturing it “just leaves”, and said the former Coalition government “told the car industry to bugger off”.
And as a direct result, that had a multiplier effect as well, because when you have manufacturing, skills are learned off each other, there’s a flow-on effect both for the technology and also the skills.
Updated
Help-to-buy scheme ‘won’t be competing with investors’, PM says
Asked about whether the government’s help-to-buy scheme for first home buyers is “dangerous” or a risk when we could be headed into a global recession, Albanese says of the 150,000 people who have been through the system so far, there have been just three defaults.
So all of the same conditions, right, to get your borrowing still apply. The only difference is that the government effectively is guarantor for 15% of the loan. So we’re very confident.
When asked whether the houses being built will be offered at a lower market rate, especially for expensive cities like Sydney, the prime minister said:
They won’t be competing with investors. I can’t explain it more simply than that.
If you speak to young people about what is happening in auctions right around, if you exclude investors and keep things just for people who are first home buyers, it’s a gamechanger.
Updated
Albanese says Coalition diss track tactics ‘beyond my comprehension’
Josh Butler asks the PM about that diss track by the Liberal party, and Albanese says it was “drawn to my attention”.
Albanese says he’ll leave the party to explain their own campaign tactics but adds:
It’s beyond my comprehension, some of the things they’re doing in this campaign. I gotta say, there’s lots of really good Australian music around … I’ll leave it to others to say why they [Liberals] consistently just borrow cultures and ideas and policies from other places.
Butler also asks, more seriously, about whether Labor supports the Liberal’s policy for tax deductible mortgages for first home buyers.
Albanese says the policy (which he says he read in the AFR) was tried and abandoned by the Trump administration in the first term.
This is a policy that has never been supported, wasn’t supported by them the entire time that they were in government. They did nothing about housing. They helped create the problem for a decade.
Updated
PM rules out changes to native forest logging
On to questions, Albanese is asked about native forest logging, which he says there will be “no changes to” despite many Labor voters wanting to see an end to it.
We have no change to our native forestry policy because we don’t.
Then asked (by a newspaper journalist) whether its a risky idea to put this money into a business so closely tied to a “sunset industry like newspaper distribution”.
Albanese seems a little taken aback and says “good luck” explaining that to his team on Monday.
Good luck, on Monday, explaining that. I love picking up a paper. I love holding it. I love reading it. So do many Australians. And you know what? I think it’s important that it continue to exist.
Updated
Albanese demurs on whether Collins would keep agriculture portfolio
Earlier today, Albanese was asked whether Tanya Plibersek would hold her environment portfolio (Albanese wouldn’t directly answer), and now he’s been asked whether Tasmanian MP Julie Collins will keep her role as minister for agriculture and fisheries.
Albanese calls Collins a “fantastic cabinet minister” but again won’t confirm the portfolio.
Julie Collins is a fantastic cabinet minister, but we’re not getting ahead of ourselves. We’re not getting ahead of ourselves. We’re focused on 3 May. Julie Collins will always have my support because she’s a fantastic minister and she’s a great representative for Tasmania.
Fishing is a hot issue in Tasmania, as you might remember, the PM intervened with legislation in the final sitting week of this parliamentary term to protect salmon farming in Macquarie harbour.
Updated
Albanese announces $24m for Boyer paper mill for energy transition
The PM is standing up again, this time in Tasmania, at Boyer Paper Mill in the marginal seat of Lyons.
Anthony Albanese says he’s been talking about a “future made in Australia”, and he’s announcing $24m for the mill to decarbonise and help keep manufacturing jobs in Australia. Albanese says:
$9m of that over the next two years will be to ensure its financial viability, as this transition occurs upfront, so that they can decarbonise and to diversify its production. We’ll also provide up to $15m to match the company’s own investments in electrification that are occurring.
Albanese says the support will help them transition and to reduce their emissions and reduce their energy bills.
Updated
Major parties’ housing policies a ‘dumpster fire of dumb stuff’
Housing’s been the biggest story of the day, following the two leaders making major announcements during their campaign launches.
But there’s been some negative feedback from economists, who warn the policies could drive up housing prices.
On social media, economist Chris Richardson didn’t hold back when he called the policies a “dumpster fire of dumb stuff”. Ouch.
Dan Jervis-Bardy spoke to a few of those experts, and you can see what they said, and what impacts they believe the policies will have, here:
Updated
Plibersek asked about awkward moment with Albanese: ‘I should have done the elbow bump’
Tanya Plibersek’s media team have had to reissue a transcript from her appearance on Sunrise this morning (where she was asked about that awkward moment with Albanese from the weekend).
They initially left out some of the back and forth between Plibersek, host Natalie Barr – who asked if they were still buddies and still getting along – and fellow panellist Barnaby Joyce.
Here’s the full exchange from this morning:
BARR: … Was that a bit awks? What happened there?
PLIBERSEK: Do you know what, I reckon we should still all be elbow bumping, because during an election campaign, the last thing you want is to catch a cold from someone. So that’s on me. I should have done the elbow bump, I reckon.
BARR: So you two still getting along, yep?
PLIBERSEK: Yeah, of course.
JOYCE: Oh yes, of course.
BARR: Friends, buddies? Just checking.
JOYCE: We’re buddies.
PLIBERSEK: Yep.
BARR: That’s a yes is it, Tanya?
JOYCE: That’s convincing.
BARR: Yep.
PLIBERSEK: Yeah. I said of course.
BARR: Why didn’t he want to hug you when you went in for the …?
JOYCE: I’m glad you’re not my barrister on that one.
BARR: OK, left me hanging, OK thank you, we’ll see you next week. Bye guys. Happy campaigning.
Updated
Third leaders debate to take place 27 April on Channel 7
The Seven Network will host the third and final leaders debate, at 8pm on Sunday 27 April.
The moderator for the debate between prime minister Anthony Albanese and opposition leader Peter Dutton will be Seven’s political editor, Mark Riley.
Sunrise presenter Natalie Barr will host the hour-long event, which will be followed by a special edition of Spotlight hosted by Michael Usher. Riley said:
Seven’s The Final Showdown is a proven and successful format that encourages free, frank, face-to-face debate to help our viewers make informed decisions about their votes.
It will be the most important night of this campaign – the candidates’ last chance before polling day to convince voters why they should lead the country.
On Wednesday, the ABC will host the second leaders debate from its new Parramatta site – the first to be held in an ABC studio since 1993.
The ABC, which is hosting the first free-to-air debate, will choose the topics and questions, with the event moderated by the Insiders host, David Speers.
Last week Sky News Australia hosted the first debate.
Updated
Albanese arrives in Tasmania
Anthony Albanese’s campaign has touched down in Tasmania. We’ve landed in Hobart, after leaving Adelaide earlier, en route to a media appearance north of the city.
We’re expecting the PM to make a local announcement and maybe give a short press conference. We’ll bring you more in about half an hour.
Updated
Bandt derides major parties’ ‘battle of the Band-Aids’ on housing policy
Staying on the Greens for a moment, party leader Adam Bandt has weighed in on the housing policies announced over the weekend, accusing the major parties of engaging in a “battle of the Band-Aids”.
It’s a line he’s used before but adds the policies will ensure house prices keep rising.
The party has been calling for action on negative gearing and capital gains tax, which Bandt says need to be reformed to increase housing affordability.
Labor and the Liberals are becoming a battle of the Band-Aids that will see house prices continuing to soar out of reach of first home buyers because they won’t tackle the massive billions of dollars in handouts that are going to wealthy property investors with multiple properties.
The Greens have also been calling for rents to be capped – which the states and territories would have to administer – but several have already said they wouldn’t intervene in that way.
Updated
Greens support Adelaide bid to host Cop
The Greens have thrown their support behind Adelaide’s bid to host the Cop climate conference.
Albanese said this morning the South Australian city would host the event, if Australia’s bid was successful.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young (a South Australian) says Adelaide is the city of “clean, green power and climate action” but says the state and federal governments need to go further to prevent more investment in coal and gas.
Adelaide and Australia have the opportunity to lead on the next crucial steps of combating dangerous climate change, but we must stop making climate pollution worse.
We can’t put the fire out if we keep pouring fuel on it. Australia can lead the way on getting rid of fossil fuel subsidies and opening no new polluting mines.
Updated
Dutton announces $19.5m for Foodbank in Brisbane
Peter Dutton has briefly spoken in front of the cameras again, this time at a Foodbank service in Brisbane.
Dutton announced $19.5m for Foodbank in Brisbane to help them upgrade their facilities.
Our announcement today of $19.5 million to provide Foodbank with the new upgraded facility means that more homes, more mouths, can be reached. And it will provide security for many more families than what Foodbank is able to provide support to now.
The funding is welcomed by the Foodbank Brisbane site, who said it will help increase capacity, speaking after Dutton. They said: “It will double what we are able to provide. I welcome the acknowledgement of the food security crisis that we have here in this country”.
It’s in addition to $50m that Dutton announced for food charities including Foodbank, SecondBite and OzHarvest, to help them expand their services.
Dutton didn’t take any questions.
Updated
Liberals channel Drake
Bringing you some further details on this Liberal diss track, the cover of it – funnily enough – is eerily similar to Drake’s 2021 Certified Lover Boy album.
Drake, of course, was the loser of the diss track battle with Kendrick Lamar.
Lamar fans might also remember that Certified Lover Boy was referenced a few times in his diss tracks.
You can see Drake’s original cover here:
And the Liberal party’s cover here:
Despite the homage to Drake, the Liberal party describes the track as, “This is like Kendrick meeting Question Time — lyrical, direct, and as with all the best raps: political.”
Updated
Liberals release diss track: ‘Albo’s got to leave, Albo’s got to leave’
The Liberal party has released a new diss track on SoundCloud this morning, “Leaving Labor”, presumably trying to jump on to the diss track bandwagon that saw US rapper Kendrick Lamar win several Grammys with his rap Not Like Us.
Safe to say this one’s not going global, but when asked about it at this morning’s press conference, Peter Dutton admitted he hadn’t listened to it yet.
Harry [Dutton] might have though, he said:
I’m sure the gurus have put together a cracking ad. If it says something about Mr Albanese lying, it’s just a recording of fact.
Guardian Australia understands the party engaged a commercial artist to produce the song, whose lyrics go:
It ain’t the way that it’s supposed to be, the money we’re spending on groceries, I just want to buy some eggs and cheese, 100 bucks you kidding me …
Bring the prices down, this is what we need, cos Albo’s got to leave, Albo’s got to leave.
The last SoundCloud track released by the account was a “club remix” of the notorious There’s a Hole in Your Budget, Dear Labor. (It’s taken me years to get that song out of my head.)
Speaking of music, in a Liberal social media clip, Dutton was asked what music he’s listening to right now.
He said some “slow” Billy Joel, and some Luke Combs (most notably known for his cover of Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car). Make of that what you will.
Updated
Dutton is asked if he’ll help his son buy a home
After his son Harry told reporters it’s “almost impossible” to get into the housing market, Dutton was asked near the end of the presser whether he’d help his own son out.
Dutton had said a little earlier: “I don’t want to be accepting a situation where only mums and dads who can afford [it] give their kids help.”
But when the question was put to him as to whether Harry might get a little assistance, Dutton completely avoided the question.
Reporter:
Mr Dutton, you’ve brought your son Harry out here, he talked about how hard it is to save for a deposit … Why won’t you support him a bit and give him a bit of help with buying a house?
Dutton:
I haven’t finished the excellent points I was making. The next point, as to why people should vote Liberal, is we can manage the economy well …
No more clarity there for Harry.
Updated
Dutton on teal threat in his marginal seat of Dickson
Peter Dutton’s seat of Dickson in Queensland sits on a pretty tight margin. It was a margin of just 1.7% at the last election in 2022, narrowly beating Labor’s candidate, Ali France.
France is running for a third time this election, and Dutton is also facing a major teal threat, with community independent Ellie Smith also running.
Dutton says he knows Dickson has always been a marginal seat.
Dickson has always been a marginal seat and I always worked hard and I never take it for granted.
The teal campaign in my seat who’s, just on the polling I have seen, just got double-digit primary vote is spending a lot of money, is funded by a billionaire out of Sydney, [she] is actually a Green trying to pretend to people that she’s not.
South-east Queensland is a really interesting area, with three seats that turned Green at the last election – two claimed from the Liberals and one from Labor.
Dutton says he believes the Liberal party can win back the two seats – Ryan and Brisbane – that were taken by the Greens.
Updated
Dutton says international students part of reason ‘Aussie kids are 20 deep in a queue to try and rent a unit’
On renters, and how they might be feeling abandoned by the government and opposition, Dutton says his policies on cutting migration and international students, plus cost of living relief, will make life easier for renters.
He says international students are part of the reason why “Aussie kids are 20 deep in a queue to try and rent a unit”.
But when challenged on the fact that research has found there’s no correlation between rising rents and international student numbers, Dutton says “of course they are”.
Of course they are. I mean, where are these people living? If people are coming here through the migration program, understandably they want a place to live, but I’m not going to see Australians displaced from housing. There’s only so much housing stock.
Dutton has been using this line that migrants and international students are fuelling the housing crisis for some time.
But the facts are a little different:
Updated
Dutton argues Coalition’s promised spending isn’t ‘recurrent’, like Labor’s
One of the biggest criticisms of the policy announcements yesterday – from both the Liberals and Labor – is just how much money they’re spending.
Dutton is asked whether his announcement undercuts his own criticism of Labor being a big spending government.
Dutton argues that the Coalition’s announcements aren’t “recurrent” spending.
We haven’t locked in a recurrent spend. So for, you know, the economists-minded people, we haven’t locked in recurrent spend like Labor has. They spent over $17 billion under their tax cut, which is 70 cents a day starting in 15 months’ time. Australians need help now, which is why we have done the 25 cents a litre tax cut on petrol. We don’t lock that in.
Is that petrol excise cut inflationary? Dutton says it’s not, and says that has “been pointed out before”.
Updated
Dutton says despite cutting migration, tradies will be “prioritised”
Will there be enough tradies to even build the homes that the Coalition is promising, when they’ve also committed to cut migration numbers?
Dutton says there will be more tradies under a Coalition government, and despite cutting migration, tradies will be “prioritised”.
But there’s a fair bit of back and forth between Dutton and reporters on this point, and he can’t say exactly how many more tradies there will be, and how many will come in from overseas.
Dutton says:
Depends how many applicants there are and depends what demand there is for the skills and the whole skills list …
Under Labor, they can’t come in because they’re not prioritised. Under us they come in.
Again he’s challenged on exactly how many tradies will be brought in, but he won’t say.
Updated
Dutton’s son Harry says ‘it’s almost impossible’ for him to get into the housing market
Peter Dutton’s son is at the press conference, and he chimes in to say it’s “almost impossible” for him and his sister to buy a home in the near future.
Harry Dutton has been on the road with his father for the last couple of days.
I am saving up for a house and so is my sister, Bec, and a lot of my mates, but as you probably heard, it’s almost impossible to get in, in the current state. So I mean we’re saving like mad but it doesn’t look like we’ll get there in the near future.
Dutton senior though is well known to be quite the property and sharemarket investor, with his wealth coming into the spotlight a little earlier this year.
Updated
Dutton is asked whether he wants house prices to go up or down
Peter Dutton has batted away criticism from economists such as Saul Eslake that the Coalition’s housing policy will push prices up.
Dutton says the Coalition is the “only party that is addressing the supply side”, with their $5bn allocated to councils to fix infrastructure surrounding housing developments like roads and sewerage.
Dutton has promised that funding would unlock up to 500,000 new homes.
This is a game changer for young Australians. It will increase the supply of housing, as Michael [Sukkar] points out, by 30,000 home a year and it will do that in part because the demand will be there, unit blocks will become more viable to develop.
It kills me to hear young Australians saying I’m working hard, we’re both working hard, we’re putting money aside, we just can’t afford, we don’t think we’ll ever be able to afford a home.
Asked whether Dutton wants house prices to go up or down, he doesn’t directly answer the question. He says he doesn’t want the economy to crash and home prices to drop from $750,000 down to $600,000 “in 18 months time under an Albanese-[Adam] Bandt government. That would be a disaster,” he says.
You can read more from Saul Eslake, who’s just dropped this criticism of both policies here:
Updated
Shadow minister says Labor housing policy a ‘hoax’, Coalition’s a ‘game changer’
Peter Dutton is in Brisbane today, and is standing up with his shadow housing minister, Michael Sukkar, to spruik their housing policy.
There’s hi-vis in the foreground and excavation equipment in the background.
Sukkar is up first and calls Labor’s housing commitment a “hoax”.
Seeing yesterday’s announcement I think is a bit of a hoax … What genius decides you create more places in a program that has places still unused.
He then calls the Coalition’s policy a “game changer”.
Today’s first home buyer mortgage deductibility providing first home buyers, a couple on average wages, $55,000 to put towards a mortgage, we think is an absolute game changer for first home buyers.
Just a reminder – experts including economist Saul Eslake have been extremely critical of the policy. He told ABC TV a little earlier that the policy would “supercharge housing prices, so in that sense it will actually make the problem of housing affordability worse”.
He also told the ABC he has concerns about Labor’s policy but “they are not as big as the concerns I have about the Coalition’s policy”.
Updated
If you wanted to relive that moment where Tanya Plibersek and Albanese very awkwardly greeted each other at the rally yesterday… you can do so here:
I’ve already watched it a handful of times and I can’t stop.
Updated
ASX rises in calm opening after chaotic period
Australian shares have rebounded in early trading this morning, rising just over half a percentage point after more components of Donald Trump’s tariff regime were wound back.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.7% to the 7,700 point level in the opening hour of trading, rising in response to the US decision to exclude imports of smartphones and laptops from new tariffs.
Investors have had to contend with wild swings triggered by changes to the US trade policies, with share prices pushed around by extreme bouts of relief and fear.
Australia is still subject to the US’ “baseline” 10% tariff, and the benchmark is trading below where it was before details of the new tariffs were released late on 2 April in Washington.
There has also been no let up in the tariff battle between the US and China.
Chris Weston, the head of research at Melbourne-based financial firm Pepperstone, said on Monday that after a period of chaotic price action, “chinks of light poke through the forest canopy” which may see a relative calm return to markets.
The Australian dollar has rocketed ever since Trump started to back down on some of the more extreme elements of the tariff regime. It was trading above US63c on Monday, after threatening to plunge below the US59c barrier last week.
Updated
Activists say Labor and Liberal housing policies fall short of what is needed to solve deepening crisis
Everybody’s Home has called on the major parties to present more ambitious housing policies to Australians ahead of the election, warning that the announcements fall short of what is needed to end the country’s deepening crisis.
Everybody’s Home spokesperson Maiy Azize said:
The promises made by the major parties [falls] well short of what’s needed to address the housing crisis – in fact, some elements could make it even worse.
The Coalition’s proposal to allow mortgage payments to be tax deductible for first home buyers is a form of negative gearing for non-investors, a move that will give more help to people on high incomes and could push home prices even higher. To make housing more affordable, we need to get rid of tax breaks when it comes to property, not create more.
Labor’s home deposit support for first-home buyers will also add to demand. Building 100,000 homes is a good step, but they aren’t guaranteed to be affordable. Australia doesn’t just need new homes, we need homes that people can actually afford.
To turn the housing crisis around, the next federal government must invest significantly in building more social housing; low-cost rentals that are guaranteed to be affordable and won’t drive up demand and house prices. We have a social housing shortfall of 640,000 homes in this country and it’s growing.
Updated
Albanese praises SA premiere Malinauskas as city pitches itself to host climate conference
Adelaide’s bid to host the COP climate conference hasn’t come out of nowhere – premier Peter Malinauskas came to Canberra late last year to put his state at the front of the queue to host.
Earlier, during his press conference, Albanese was singing Adelaide and Malinauskas’ praises:
He [Malinauskas] is putting Adelaide on the map as a global city … And one of the things that a climate change conference would do is showcase this beautiful city of Adelaide to the entire world.
And when you look at the work that the premier is doing in renewables, leading Australia as South Australia [as he] has for a long period of time, then I can’t think of anywhere better than South Australia.
Updated
Albanese visits food services not-for-profit in Adelaide’s Sturt electorate
Anthony Albanese is now in the Adelaide electorate of Sturt, held by the Liberals, and a major Labor target. He’s visiting Nonna’s Cucina, a local non-for-profit making meals for the elderly and those with disabilities.
Labor is pledging $95,000 to the enterprise in an election promise.
Nonna’s boasts 100 volunteers who make over 56,000 meals each year. Albanese is meeting workers making meals in the kitchen.
Updated
What happened yesterday on the campaign trail?
Following the morning rush (and before Peter Dutton stands up for his presser today), let’s jump back for a moment to what actually went down at the major party launches yesterday.
We’ve got you covered on what we learned from Albanese and Dutton’s speeches yesterday – the sort of vision they have for the next parliamentary term, as well as what those housing policies actually mean and what impact they’ll have.
Here was Albo’s speech:
Here was Dutton’s:
And here’s a full deep dive on their housing promises:
Updated
Tax reform questions raised as both parties push costly ‘sugar hit’ policies
The structural tax reform question is challenging both parties, who have accused each other of just putting forward “sugar hit” policies over the weekend.
While Labor’s tax cuts permanently lower one of the tax brackets, both Labor and Liberal promised over the weekend more temporary cost of living relief for households. The Coalition meanwhile announced a one-off tax refund for low and middle income earners.
Over on Sky News, Laura Jayes asks the Nationals leader, David Littleproud, when the Coalition will look at actual structural reform and tackle bracket creep.
Well, when we can afford it. But the here and now problem is the human toll that …
Jayes interjects, pointing out there are deficits forecast for the next decade. Littleproud won’t answer, and turns back to the temporary fuel excise cut that the Coalition has promised to implement immediately if they win government.
Updated
Albanese lists non-US foreign policy qualifications as Trump situation looms
We can’t escape another question on the Trump situation and what Australia is going to do about it.
Albanese says we “live in an era of strategic competition” but the government has been able to fix relations with China (see the new pandas from China in Adelaide) and is building closer relations with other global players.
He says he’s spoken to wine growers outside Adelaide who are exporting more premium wines to China. Albanese adds:
We’ve also restored our relationship with Asean, our relationship with the Pacific is really important … Our relationship with Indonesia has never been stronger. And of course, our relationship with India … We can build on that relationship even more.
Updated
Albanese says COP conference would be held in Adelaide if bid successful
Our own Josh Butler asks the PM about Australia’s bid to host the COP climate conference and the criticism from the opposition that it would cost billions of dollars.
Albanese says the bid hasn’t yet been won, but he’s still committed to hosting – and if won, the conference would be held in Adelaide:
It’s a ridiculous statement [from Dutton]. The fact is that holding a COP a climate change conference internationally produces revenue as well. It’s an economic boost for wherever it’s held. We do have the bid in, it will be determined at the climate change conference later this year.
You know, every Pacific leader remembers what my opponent said about water lapping at their doors, and that is our credibility in the region is really important, and that’s why this joint bid overwhelmingly has the support of the Pacific.
Albanese adds that his government has been able to repair Australia’s relationship in the Pacific due to its stronger stance on climate change. Malinauskas says he’s “very grateful” to the PM for Adelaide being picked to potentially host the event.
Updated
Albanese and Plibersek: ‘we’re good mates’
The PM is asked about … that … moment at the Labor launch yesterday when he blocked a hug and kiss from Tanya Plibersek, and whether he’ll keep her in the environment portfolio for another three years.
Albanese says the pair are “good mates”.
You know what … Tanya Plibersek has been a friend of mine for a long period of time. We live in neighbouring seats. We’re good mates, and she’s doing a fantastic job.
The pair have had more than one awkward moment recently, most notably when Albanese helped to tank a deal Plibersek had struck with the Greens and independent senator David Pocock to pass Labor’s legislation for a new environmental protection agency. Albanese has since promised that if Labor gets in again, he’ll put a new EPA on the table.
Updated
PM concedes more needs to be done on accomodation for women escaping domestic violence
Albanese is asked about the need for more emergency accommodation for women escaping domestic violence. The PM says this shortage is addressed by the housing Australia future fund, but concedes more needs to be done:
The housing Australia future fund … a portion of that housing was about emergency accommodation for women and children escaping domestic violence. That was something that we pointed out when the Greens and the Liberals and the Nationals in the Senate held it up for month after month after month after month.
We know that there is more needed to be done.
What about other families and households who own a home but need more support to move – perhaps into a bigger home for their growing family? Albanese says there are several programs to fix housing affordability.
If you increase supply, you assist everyone, because you have an impact on affordability and so across the board, whether it’s the housing Australia future fund, the social housing accelerator… So across the board, we know that supply is the key. Only Labor is looking at supply as well as demand.
Updated
Albanese pressed on why voters should believe promises on new housing
Albanese says home building “is happening” when challenged on why voters would believe the government can build 100,000 extra homes for first home buyers, on top of the 1.2m homes promised by Labor over five years.
The Coalition has been at pains to point out that no new homes have been built so far: the government has taken some other newly built homes or homes that were already being built and made them available for social and affordable housing.
Albanese says the townhouses being built behind him shows the plan will work:
They can see behind us. This is what it looks like. This isn’t theoretical. This is happening right now behind us.
On the critics of the plan like economist Chris Richardson: Albanese says Richardson should come and see the construction projects in Adelaide – and reiterates that Labor’s plan will boost housing supply.
Updated
Malinauskas: ‘We need more homes in South Australia’
SA Premier Peter Malinauskas speaks next, another very popular Labor leader in the state.
He says the policies announced yesterday will help more housing projects come online.
We need more homes in South Australia, and we need them as quickly as we can possibly build them.
I’m very grateful for the announcement that was made yesterday by the prime minister. It’ll allow developments exactly like the one that you see here be bought online more quickly in the places where it matters most.
The housing minister, Clare O’Neil, says the Coalition’s policy will force taxpayers to subsidise home owners’ mortgages and won’t build new supply. She also takes a stab at the Coalition’s plan to allow first home buyers to access their superannuation to pay for a deposit:
It is going to make the intergenerational inequity problems that we are concerned about so much worse. What Peter Dutton wants to facilitate is for young people around the country to ransack their retirements.
Updated
Albanese says Labor’s housing policy will make ‘significance difference to increasing supply’
Anthony Albanese is up this morning in Adelaide, spruiking his housing policy announced yesterday.
He’s with the SA premier and a suite of Labor MPs and frontbenchers. For good measure, he’s at a new housing development in Adelaide, where he says 100 new townhouses are being built.
These two policies will make a significant difference to increasing supply, but also importantly to getting first home buyers, and particularly young Australians, into their first home. We’re going to work with state and industry partners to identify projects like this one here.
Albanese also says the new policies, including the increase to tax deductions without receipts to $1,000 will “simplify” the tax system.
Updated
Taylor insists Liberal budget position will be ‘stronger than Labors’ and promises costings before election
Going back to Angus Taylor on RN Breakfast for a moment, he was asked: has his party has abandoned fiscal responsibility to chase votes?
Neither party has really outlined how exactly they’ll be paying for these major new commitments, worth billions of dollars, announced over the weekend. Taylor denies that and insists their budget position will be better than Labor’s.
Absolutely not. Look, we’ve opposed over $100bn of Labor spending that we think, at a time like this, is wasteful …
We will come out with our costings before the election… our budget position will be stronger than Labor’s.
Updated
Albanese to visit Adelaide this morning to promote housing promises
Anthony Albanese will visit a housing estate in Adelaide this morning, to spruik Labor’s campaign launch housing promises.
This development, which is part of the government’s Housing Australia Future Fund program, features 100 homes – including 40 set aside for first homebuyers. Labor had pointed to this model as an example of how its pledge to build 100,000 homes specifically for first homebuyers could work.
Albanese will be joined by the foreign minister, Penny Wong, the South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas, the housing minister, Clare O’Neil, and several local Labor members.
He’ll do a tour of the site and a press conference shortly. Labor is buoyed by the overnight Newspoll which shows Albanese in an election-winning position.
Updated
Paterson on neo-Nazi protesters: ‘nothing patriotic about worshipping failed foreign regime of one of history’s greatest losers’
Paterson is also asked about neo-Nazis protesting outside his office over the weekend. He says if they were there to intimidate him, it’s “not going to work”.
If it was to intimidate, it’s not going to work on me… I particularly resent the attempt by these people to portray themselves as patriots. There is nothing patriotic about worshipping a failed foreign regime of one of history’s greatest losers.
Paterson says he will “always stand against” nazism.
Updated
Paterson: criticism of Coalition’s housing policy by economists is ‘out of touch’
A little earlier, Coalition campaign spokesperson James Paterson told ABC News Breakfast their policies to help on housing and cost of living are “targeted” and “meaningful”.
The major parties have entered a high-spend bidding war over cost-of-living support and housing. But economists and experts have expressed concerns that the policies don’t adequately address the supply side of the housing crisis, and could drive prices up. Paterson says that criticism comes across as “out of touch”:
I have seen some of the commentary from economists and others, and I have to say when it comes from someone who owns their own home and probably bought it many years ago, it’s going to come across to many Australians as, frankly, pretty out of touch and tone-deaf.
I think people underestimate the generational despair among young Australians who’ve lost hope that they’ll ever be able to buy a home.
Updated
Lambie: Greens and Labor minority government ‘does scare me’
Independent senator Jacqui Lambie is… sceptical… to say the least on Labor and the Coalition’s housing policies.
On Sky News, she’s brought a long stick, calling it a “wand” to bring in the tradies that will be needed to build more homes.
I brought out my wand this morning so I can bring in those tradies. I’m just gonna pull it out of my backside. Honestly, you know, you think that was such great policies when you’ve been running with them and selling them six months beforehand.
Following new polls this morning showing the increasing likelihood of a minority Labor government, Lambie also says she’s “scared” of Labor working closely with the Greens, warning Labor has to stay in the “centre”.
It does scare me, I’ll be honest with you and your viewers, how much, you know, they’ve got to stay in that centre, how much do they have to swing? And the way that the Greens are playing that, my god, talk about blowing out the economy, they’ve got a whole new scale.
Updated
Taylor says Liberal housing policy ‘targeted’ to increase supply
Back on RN Breakfast, the shadow treasurer, Angus Taylor, is in the hot seat, to talk up the Coalition’s housing policy.
The key question for both parties is: what impact will their respective policies will have on the housing market (ie will they drive prices up so they remain totally unaffordable)?
Both parties are saying their plans won’t have a significant impact on prices. Taylor says their policy will incentivise new home builds as it helps first home buyers into the market.
The truth is that this won’t do that [raise prices]. The critical point here is that this is focused on new houses, and by encouraging new houses into the marketplace, we can support the extra demand. It’s deliberately targeted in that way.
Updated
Plibersek laughs off Albanese’s hug block
One moment you might have missed during Labor’s campaign launch yesterday was when the prime minister seemed to block a hug from Tanya Plibersek, as he greeted members of his frontbench in the crowd (Jim Chalmers gave him a backslap while the former PM Julia Gillard shook his hand and Albanese held her arm up in the air.)
But when it came to Plibersek, the environment minister went in for a hug and a kiss – and Albanese grabbed both her hands to block her from getting any closer.
It was a little awkward.
Plibersek was asked about the moment on Sunrise, who said she should have “done the elbow-bump”.
I reckon we should still all be elbow-bumping. During an election campaign, the last thing you want is to catch a cold from someone. So that’s on me. I should’ve done the elbow-bump, I reckon.
Asked if she and PM still get on, she said:
Yeah, of course!
Still buddies? Plibersek paused, before saying
Yeah.
You can watch the exchange below:
An awkward moment between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Tanya Plibersek has been caught on camera during a Labor campaign rally.#auspol #awkwardmoment #anthonyalbanese #albo #tanyaplibersek #labor #caughtoncamera #sunriseon7
— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) April 13, 2025
WATCH SUNRISE FOR MORE | @7plus ☀️ pic.twitter.com/gy9w07Whb3
Updated
Ed Husic defends Labor housing policy over lack of new builds
Labor has said their housing policy – to open up 5% deposits for first home buyers – won’t significantly raise house prices. But do they have modelling showing exactly what impact it will have?
RN Breakfast host Sally Sara puts the question to the industry minister, Ed Husic, who says he “doesn’t have the modelling in front of him”, but says the initiative needs to be looked at within the wider suite of policies on housing.
You need to look at our overall approach as to what we’ve done, making it easier for people to rent, make it easier for people to buy, being able to address those supply issues. This is all taken as one in terms of being able to assist people.
But I don’t have that modelling, frankly, in front of me.
Labor has been put under pressure over their housing policies, which so far haven’t been able to build any new homes – they’ve just bought or repurposed existing new builds for their programs.
Husic says voters shouldn’t be “dismissive” of the homes that have been acquired for social and affordable housing.
That’s 55,000 homes that have given someone the security of knowing they’ve got a roof over their head … I wouldn’t necessarily be that dismissive about the fact that social and affordable housing has been opened up critically as a result of our policies.
Updated
Dutton claims housing policy of deducting mortgage payments will increase supply
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, is also out this morning, selling his new housing policy which was announced over the weekend.
Speaking to Sunrise, Dutton says their policy, allowing first home buyers in new homes to deduct their mortgage payments from their income tax, will encourage more homes to be built:
We believe very strongly that because it only applies to new builds, to new units, new homes it will increase the supply and that’s the view of the HIA, the housing industry experts, as well. It’s going to encourage construction, which is really important.
The Coalition says its policy also includes $5bn for councils to improve sewerage, water and road upgrades to “unlock” more housing blocks, as well as increasing incentives for new tradies and cutting migration numbers.
Updated
Chalmers insists 5% deposit scheme for first home buyers won’t have ‘substantial’ impact on prices
On housing, experts have raised some concerns on the impact both major parties’ policies will have on market demand while not adequately addressing supply.
Labor has said their policy, to open up their 5% deposits for all first home buyers (up to a certain price) won’t have a “substantial” impact on the market.
When asked whether there’s a risk more people taking up the scheme could default on the loans if there’s a market downturn, Chalmers says:
On our advice, we’re not expecting there to be a substantial impact on demand or on prices …
It’s very unusual in Australia to see that outcome [defaults]. Secondly, we know from the existing program that there has been an absolutely minuscule amount of defaults on these debts.
So we are extremely confident that this is a very responsible way to get more first-home buyers into the market.
Updated
Chalmers gives no signs about tax reforms beyond what has been announced
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is doing the media rounds this morning, from a very glorious Sydney harbour (with the opera house in the background of course).
Chalmers starts on ABC News Breakfast to sell the launch and says the major announcements from the two parties over the weekend has “laid bare” the choice for voters:
Labor helping with the cost of living, higher wages, lower taxes, making our economy more resilient amidst all of this global economic volatility, versus Peter Dutton and the Coalition, who are all about lower wages, higher taxes, no ongoing help with the cost of living and these secret cuts to pay for their nuclear reactors.
Chalmers is challenged by host James Glenday on the policy to increase the standard tax deduction to $1,000. That was a policy from the Henry review, which recommended much broader tax reforms – so will Chalmers follow other advice from that review?
The treasurer has been tested throughout the term on just how ambitious he is for major tax reform, particularly by the crossbench, who have called for stronger reforms. Chalmers says he engages “respectfully” with the independents, but has made progress on tax reform in “a number of other areas”.
There’s been more tax reform in the first term than I think people have acknowledged. And the tax reform that we proposed yesterday is important for all the reasons I’ve talked about – a simpler system, more cost-of-living relief going hand in hand with our tax cuts for every taxpayer.
Ie there’s not a lot of appetite for other big tax reforms.
Updated
Greens to push for free uni and Tafe if they take balance of power
The Greens will launch an election plan today to make university and Tafe free, a priority they say they will push for in the instance of a minority government.
Adam Bandt will join the deputy leader and spokesperson for higher education senator, Mehreen Faruqi, in the prime minister’s seat of Grayndler to launch the commitment.
Under the plan, the federal government would cover all fees for undergraduate and postgraduate students studying at public universities and Tafes. It is estimated to cost $46.5bn over the forward estimates.
The Greens say the funding would be covered by their previously announced policy of taxing big corporations, citing figures showing in 2023-2024, the federal government collected almost five times more from students ($5.1bn) than from petroleum companies through the Petroleum Resources Rent Tax (PRRT) ($1.1bn).
Bandt said the prime minister benefitted from free university education but “refuses to give young people the same opportunity”. He said if Anthony Albanese studied the same degree today, a bachelor of economics at the University of Sydney, it would cost $50,992.
In a wealthy country like ours, everyone should be able to have a good-quality education. One in three big corporations pay zero tax. We should tax big corporations and billionaires to fund what we all need, like free tertiary education.
Experts predict we’re headed for a minority parliament. This election, the Greens will keep Dutton out and get Labor to act on cost of living relief for young people, including by wiping all student debt and making university and Tafe free.
Labor has pledged to cut 20% of all student debt if it wins the election and create 500,000 fee-free Tafe places.
Updated
Good morning
Krishani Dhanji with you as we kick into week three of the election after a massive weekend when both major parties officially launched their campaigns.
Housing was the big focus of Sunday, and we’ll see plenty of reaction to those policies today – as each party tries to justify why its sweeteners or incentives are better.
The Greens are announcing their plan to make university and Tafe free, which they say will cost about $46.5bn over the forward estimates.
We’ll bring you all the updates as they happen!
