What we learned today, Friday 4 April
Well, this has been an absolutely massive week – and we’re only on day eight of the election campaign. Here are all the main takeaways from what went down today:
Anthony Albanese wrapped up the first week of election campaigning with a stop in his home city of Sydney.
He spoke at a Daily Telegraph-hosted event in western Sydney, committing to extend the $20,000 instant asset write-off for small businesses and tradies for another year.
Peter Dutton, also in western Sydney, made a $231m roads funding announcement at the same event.
The opposition leader’s popularity with voters has plummeted, according to the latest YouGov poll, with his approval rating at its lowest since taking on the Coalition’s top job. Albanese solidified his lead as preferred PM, leading 45% to 38%.
Dutton denied reports his relationship with the mining magnate Gina Rinehart is cooling, saying WA mining makes an “enormous contribution” to Australia.
The trade minister, Don Farrell, said the government would use critical minerals as a negotiating tactic with the US over tariffs.
ANZ joined the other three major banks in predicting an interest rate cut in May.
Voting trends among gen Zers in the western world point to young men favouring more rightwing parties while young women are leaning more to the left.
The climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, and the shadow minister, Ted O’Brien, are scheduled to debate each other next Thursday.
The former One Nation leader Mark Latham’s homophobic tweet about political rival Alex Greenwich could cost more than triple after he was ordered to pay the independent Sydney MP’s legal costs.
The former Liberal MP Petro Georgiou has died at the age of 77.
Enjoy your weekend, and take care.
Updated
Head of Salmon Tasmania steps down after less than two years
The head of Salmon Tasmania, Luke Martin, has stepped down after less than two years in the job, the Mercury reports. It says the former department of primary industries secretary Dr John Whittington will replace him.
Martin took on the role in May 2023, replacing Sue Grau, who lasted less than 18 months in the job. The Salmon Tasmania chair, Lyall Howard, said in a statement:
Luke has been an outstanding advocate for our industry over the past two-years. He has led our industry with passion, skill and determination whilst navigating the challenging circumstances with Macquarie Harbour. Without him, the west coast community would be facing an uncertain future.
Luke will leave Salmon Tasmania with the respect and thanks of our industry from the very highest levels of our companies to the thousands of salmon workers and their families across the State.
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Former MP Petro Georgiou has died aged 77
The former Howard government MP Petro Georgiou has died at the age of 77, his family has confirmed.
Georgiou spent 16 years representing the seat of Kooyong in federal parliament, where he was an advocate for immigrants and refugees, and previously advised the former prime minister Malcolm Fraser, directed the Victorian Liberal party branch and helped establish SBS.
Georgiou’s successor in the seat, Josh Frydenberg, said the former MP was “widely respected for his integrity, intelligence and commitment to the local community”.
Petro was a small ‘l’ Liberal who had a big impact.
The Victorian Liberal leader, Brad Battin, called Georgiou a “principled advocate for human rights and a greatly respected figure in the history of our party”.
I recognise and celebrate the important legacy he leaves behind – particularly his strong voice in debates on multiculturalism, refugees and civil liberties, and his commitment to ensuring the Liberal party remained a broad church.
Georgiou is survived by his partner, Roxanne, and his two children, Dino and Alexia.
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The election campaign so far, with Krishani Dhanji
We’ve just wrapped the first full week of the election campaign. So what’s happened? Some meeting with babies, a lot of hi-vis vests and, of course, over it all the looming spectre of Donald Trump’s tariffs on seemingly the entire world.
Guardian Australia’s Krishani Dhanji brings you up to speed on what’s happened in the election so far:
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Former Liberal MP weighs in on Dutton’s comments about ideology in schools
The former Liberal MP Jason Falinski has weighed in on Peter Dutton’s rhetoric about ideology in the education system, and how this may impact the Liberals’ attempts to regain teal seats.
Falinski is the former MP for Mackellar, which is now held by the independent Sophie Scamps.
Speaking on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing this afternoon, Falinski suggested ideology in schools wasn’t at the front of people’s minds in teal seats:
In upper middle class, highly educated socio-demographics, those sorts of messages are not so much not resonating, but not at the top of people’s minds – especially in NSW – so they are messages directed to other demographics and communities in Australia.
Do those comments cause damage? Falinski said they didn’t, and argued:
If your sense of the situation is the education system in your part of the world is working well, what you would tend to find is people will ignore those types of messages. But if you are in other parts of the country where people are worried about more time spent on ideology than education per se, they are messages that will resonate quite well with you.
He argued that in all teal seats, parents are “opting out” of public education and choosing to put their children in private education.
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Peter Lewis on voting differences between gen Z women and men
Peter Lewis, an executive director of research company Essential, spoke with the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing just earlier to reflect on the election campaign so far – we’re only on day eight, believe it or not.
He spoke about the voting trends apparent with gen Z, saying young women were moving more to the left and young men to the right:
The women are moving progressive – much more likely to vote Green, want action on climate and disapprove of Donald Trump. The lads are a totally different story altogether … [They] were by far the most supportive of what Donald Trump is doing – like, it was off the charts, even more so than boomers – and more likely to support Peter Dutton …
[There’s] a global phenomenon around young men which is not your normal political story, and it is one to watch as the election gets closer.
Lewis said the gender divide “cleaved in the late stages of the [Scott] Morrison government” but, even then, the differences were not as strong and there was an idea younger generations were more progressive.
Benita Kolovos has also looked into this apparent difference between young women and men’s voting patterns and values – you can have a read below:
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NSW doctors to strike for three days after ‘18 months of failed negotiations’
In a statement released after this morning’s hearing, Asmof’s executive director, Andrew Holland, said:
Asmof has determined that it will proceed with the planned industrial action from 8 to 10 April. Doctors have been left with little choice. After 18 months of failed negotiations, our members are striking because they feel they have no other way to be heard.
Right now, doctors across NSW are working dangerously long hours in severely understaffed hospitals. The result is a workforce that is exhausted and burning out, and patient care is being put at risk.
We have spent 18 months in good faith trying to fix this through negotiation. The [Chris] Minns government walked away from the table. If they won’t come back and put forward genuine solutions, there will be no progress, and this crisis will continue to escalate.
This strike action will go ahead as planned across NSW hospitals. It will be conducted in a safe and responsible manner. Emergency departments and critical care units will remain safely staffed, and patient safety will not be compromised.
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Doctors union to provide all communications regarding strike plans to NSW Health before 2pm
In a second urgent hearing held at 11.20am, the Industrial Relations Commission sought to clarify the matter of what documents Asmof was required to provide NSW Health by way of informing the government of its strike plans.
Dan Fuller, the barrister representing NSW Health, said Asmof’s covering letter suggested it knew about potential further industrial action that it was “not able to communicate to us”.
Fuller said the direction given by the IRC to provide NSW Health the strike plans should capture emails sent by Asmof members informing the union of different local health districts’ plans and file notes of plans discussed in meetings.
Fuller said there were inconsistencies in the strike plans Asmof had provided. For example, they don’t say anything about strikes in Westmead’s emergency department but NSW Health was aware there were significant numbers of doctors planning to strike from that department.
Fuller said it was possible perhaps members had not yet communicated their plans to Asmof, but he believed “there are documents that exist that have not been provided to us”.
Asmof’s executive director, Andrew Holland, said he agreed Amsof can provide the kind of documents Fuller mentioned, but said there was a strong likelihood the documents NSW Health thinks exist do not.
Holland said it was not the case that the union was aware of further strike action which it was not telling NSW Health about, but rather a case that “there may be other forms of action”. Holland said the issue was with the union getting feedback from “the stragglers” and it may make a commitment it would provide that “as soon as it is made available to us”.
Acting Justice Peter Kite gave directions that Asmof should before 2pm today provide to the health secretary all copies of documents recording strike action that will or may be taken next week, as well as when that action will take place and over what period.
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Psychiatrists’ arbitration delayed until next Friday
The Industrial Relations Commission is delaying hearing the psychiatrists’ dispute with NSW Health while the doctors’ union representing psychiatrists is defying their orders and going ahead with a three-day strike for all members next week.
The expert evidence was meant to be heard in the IRC’s court in Sydney today in the matter between NSW Health and the Australian Salaried Medical Officers (Asmof), which is seeking a special levy to increase staff psychiatrists’ pay by 25% to stem the flow of specialist doctors leaving the public system.
However, that hearing has been delayed until next week due to the union defying the IRC’s orders in a separate matter arbitrating the pay of all doctors across the state. On Tuesday when the parties could not agree on a final pay offer, the commission ordered Asmof to refrain from industrial action, but the union is proceeding with its strike plans.
In a hearing at 10am this morning, Justice David Chin summarised the commission’s orders made yesterday that for the psychiatrists’ hearing to proceed today, Asmof was supposed to provide an affidavit that they will comply with the orders the IRC made that the union would not go ahead with a general strike.
The union’s barrister, Thomas Dixon, confirmed Asmof had provided no such affidavit.
Chin said the psychiatrists’ matter would be listed for directions next Friday 11 April (the day after Asmof’s industrial action ends) and that both parties should indicate the availability of their expert witnesses.
Dan Fuller, the barrister representing NSW Health, said Asmof has not provided it with the final copies of strike plans as they had been directed to do yesterday.
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How to protect your superannuation retirement savings
Hackers have targeted Australian superannuation funds this week, compromising some members’ data, according to the funds. But how do you protect your hard-earned retirement savings if you are a member?
AustralianSuper recommended members log in to their account and change their password to a strong, unique code not used on other websites.
Some funds allow members to set up multi-factor authentication on top of a password, though not all funds offer this security option.
After changing their password, members were also encouraged to check their bank account and contact details were correct and review their transactions or transfer requests.
If any customers noticed any details had been changed or unusual transactions, they should get in touch with their fund immediately, the government website Moneysmart advised.
Login pages for many super funds remained functional this afternoon, though some AustralianSuper members reported being unable to log in to their accounts.
Affected members could report suspected cybercrimes and seek round-the clock assistance at www.cyber.gov.au/report or on 1300CYBER1 from Australian cybersecurity centre advisers.
Members should also provide their fund up-to-date phone, email and postal contact details to ensure their fund can contact them quickly in the event of any suspicious activity.
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Dutton scotches rumours he ‘disappointed’ Rinehart with Coalition gas plan
We brought you the news earlier that Peter Dutton shrugged off rumours he “disappointed” Gina Rinehart with his Coalition gas plans. You can now read the full story here:
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Beaches much cleaner as litterbugs get the message
In some non-political news this afternoon, coastal litter on Australia’s beaches is down by more than one-third in a decade.
A 16% jump in areas completely free from plastic waste has also been recorded, AAP reports.
A CSIRO study surveyed inland, riverine and coastal habitats across six urban regions, recording lower levels of plastic pollution in Newcastle, Perth and the Sunshine Coast. Hobart and Port Augusta recorded more litter than before, however.
The CSIRO senior research scientist Denise Hardesty was heartened by an overall 39% reduction in plastic waste across Australia’s metropolitan coastlines:
Although there are still areas for concern, it’s exciting to see a significant decrease in plastic pollution as people around the country are becoming more aware of the harmful effects of plastic waste on people, communities and wildlife.
Food packaging and other plastics remain the most prevalent source of rubbish on beaches, and flexible plastics are particularly dangerous for wildlife.
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Homophobic tweet to cost Latham more than $500,000
The cost of former One Nation leader Mark Latham’s homophobic tweet about political rival Alex Greenwich could more than triple after he was ordered to pay the independent Sydney MP’s legal costs.
The federal court justice David O’Callaghan today ordered Latham to pay costs after Greenwich won his defamation case against Latham in September.
Greenwich was then awarded $140,000 in damages, and will now have his legal costs covered on a party-party basis, which normally covers about 70% of the fees incurred. Greenwich’s costs are estimated to be $600,000.
Latham posted a tweet that explicitly described a sex act during the 2023 state election, and a court later found it exposed Greenwich, who is gay and a prominent LGBTQ+ community advocate, to a torrent of hateful abuse including death threats.
Latham posted it in response to Greenwich describing Mr Latham as a “disgusting human being”.
Latham’s lawyer had argued the former One Nation MP should only have to pay a quarter of Greenwich’s costs.
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Independent candidate continues tilt for seat despite section 44 eligibility question
An independent candidate for the seat of Fremantle says she will go ahead with her tilt for the seat, even though she has so far been unable to renounce her dual British citizenship.
Speaking on her daily campaign podcast, Kate Hulett said she wasn’t going to let “some silly paperwork nonsense” stop her, after making multiple attempts to renounce her dual citizenship ahead of the deadline.
She was born in Armadale and has two passports after being put on her mum’s passport as a baby. Dual citizens cannot sit in parliament. Hulett said:
As soon as I realised what this meant for my campaign I raced home, completed the application to renounce it, paid the exorbitant fee and assumed that would be that. Then the email from the Home Office came back saying that it may take up to six months to receive official confirmation.
Hulett said she has spoken to constitutional lawyers in Australia and the UK, written to UK MPs, spoken to the British High Commission in Canberra and called the Home Office in the UK “I don’t know how many times”.
I have taken every step I can to renounce my British citizenship before nominations close … So many people in my electorate came here from overseas or have family ties in other countries, and it’s absurd that it can stop them getting involved in the democratic process … I do not expect that some silly paperwork nonsense is going to stop me getting to election day and absolutely nailing the brief.
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Bowen and O’Brien to debate each other next week
The climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, and shadow climate and energy minister, Ted O’Brien, are scheduled to debate each other next week.
The debate will be held at the National Gallery of Australia in Gandel Hall next Thursday, Guardian Australia has confirmed.
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Mislabelled shipments led to Trump tariffs on uninhabited islands with no US trade
Trade tariffs imposed on tiny Australian territories that are either uninhabited or claim to have no trading relationship with the US appear to have been calculated based on erroneous trade data.
The data relates, at least in part, to shipments mislabelled as coming from remote Norfolk Island, or Heard Island and McDonald Islands, instead of their correct countries of origin, the Guardian can reveal.
You can read the full story from Kate Lyons and Nick Evershed below:
Albanese wishes he could ‘go to the pub with my mates, without anyone else’
Just circling back to Anthony Albanese’s earlier press conference in Blacktown, where he had a funny exchange with one of the reporters over whether or not he feels “straitjacketed” in his job as prime minister.
The journalist asked:
Just before, when you were on stage, there was a bit of a grizzle where you were asked if you were going to the footy and said, “I’m not allowed to have fun in this job.” Serious question – do you feel straitjacketed in this job?
Albanese responded with a laugh:
Look, I wish I could go to the pub with my mates, without anyone else – or any of you.
The journalist joked:
We’re not your mates?
The PM continued, and said:
No, without security with some of you as well! There are people here who I’ve had really good engagement with. It’s a different dynamic. One of them is laughing right here. You know, we can catch up and stuff. There are restrictions in the job but that’s part of the deal. That’s part of the arrangement and it’s an incredible privilege that I have.
Emily Wind here, I’ll be staying with you on the blog for the rest of the afternoon.
3.7 magnitude earthquake felt in Albury
A magnitude 3.7 earthquake has struck near Albury, in the border region of Victoria and NSW.
According to Geoscience Australia, it occurred around 12.30pm this afternoon at a depth of 5.09 km, between Albury and Holbrook.
The closest town to where the earthquake occurred appears to be Mullengandra.
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NSW’s first renewable energy zone to begin construction in coming months
The New South Wales government says the state’s first declared renewable energy zone (REZ) will begin construction in coming months after it finalised the contract with the building consortium ACEREZ and reached financial close to deliver the transmission project.
EnergyCo has appointed ACEREZ – a consortium of Spanish renewable multinationals ACCIONA and COBRA and Endeavour Energy – to design, build and finance the Central-West Orana REZ transmission project and operate and maintain it for the next 35 years.
The project will deliver at least 4.5 gigawatts of new network capacity by 2028, to connect 7.7 gigawatts of wind and solar projects, which the government said was enough to power more than 2 million homes each year.
The NSW climate change and energy minister, Penny Sharpe, said:
Getting this deal done brings us closer to delivering more affordable and reliable renewable energy to NSW households and businesses.
With three out of four of the state’s remaining coal-fired power stations set to close in less than 10 years, this renewable energy zone will help us meet our future energy needs in order to keep the lights on and avoid price spikes.
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Victorian police minister on men allegedly carrying loaded firearms at MCG
Victoria’s police minister, Anthony Carbines, held a press conference this morning where he was asked about the men arrested at the MCG last night who were allegedly carrying loaded firearms. He said:
These are very serious matters. It’s concerning for all Victorians … We’re very thankful for the work of both security and Victorian police that made arrests.
Carbines said sport and major events minister, Steve Dimopolous, would be meeting with the AFL, MCG and Victoria police later today to review the matter.
When these matters happen, they need to be thoroughly investigated and understood, and any and every security measures can be taken to ensure that people feel safe and are safe.
Lawyers in Victorian public housing tower case respond
Lawyers acting on behalf of the public housing residents in a class action against the Victorian government over its plans to demolish three towers have issued a statement after a supreme court decided against them (see earlier post).
Earlier this morning, the supreme court ruled the government did not have a legal requirement to consult prior to making the decision to demolish the towers and that the interference with the human rights of the residents was reasonable and justified.
Inner Melbourne Community Legal’s managing lawyer, Lousia Bassini, saod while she respected the decision it was “very disappointing and disheartening” for residents, including lead plaintiff Barry Berih.
The legal team and Mr Berih will now consider the judgement in full and if there are any grounds for appeal.
Dueling speeches in Western Sydney: through the lens
Here’s how the candidates looked attending the Daily Telegraph’s Future Western Sydney event.
Reminder: the electoral rolls close at 8pm on Monday
A reminder that the rolls for the upcoming federal election close at 8pm on Monday night.
Voting is compulsory, and to vote you must be registered on the electoral roll. You can check your enrolment here. If you are not enrolled, you must do so before 8pm on Monday.
For everything else you need to know, you can have a read below:
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Albanese interviewed by content creator Ozzy Man
The prime minister has sat down at the pub with the content creator Ozzy Man for a 45-minute interview spanning conflict in the Middle East, Contiki tours and his three months of sobriety.
The West Australian YouTuber, who has more than six million subscribers, reviews “wildlife, sport, WTF vids, and the odd tv show or movie”. In a comment on Facebook, Ozzy Man said he secured the interview by putting in a request via Anthony Albanese’s Instagram account.
It isn’t Albanese’s first light-touch interview with a popular internet personality. He has also appeared on Abbie Chatfield’s podcast, It’s A Lot (which the Liberals put in a complaint to the AEC about, which has been rejected) while the Labor party invited around a dozen influencers, content creators and podcasters to attend the lockup for last month’s budget.
Asked what it was like being prime minister, he replied “pretty good”:
It’s an incredible honour ... the fact that you can make a difference to people’s lives.
Albanese also pointed to “increased polarisation and anger” in the United States, which he said wasn’t a good thing for democracy.
One of the things you have to have the strength to do is to have the moral fortitude ... not just appeal to division, get out and look for easy answers, but to explain things, to have the courage of your convictions.
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Albanese’s advice for cattle farmers amid US tariffs
Taking a final question, Anthony Albanese was asked what his advice is for cattle farmers and producers in their strategic planning, amid uncertainty in the US market?
The prime minister said he had only spoken directly with two farmers in the 24 hours since the announcement was made, and “they are confident that they’ll continue to be able to sell into that market”:
Tariffs are a cost on the country that’s imposing them, on those consumers in the United States. That is what will occur. There aren’t more head of cattle today on cattle stations in the US than there were yesterday. Everyone’s cost has gone up by at least 10% and, therefore, the competitive position of Australian beef has not changed.
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Will Labor recognise Palestinian state if re-elected?
Speaking in western Sydney, Anthony Albanese was asked if he would “act on the wishes of party members and recognise a Palestinian state” if elected in May?
The prime minister said he would “act in accordance with the position that we have taken of principle, which is that we support two states.”
We don’t believe that Hamas has any role in a future Palestinian state and we understand that this isn’t a time just for gestures, this is a time for real progress. And one of the things that’s occurred during this debate is that there’s been too much performative actions and gestures and not enough real advance that makes a real difference to people’s lives.
Is recognition, then, a performative gesture? Albanese answered:
Who you recognise at the moment? Quite clearly, we need to acknowledge that Hamas can have no role in a Palestinian state. That is my position.
Albanese said his position his entire political life has been “the right of Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security”:
The way that I have acted for a long period of time, and my government – and we’ve had some criticism from people across the spectrum – is to take that principled view to make sure that we always have our eyes on that solution, and that’s something that the prospect of which has gone up and gone down and gone up and gone down again in recent times. I think it’s essential that out of this crisis emerges a better future for everyone in the region.
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PM says nuclear energy ‘risk to our economy and to our energy security’
Anthony Albanese was asked if it’s a good idea to build a nuclear power plant in the Hunter region, because of the number of recent tremors and an earthquake there. He answered:
No, I think the main risk with nuclear is shown by the fact that no-one in the private sector will touch it with a barge pole. That it doesn’t add up.
So not so much a safety risk? Albanese said he has repeatedly outlined “it’s about the economy”:
I make this point as well, that Matt Canavan and Christopher Pyne have both belled the cat and said this is about Coalition internals, this is about a “look over here” moment from a Coalition that still has climate sceptics front and centre, including on their front bench.
This will stop investment that we need, the rollout in supply that we need, and that is why it is such a risk to our economy and to our energy security.
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PM on how soon he would visit Trump if elected
Asked if he would visit Washington “as soon as [he] can” if elected prime minister, and “eyeball Donald Trump”, Anthony Albanese said he would “go as soon as possible”.
But, the PM said he was “not getting ahead of myself here.”
The first visit that I want to make after the election is to Government House in Canberra, to Yarralumla. I’m not getting ahead of myself. Elections are hard to win and there are four weeks left in this campaign …
So I’m not getting ahead of myself and I’m not planning beyond May 3.
PM says Labor has ‘got the balance right’ on instant asset write-off
While Peter Dutton was speaking, the prime minister Anthony Albanese has been giving a press conference in Blacktown.
Earlier, the PM confirmed the $20,000 instant asset write-off for small businesses will be extended into 2025-26 under Labor.
Why less than the Coalition’s pledge, and why not permanent? Albanese responded it was “not permanent because we want people to invest.”
We want people to invest now. If you just leave it there, then there’s no incentive to go out there and make sure that you tool up your business, that you invest and you create that multiplier impact now. And so that’s the basis of it. We think $20,000 is a fair amount for businesses … I think we’ve got the balance right.
Dutton wraps up Q&A with one-word answers
Peter Dutton has also been asked to give a one word answer to a number of words, and said:
Migration: “balanced and great for our country”
China: “challenging”
Housing: “unaffordable”
Aspiration: “dashed”
Western Sydney: “powerhouse”
Broncos: “sad, but with great aspiration for this year.”
Dutton asked if Coalition would reinstate stage-three tax cuts
Peter Dutton’s Q&A is already going much longer than Anthony Albanese’s, which lasted just a few minutes.
He has just taken a reader question, asking if the Coalition would bring back the stage-three tax cuts that Labor dropped. He answered:
We want to do more in terms of tax cuts, but we should accept the fact that the government’s now racked up $1tn worth of debt, and I want to deliver tax cuts, and I also want to make sure that we manage the budget effectively.
Dutton outlined a number of Coalition measures he said is aimed at addressing cost of living measures – which did not include bringing back the stage-three tax cuts.
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Dutton outlines how he would work with Trump if elected PM
Peter Dutton has been asked how he would handle Donald Trump, if he is elected prime minister. He argued the Coalition has “demonstrated that we were able to negotiate with the Trump administration” during his first term.
I think part of the problem at the moment is that the prime minister has found himself, now in April, with no significant, tangible engagement at a ministerial level. The foreign minister, the defence minister, the prime minister himself is finding out about decisions that affect Australia, when every everyone else around the world is finding out. There’s no advance warning, there’s no engagement, and that is almost without precedent.
Dutton continued his argument the Coalition could have achieved a better outcome on tariffs, saying:
I believe very strongly that we have an arrangement that we could arrive at with the United States [of] mutual benefit, and to see the tariffs removed and to make sure that we can allow business to get on without that effective tax being applied to them.
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Dutton outlines funding for western Sydney roads as speech wraps up
Peter Dutton has just wrapped up his speech at the Daily Telegraph-hosted event in Blacktown, outlining what he says is a “record” $1.7bn investment for road and rail upgrades in western Sydney.
Some of the measures include matching the government’s $500m for the duplication of the Fifteenth Avenue, $5m to fix congestion at an intersection in Prestons, funding for the metro rail extension, $50m to deliver stage one of the Edmonton Avenue duplication project, and almost $19m for business cases to upgrade roads critical for the movement of freight to and from Western Sydney international airport.
He’s now taking questions from Ben English – we’ll bring you the highlights.
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Chatfield hits out at media and Coalition after being cleared by AEC of any wrongdoing
Moving away from Peter Dutton’s speech for a moment: the entertainment personality and influencer Abbie Chatfield has hit out at the media and the Coalition after she was cleared by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) of any wrongdoing.
Liberal senators questioned whether some of Chatfield’s social media content, including interviews with the prime minister and Adam Bandt, should have been classed as electoral material – which would require an official authorisation statement.
In a post to her Instagram account yesterday evening, Chatfield said the Coalition had raised concerns about her social media posts to make an “example out of someone” and “create distrust within the Australian public”:
It has caused me an immense amount of stress, not because I’m not used to being in a fucking media frenzy … but because it terrifies me that these are the strategies that mainstream media and Liberal Party are resorting to.
I was anxious all fucking day that I could get fined, I could lose my account … I was scared that I would lose sponsorships because my integrity was questioned.
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Dutton claims interest rates are lower under the Coalition
Peter Dutton continued his argument that interest rates are always lower under the Coalition, saying:
One of the most effective ways to reduce cost-of-living pressures is to reduce interest rates, and that’s exactly what a Coalition government does. But to do that, we need to lower inflation.
But this claim been previously factchecked by AAP, which wrote:
Experts say there’s no direct link between rates and political parties, while data shows interest rates have been higher under the Coalition.
You can read the full factcheck here.
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Dutton takes aim at migration numbers
Peter Dutton is now criticising the number of migrants that have arrived in Australia under Labor, arguing:
The government has brought in a million people through the migration program in just two years now, that is 70% more than in any two-year period in Australia’s history. That is a person every 44 seconds, and it’s exemplified by western Sydney’s migration, which, of course, has served our country well, and our migration story is a great celebration. But there’s a difference between a big, uncontrolled, unplanned and unsustainable migration program compared to a controlled, planned and sustainable migration program.
And in three years, not a single additional new home has been built under the prime minister’s flagship housing policy that you referred to before. Too many Australians have been locked out of property.
For some context on how – and if – migration is actually impacting housing affordability and availability in Australia, you can read more from Patrick Commins below:
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Opposition leader says aspirations of people in western Sydney not being met
Peter Dutton outlined a number of issues important to those in western Sydney – cost of living, safety and security, healthcare and education – and said:
I want to make sure that we can do justice to their aspirations, and at the moment I don’t know that that’s the case.
Over the course of our history, many people have moved to western Sydney because it was seen as a place where one could get ahead. Western Sydney is a place, as I say, of incredible aspiration. It’s a place of entrepreneurship … But today, many residents of western Sydney are struggling.
He criticised Labor’s handling of the economy, taking aim at its energy policy in particular, and argued Australia has seen “the worst collapse in living standards in our country’s history, just over the last three years”.
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Dutton addresses Daily Telegraph-hosted event in Blacktown
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, is now up speaking at the Daily Telegraph-hosted event.
He’s described western Sydney as a place of “absolutely incredible change”, pointing to suburban expansion and migration.
It’s home to people of many faiths, and it’s home to people from across the socioeconomic spectrum. Such diversity is why western Sydney is often described as a patchwork, and yet by focusing too much on the patchwork that is western Sydney, we lose sight of something that is more important – we lose sight of the attributes that the people of western Sydney have in common despite their differences.
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PM's one-word response to key issues
The (very short) Q&A has wrapped up, with Anthony Albanese being asked to give a one-word answer to the following words:
Migration: “balanced”
Power prices: “sustainable”
Trump: “president”
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PM questioned on migration numbers
The prime minister is now taking questions from Ben English, editor of The Daily Telegraph. He was asked about migration numbers, and whether this has “got a little bit beyond what you wanted.”
Anthony Albanese answered that “migration fell by 31% in the last year”. English said this was “from a very high level”, to which the PM answered:
Remember [that] during Covid, some Australians were locked out, including citizens of Australia who were told, sorry, stay in India, you can’t come home, by the then government.
Now, people in western Sydney didn’t appreciate that … So inevitably, when the borders opened after being closed, you were going to get more Australians coming home.
Albanese continued, saying “we need to get the balance right.”
The question is supply. If you look back at the 2019 figures of what the population expectations were, it is much lower today than what the projections were that were made. But yes, the key is housing supply. That’s why we have our $33bn homes for Australia plan.
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PM says ‘something seismic is under way’ in western Sydney
Anthony Albanese has wrapped up the speech by declaring “something seismic is underway” in western Sydney.
A reimagining of Sydney – our great city with its gaze no longer fixed on its harbour and Sydney CBD but turned here – to the west, where the opportunities are here to be seized.
And importantly, where the opportunities are being seized right now. Western Sydney reminds us that now is the time to keep building.
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PM champions Labor’s health and transport investments in western Sydney
Anthony Albanese is spruiking Labor’s health and transport investments in the region and his long-running support for the western Sydney airport.
He described the west as a success story in the energy transition, pointing out there were ten times more solar installations in Blacktown than in Bondi in Sydney’s east.
When it comes to seizing those opportunities, the suburbs of Western Sydney have been leading the way. Since Labor worked to make solar power more affordable, families here have been choosing solar because they see the opportunity to save on energy bills.
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PM confirms extension of $20k instant asset write-off for small businesses
As flagged earlier, Anthony Albanese has confirmed the $20,000 instant asset write-off for small businesses will be extended into 2025-26.
It can make a crucial difference. Applying to small businesses with aggregated annual turnover of less than $10m, it continues cash flow support and reduces compliance costs. And what it can translate into is tools for tradies.
Coffee machines for a cafe. Fridges and stovetops for a restaurant. Deep fryers for a takeaway. It can be computers, tablets and other office equipment.
The announcement falls short of the Coalition’s pledge to make the scheme permanent and raise the asset cap to $30,000.
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Prime minister speaks in western Sydney
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has just begun speaking at a Daily Telegraph-hosted event in Blacktown.
He opened the speech by praising the transformation of western Sydney:
In my lifetime, this part of NSW has grown and changed almost beyond recognition. But its values have endured – as powerful and vital as ever. Hard work. Ambition. The fair go. And aspiration.
The aspiration to build a good life for yourself and your family. To back yourself to turn an idea into a small business. And the most Australian aspiration of them all – creating a better life and greater opportunity for your children. Those values drive our government’s vision – for Western Sydney, for Australia.
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Lambie says Liberal candidate must withdraw ‘disgusting’ comments about women
Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie says the Liberal candidate for Whitlam, Benjamin Britton, should immediately withdraw his previous comments about women.
As reported by Guardian Australia, Britton has expressed a string of controversial views on fringe podcasts before his preselection, including the claim that women should not serve in combat positions with the Australian Defence Force.
Interviewed on a podcast hosted by the rightwing figure Joel Jammal last July, Britton said he had served with “tremendous” women in the ADF but criticised the recruitment of women for combat roles:
Basically, long story short, if we’re to fix our defence force, unfortunately, they’re going to need to remove females from combat corps. Their hips are being destroyed because they can’t cope with the carrying of the heavy loads and the heavy impacts that’s required from doing combat-related jobs.
Lambie is a former corporal in the Australian Army. In a social media post, she said the comments were “disgusting”.
How disgraceful – these comments should be withdrawn immediately! It’s up to women what they choose to put their bodies through.
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Day 7 of the 2025 campaign, through the press photographer's lens
This morning was a busy one for the candidates, both wandering around Sydney, as Anthony Albanese headed to Cabramatta public school and Peter Dutton pumped gas at a servo. Here’s how it looked from the press pack.
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Class action against housing tower redevelopment fails
A class action against the Victorian government over Labor’s plan to demolish public housing towers has failed.
Justice Melinda Richards has handed down her judgement in the supreme court, finding while the government’s decision to demolish interfered with public housing residents human rights, it was justified on the basis that renovating the towers would be just as disruptive. She also noted more homes would be built on the site as part of the redevelopment.
The lawsuit involved 479 households from three public housing towers in Flemington and North Melbourne, the first of the state’s 44 high-rises earmarked for demolition. Their lawyers had argued the government failed to properly consider residents’ human rights when deciding to demolish the towers, and that other alternatives – such as retrofitting the towers – weren’t even considered.
The Greens MP Garbielle de Vietri, who attended court today, said the lawsuit was “just the beginning of residents fighting back against Labor’s bad plan”:
This plan that wants to tear down homes and displace thousands of public housing residents in a housing crisis has never stacked up. It’s only a matter of time until the wheels fall completely off.
The CEO of the Victorian Public Tenants Association, Katelyn Butterss, said the outcome was distressing but praised those involved:
Talking about your home with the entire state is a brave, and intimate thing to do. [Lead plaintiff Barry] Berih and others who have participated in the class action have shown a lot of courage and heart.
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PM and Dutton’s campaigns collide in western Sydney
We’re in Blacktown in western Sydney for a Daily Telegraph-hosted event, where the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, will shortly deliver speeches and sit down for (separate) Q&As.
Several of Labor’s most senior ministers hold western Sydney seats, including Tony Burke, Chris Bowen and Michelle Rowland, all of whom are here at Blacktown Workers’ Club for the event.
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McPherson independent to run 120km boundary of electorate for independent fundraiser
We know political candidates “run” for election, but it seems one independent in Queensland is taking that more literally than most.
Erchana Murray-Bartlett is running the entire perimeter of her 120km seat, she tells us, and is expecting to do it in 20 hours.
The independent is running in the south-east Queensland seat of McPherson which starts from the NSW border and goes to the southern end of the Gold Coast. It was held by Liberal MP and former home affairs minister Karen Andrews, who is retiring, but had a margin of more than 9% over Labor at the last election.
The community independents are eyeing the territory, and Murray-Bartlett says she’ll be trying to raise money for the independent movement through her run. She’ll start the run from 6 April. She says:
McPherson has been in the hands of the major parties since 1948. It’s been held by the LNP since 1981 – more than 40 years. With the incumbent Member retiring this election, we have a real opportunity for change here on the Gold Coast.
What I’m hearing out in the community is that so many people don’t feel represented or heard by the major parties. They don’t trust them to put the community before party politics.
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US trade secretary casts doubt on potential exemptions
Following from our previous post…
Lutnick told CNBC that Australia - which runs consistent trade deficits with the US - had been hit with “the lowest [tariff] rate available”.
Lutnick was asked directly whether, if Australia dropped its ban on American beef imports, it would be granted an exemption from the blanket 10% tariff on all goods.
I don’t think the word exemption is going to be a factor, I don’t that’s such a thing.
I think what there’s going to be is a world of fairness. Let’s go try to figure out ways for the world to treat us more fairly.
Lutnick later appeared on Bloomberg, again emphasising Australia had been given the lowest “baseline” tariff rate, and describing Australia as “a wonderful partner of ours”.
They buy a lot of our planes. If you buy our commodity, gas, that’s really what you need, not really what we need to sell you – it’s not the same. So the president decided: why don’t we have a baseline of 10%.
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US commerce secretary claims Australian biosecurity beef measures are ‘all nonsense’
The US commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, did a series of television interviews following Trump’s Rose Garden announcement, telling interlocutors the president would not back down from the tariff regime.
“Trump is going to stand firm because he is reordering global trade,” he told CNN. Lutnick said it was incumbent upon other countries to level their trading relationships with America.
Countries can fix their tariffs, their non-tariff trade barriers which are much, much rougher.
He singled out Australia in several interviews, particularly Australia’s long-standing ban on US beef imports into Australia - in place since 2003 over concerns around mad-cow disease.
Our farmers are blocked from selling almost anywhere ... Europe won’t let us sell beef, Australia won’t let us sell beef.
He said biosecurity arguments prohibiting US beef imports were “all nonsense”, and the measures were protectionist.
What happens is they block our markets.
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Ansell hikes prices to offset tariff impact
Australian surgical glove maker Ansell will increase the prices of its protective clothing to “fully offset” the impact of tariffs in a decision that will lead to large price rises for their products in the US.
The company sources most of its US-bound products from facilities in Asia which have been hit with large tariffs. Ansell told the ASX:
Ansell plans to fully offset the tariff increases through pricing, and we have had conversations with customers to this effect including in the past 24 hours.
Ansell currently generates more than 40% of its revenue in the US. However its products will be subject to steep “liberation day” tariffs, given it relies on manufacturing facilities in Malaysia (24% tariff), Sri Lanka (44%), Thailand (36%), Vietnam (46%) and China (34% on top of a previously imposed 20% tariff).
Ansell shares suffered a double-digit fall on Thursday in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s tariff announcement. The company makes protective clothing, including gloves and gowns. It used to be known for manufacturing condoms, but it sold this division in 2017.
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The managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristolina Georgieva, has warned that Trump’s sweeping new tariffs “clearly represent a significant risk to the global outlook at a time of sluggish growth”.
In a brief statement issued this morning, Georgieva cautioned against retaliation to American trade aggression, even as the European Union and China threatened to respond in kind.
It is important to avoid steps that could further harm the world economy. We appeal to the United States and its trading partners to work constructively to resolve trade tensions and reduce uncertainty.
Trump has said he is ready to negotiate and willing to dial back import taxes if countries can offer him something “phenomenal”.
It’s not clear what such a deal Australia could offer. Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton have both categorically ruled out watering down rules on biosecurity and the pharmaceutical benefits scheme to appease American complaints.
ANZ triples rate cut expectations for 2025 and ‘wouldn’t rule out’ a major cut next month
ANZ has joined the other three major banks to predict an interest rate cut in May as markets shudder in the wake of US president Donald Trump’s tariff announcements.
Until Thursday, the bank had maintained the RBA would deliver only one more rate cut this year, and probably not until August. It now expects a cut at each of the next three meetings of the RBA board. ANZ economists wrote:
In the wake of yesterday’s US tariff announcements and given the likely impacts on global growth and those already evident in market sentiment, we now expect the RBA to ease in May, July and August (25bp at each meeting). That would see the cash rate at 3.35% come August.
Tariffs had already seen global markets lose confidence and worsened forecasts for international economic activity, which would affect Australian households and businesses, ANZ’s forecasters flagged.
ANZ warned the RBA could get ‘more aggressive” and deliver a two-for-one cut, depending on how low confidence and forecasts fall”
We would not rule out a 50bp cut in May, if sentiment sours and the global growth outlook deteriorates sufficiently.
The RBA board on Tuesday held its key interest rate at 4.1% but said it was “well placed to respond” to tariffs and other global events, while the governor, Michele Bullock, said policymakers had “room to move”.
Other Australian major banks had already expected a cut at the next meeting on 20 May plus another two by the end of the year. But that was before Trump’s tariff announcement and ANZ is now expecting the three cuts to arrive earlier than any of them.
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Australian shares open down 1.9% after Trump tariffs bruise global markets
The S&P/ASX 200 sharemarket index has dropped 1.9% in early trade to 7707 points and is still falling after a turbulent night on global sharemarkets.
The early morning sell-off comes after Wall St suffered its worst day since Covid, dropping nearly 5% after Trump’s promise to use sweeping new tariffs to “make America wealthy again” erased $US2.5tn (A$3.95tn) from the value of the S&P 500 index. Nike stock plunged by 14%.
Investors are rattled that the dawn of the most protectionist era for the US in over a century will drive the world’s largest economy into recession even as it sends consumer prices higher.
JP Morgan overnight lifted its estimate of the chances of a US recession to 60% if the tariffs as announced remain – an open question as attention turns to whether Trump will wind back some of the import taxes if he can strike “deals” with other countries.
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Reporters ask Dutton for further clarity on whether he’ll repeal the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard set up under the Albanese government.
The Coalition had voted against the policy, and has promised to repeal the “ute tax” as they call it.
We won’t proceed, as I say, with the ute tax and the car tax that the Prime Minister doesn’t want to talk anything about, but that is going to be felt in a hip-pocket hit by this Prime Minister.
But it’s understood the Coalition wouldn’t scrap the standards altogether, just remove the penalties for car companies if they fail to meet the standards.
The Coalition claims scrapping the penalties would save vehicle owners money.
Dutton backs Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie for frontbench after reports of internal dissent
Following reports this morning that there’s a tussle between the Nationals for who will remain on the frontbench, Dutton backs in Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie.
Nine papers report McKenzie, who is at the press conference with Dutton, is on the chopping block, as the junior Coalition partner could lose some of its frontbench numbers after the next election.
How can you dump somebody like a Senator McKenzie, [she] was a great minister in government and will be a great minister in the next Coalition government as well. But … all of that is for another day.
Under the Coalition agreement, the parties are awarded cabinet positions based on the proportion of MPs they each have elected to parliament. The Nationals are currently overrepresented in the shadow cabinet.
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PM tells students ‘in Australia, you can be anything you want to be if you study hard and work hard’
Anthony Albanese has told pupils at Cabramatta Public School to study hard and be determined, saying in Australia young people can achieve anything they dream of.
The Prime Minister met pupils from grades 5 and 6 on Friday morning, and was asked his message for children around the country.
Make the most of while you’re at school, enjoy yourself. But in this country, you can be anything you want to be. So study hard, create an opportunity for yourselves.
All your parents will want more for you than what they had. That’s the Australian way.
When I was your age, there was just me and my mum, and we lived in a council house in Camperdown, in the inner the west, and no one would have believed that I could be the prime minister.
But in Australia, you can be anything you want to be, if you study hard and work hard.
He praised the school’s teachers and paid tribute to the education minister, Jason Clare, and Labor’s candidate for the seat of Fowler, Tu Le.
He asked if there were any South Sydney Rabbitohs supporters in the class. Two pupils somewhat reluctantly raised their hands.
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Dutton says WA mining makes ‘enormous contribution’ to Australia as he denies cooling relationship with Gina Rinehart
Is Peter Dutton’s relationship with mining magnate Gina Rinehart cooling?
Dutton is asked about reports that it is which he denies, saying he has respect for Rinehart and that the WA mining sector makes an “enormous contribution” to Australia.
We’ll have points of difference with many people, but that doesn’t mean it impacts your friendship or your relationship with different business people. So that’s the best response I can give you.
The Guardian’s Sarah Martin is doing an excellent investigation on Rinehart, which you can read about here:
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Dutton laughs off request to release modelling for gas plan costing: ‘Just be patient’
Peter Dutton is still refusing to release his party’s modelling for the cost impact of its gas plan.
Again he laughs off a reporter’s question saying “it’s almost here” and that “anticipation is building up”.
Just be patient. Be patient. And the anticipation is building up. The message is that … our policy, our energy policy, will over the long run be much cheaper than Labor’s. That’s obvious …
We want to bring the cost of everything down which we can do if we have a gas policy which is for Australians … you’ll hear more of that shortly.
Asked as well why it’s taken Dutton so long to host a press conference at a petrol station after the fuel excise announcement, Dutton says he’s been speaking about the policy from budget night and says it’s a “game-changer”.
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Dutton pins blame for illegal tabacco on CFMEU and bikie gangs
A bit of a growing conundrum for the budget is the decreasing tobacco excise due to a burgeoning black market.
How would the Liberals deal with it?
Dutton says smoking rates should continue to be reduced, but pins the blame on the militant construction union, the CFMEU, which is currently under administration, and promises to outlaw bikie gangs.
We wouldn’t allow the bikies who are in lock-step with the CFMEU to continue to run the illegal illicit tobacco market. We would clamp down and we would make sure that as we did in government, the outlaw motorcycle gangs know that they don’t have a place in our society.
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Dutton claims Albanese ‘missed every’ opportunity to bargain with Trump over tariffs
Onto Trump and tariffs, Dutton says there are opportunities and Albanese has “missed every one”.
Dutton says there’s more opportunity in the relationship and the defence partnership. He mentions Aukus pillar two and the ability to purchase more from the US:
There’s opportunity there for us to purchase more from our allies including the United States, and for them to purchase more from us… That’s why I think there’s a mutual interest to be found in the discussion with the United States …
I made the point yesterday about the surface fleet. When you are looking at what the Japanese are doing with the Americans, they’re able to provide sustainment of their fleet because the Americans can’t keep up with … their service fleet servicing.
Dutton’s argument that the government has missed opportunities has been disputed by Labor, who say that have had ongoing discussions with the administration and tried to make a deal – including on critical minerals.
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Dutton says fuel excise cut is part of what he offers small businesses
On to questions. Dutton is asked about his concession yesterday that the Liberals wouldn’t repeal the “same job same pay” legislation that has been introduced under Labor.
He’s asked if he’s disappointing businesses and moving away from more traditional Liberal values. Dutton says “we’re the party of making sure we can manage the economy effectively”:
I want to make sure that small businesses and bigger businesses but pensioners and families as well can get a 25 cent a litre cut in the fuel price that they pay at the bowser every time they fuel up. And that’s what we’re offering at this election.
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Dutton continues to cast election as a competition over the economy
Dutton is standing up with Bridget McKenzie and the shadow minister for Western Sydney, Melissa McIntosh.
Dutton’s focused on the cost of living in this area and again pinning the election as a choice on who can “better manage our economy”.
It’s hard to find an extra 30% for your grocery bills under Anthony Albanese, it’s harder to find 34% more for your gas which is the cost it’s gone up by under Anthony Albanese. Electricity is up by 32%. Rents are obviously up by almost 20%. It’s a really tough time for Australians.
After a visit to a petrol station, Dutton’s plugging the Coalition’s proposal to cut the fuel excise.
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Scramble as Dutton moves to pay for petrol – but forgets his wallet
Dutton is meeting workers and customers at a petrol station in Parramatta. He helps a man filling up a Nissan Navara ute, talking up the Coalition’s plan to halve the fuel excise.
The man puts about 40 litres into his tank. Regular unleaded fuel at this station is 171.9 cents per litre. Under Dutton’s policy the man would have saved about $2.
The Liberal leader heads into the shop to pay for the man’s petrol .... but there’s an awkward moment where Dutton doesn’t have his wallet on him, and a scramble as his staff call back to their car “where’s the bosses’ phone?”
The phone is retrieved, and Dutton shells out $68 for the petrol bill.
We’re about to hold a press conference.
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Jason Clare says Dutton ‘pretending he’s tough’ over US tariffs
Jason Clare ripped into Peter Dutton’s claims that he could have done better on the tariffs this morning.
Clare was alongside deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley on a panel on Sunrise.
Clare says Dutton is “pretending he’s tough” but would “more likely write a book on the ‘Art of the Kneel’.
We’ve all got mates who are gibbers, saying I could’ve done a better job, I could’ve done something different. But they’re not running to be the prime minister of Australia …
We’re not going to bend the knee. We’re not going to bend the knee to the States.
Clare points out that no country – not Japan nor the UK whose leaders visited the US – were able to get out of the tariffs.
Meanwhile, Ley says the tariffs are a “real blow” to exporters and that, “there has been a clear failure of leadership here. Anthony Albanese has not done everything that he could possibly do”.
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Dutton visits Parramatta petrol station
Peter Dutton is in the Sydney seat of Parramatta this morning, visiting a petrol station for the first time in his campaign so far.
It’s surprising it’s taken so long for us to visit one of these, considering that his central cost of living policy is a halving of the fuel excise for car owners.
He is here with the local candidate, Katie Mullens. Labor holds this seat on a 4% margin.
We will do a press conference here before Dutton goes to a community forum in Western Sydney.
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PM and Labor team drop in on Cabramatta public school
After a few local radio spots, Anthony Albanese is starting his campaigning on Friday with a visit to Cabramatta public school in the electorate of Fowler.
Independent Dai Le holds Fowler on a 1.8% margin after her 2022 defeat of former Labor frontbencher Kristina Keneally, who was parachuted into the western Sydney seat from the northern beaches.
Cabramatta public school just happens to be where the now education minister, Jason Clare, studied many moons ago.
Albanese, Clare and Labor’s candidate for Fowler, Tu Le, will meet with the education minister’s former grade one teacher, Cathy Fry.
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Albanese on US partnership: you can have differences without throwing the baby with the bathwater
Albanese is asked whether the US is still a reliable partner following the tariffs, and what the ongoing value of the Anzus partnership is.
On the later point, Albanese says it’s about maintaining national security.
Well, it is about our national security. And the defence relationship with the United States is our most important one. So you can have differences without throwing the baby out with the bathwater, if you like. You need to have a considered, mature, sober response to what is, I think, a very unwise decision, and not the act of a friend, the decision that President Trump announced yesterday. Of course, there is no country in the world that got a better deal than Australia.
Albanese, like Farrell earlier, takes a swipe at Dutton suggesting Australia could use defence as a negotiating tool to scrap the tariffs.
You don’t use defence as a negotiating tool, which was something that Peter Dutton, I think, a very recklessly suggested yesterday. Our defence is something that we look to our national interest in. It’s not something that you just make a flippant remark like that.
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PM says Western Sydney funding for roads and health will attract high-value businesses
Anthony Albanese is selling his pitch to Western Sydney, with money for health facilities and roads.
On ABC Radio Sydney, Albanese says the upgrades will help attract “high-value businesses” to the area and make the area more attractive for families.
We also are upgrading major roads in the area, making it easier for people to get to and from work and get around Western Sydney.
Western Sydney Airport has to be seen not just as a runway, but as an aerotropolis, something that will attract high value businesses to Western Sydney, creating jobs, and for the first time, making sure that people don’t look when they think about Sydney, don’t look towards the harbour and towards the CBD.
Albanese also pitches the government’s announcements for small businesses (extending the $20,000 instant asset write-off) and on health and bulk-billing that the government says will support households across the region.
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Don Farrell: ‘I’m not scared of President Trump’
The trade minister Don Farrell is “not scared” of Donald Trump as he continues to engage with his diplomatic counterparts to reverse the 10% tariffs announced yesterday.
Back in 2017, Anthony Albanese, then a shadow cabinet minister, said Trump “scares the shit out of me”, during the first Trump administration.
The line resurfaced more recently, and has been put to the PM having to deal with Trump mark two. Farrell, spoke to Sky News this morning, and says Trump doesn’t scare the government as it finds a pathway to respond to the tariffs.
I’m not scared of President Trump… My job as trade minister is to represent the best interests of Australia, to get these tariffs removed, to negotiate.
We’ve got the track record on the on the board for negotiations that [brought] $20bn back from China. We’ve negotiated new free trade agreements with India, with the United Kingdom, with the United Arab Emirates. Next Tuesday night, I’m talking with my European counterpart.
I understand that the world has changed. We need to find if we [have] to sell less product into the United States, we need to find new markets.
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Albanese on his accidental fall: ‘What’s important isn’t how you go down, it’s how you get up’
Anthony Albanese has announced Labor will extend the small business asset write off for another year to keep it at $20,000.
Both camps are in Western Sydney today vying for voters that will help make or break the election results.
Albanese is on Triple M Sydney and says he’s also announcing $220m to upgrade roads in Rouse Hill and $120m for maternity services in the same area.
There’s a lot of bubbies being born in Western Sydney, and we want to make sure that they can go somewhere locally.
Albanese is also asked about that fall in the Hunter Valley when he tripped off stage yesterday. Albanese brushes it off with a laugh.
I fell for the Hunter Valley many, many years ago. This time it was a bit literal. I stepped back and there was no stage… what’s important isn’t how you go down. It’s how you get up.
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Dutton continues to claim US tariff exemptions ‘achievable’
Earlier this morning Peter Dutton spoke to Sunrise (on tariffs – no surprises there).
Dutton insists it’s “achievable” to seal a deal with the US to scrap the 10% tariffs announced yesterday.
The Coalition has pushed hard attacking Labor and the prime minister for not getting a third phone call with Trump. Dutton said on Sunrise, “The ambassador can’t get into the West Wing, it shows had we done the work beforehand, I think there was a deal to be struck”.
He says defence and critical minerals are where a deal is to be made.
There’s an enormous opportunity of value-add for us so I think there is a big play here for our industry and the Americans see value in that, because they want assurances and certainty in their supply chain in the development of their weapons and that’s why they need our critical minerals and we can be a trusted partner.
All of this conversation should’ve been taking place over the last three, four, five months.
The government has insisted they have been engaged with the US administration from day dot and Australian officials and diplomats have been constantly communicating with their counterparts.
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How can the Coalition say it will defy an ICC warrant without leaving the court?
The Coalition has said it would welcome Benjamin Netanyahu to Australia, despite Australia being a signatory of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has put out an arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister.
In 2002, when the John Howard government ratified the Rome Statute of the ICC, he baked into the legislation something of a carve out.
The legislation says the attorney general must not act on an ICC request to arrest or surrender a person “unless the attorney general has, in his or her absolute discretion, signed a certificate that it is appropriate to do so”.
The discretion is not limited to Australian citizens.
In June 2024 when two other Israeli officials were issued arrest warrants, before Netanyahu, Attorney-Generals Department officials said that while ICC member states had “a general obligation to cooperate fully with the court and prosecutions”, they confirmed Australia’s legislation “provides for a discretion”.
You can read more about that here:
Over in Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orban has announced his country will leave the ICC ahead of Netanyahu visiting. The withdrawal bill is likely to pass easily as Orban’s right-wing party has a majority the parliament.
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Shadow minister says ICC ‘exceeded its jurisdiction’ regarding Israeli PM
Sally Sara asks about Israeli president Benjamin Netanyahu’s declaration to dissect the Gaza strip, and whether the Coalition would support that. Coleman doesn’t address the question, but says the loss of life in the area has been “tragic” and calls for Hamas to release all Israeli hostages.
The situation in Gaza is tragic. The loss of innocent life is a awful thing, and the as you know, the conflict commenced with Hamas’ mass murder of more than 1,000 Israelis.
Sara pushes him on Dutton’s previous comments that Donald Trump is “a man of big ideas” on Gaza.
Look, we obviously disagree with numerous things that the President has said in relation to Gaza. What we want to see is a two state solution … but obviously Sally, we’re a long way away from a two state solution when we have a terrorist organisation controlling Gaza and being involved in mass killings.
Coleman also confirms that Netanyahu would not be arrested in Australia and he believes the International Criminal Court “exceeded its jurisdiction in relation to Mr Netanyahu”.
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Opposition continues to say it could have gotten a better deal on tariffs
The opposition is digging in, saying it could have achieved a better outcome on the tariffs announced yesterday (that no country was exempt from, and most countries had higher tariffs).
The shadow foreign minister, David Coleman, has followed Husic on RN Breakfast and says Anthony Albanese should have visited the US to speak with Trump in person.
Sally Sara: You can’t make a visit like that unless [the US] invite it?
Coleman: The prime minister didn’t go, didn’t seek the opportunity to go, and we would. And Peter Dutton has said it would be the first…
Sara: You can’t force the president to invite the prime minister.
Coleman: Well, Peter said the first visit he would make as leader of the country as prime minister is the United States.
Coleman repeats Dutton’s lines yesterday that the government should leverage the defence relationship with the US and increase defence spending to do that. Dutton – in his budget reply speech – foreshadowed the Coalition would announce an increase in the defence budget during the election campaign.
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Husic says preventing ‘cut-price’ products being dumped in Australia is necessary
Yesterday the government announced $5m in funding to the anti-dumping commission – to stop low-cost exports being shipped into Australia – as part of its five-point response plan to the US tariffs.
Husic says the money will help the commission stop exports from overseas coming into Australia and undermining Australian industry,
My big concern has been in a period of global trade disruption, products that might have been sitting on vessels going over to markets that have now imposed tariffs may reconsider where they ship those products and to try and get them off vessels.
If they’re thinking that they’ll have a cut-price mentality that brings them lower-than-production cost[s] and results in dumping, we’ve got to be ready for it.
Having dumped product[s] in Australia at this point in time just is the worst thing.
Husic emphasises that free and open trade is good, and a key principle of Australia’s economy, but this global uncertainty shouldn’t create an environment where “cut-price” or low-cost product makes its way to Australia.
That’s what our government is doing to make sure we’re protected and we’ve got free and fair trade.
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Husic calls US’s Liberation Day a ‘self-imposed inflation day’
The tariff reaction continues, and the focus is on critical minerals and what more Australia can do to leverage our vast supplies of the resource.
The industry minister, Ed Husic, tells ABC RN breakfast the government is still working through the details and speaking with their US counterparts following yesterday’s announcement.
The official statement said certain minerals would be exempt from tariffs, but Husic can’t specify exactly what those minerals might be. He says:
A big focus [from] our government has been to strengthen our economic resilience, to help us weather events like the US’s self-imposed inflation day, I know they’re calling it Liberation Day, is really just about jacking up their own inflation. We have highly sought-after, in-demand [products] because we’re a quality producer across a range of areas … we want to continue making that high-quality product.
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The Trump tariffs it could cost the Australian economy $27bn, according to analysis by our economics and business reporters.
Read their full piece here:
After Donald Trump railed about Australian restrictions on American beef, we factcheck his claims and ask what the tariffs mean for our farmers.
Read our piece here:
Trade minister says government’s aim is to remove all US tariffs
Farrell says the Labor government reversed $20bn in trade tariffs from China, and is aiming to similarly remove all tariffs being imposed on Australian goods in the US.
He also takes a dig at the Coalition’s response to the tariffs yesterday:
I guess my concern yesterday, you talk about negotiations, was when the opposition leader threw in our national security and our defence issues as part of this process. I think that’s a very dangerous way to go, James [Glenday], and we certainly won’t be going down that track.
Yesterday, Dutton said he wanted to put more on the table including defence to get the US to remove trade tariffs – but he wouldn’t provide details on exactly what would be on offer.
When asked whether he would put forward a “stick” option against the US, Dutton said his approach was the “opposite” of that.
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Farrell says announcements to come over critical minerals
The trade minister, Don Farrell, says the government will use critical minerals as a negotiating tactic with the US – though when Australia tried to negotiate on the resource after the first round of tariffs came into effect, the US wouldn’t accept a deal.
Farrell tells ABC News Breakfast that the government hasn’t given up on negotiating with the US:
Australia is in the bottom rung of those countries affected by tariffs …
We haven’t given up and certainly the comments that we have made to the United States and the comments that have come back from them is that they are still prepared to talk with us about this issue, and we will … continue to negotiate with them with a view to removing all of those tariffs.
Farrell says Australia already has a critical minerals deal with Europe and the government will have more to announce on minerals son.
Q: Why did the US administration slapped tariffs on Norfolk Island, Heard Island and the McDonald Islands?
Poor old penguins, I don’t know what they did to Mr Trump, but, look, I think it’s an indication, to be honest with you, James, that this was a rushed process … it’s clearly a mistake.
For those not in the know, Heard and the McDonald islands are a) external Australian territories, meaning they already would come under Australian tariffs, and b) completely uninhabited.
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Young voters and the gender divide
Voting trends among Gen Zers in the western world point to young men favouring more rightwing parties while young women are leaning more to the left.
The divide could have an impact in the federal election where many of the younger generation will be voting for the first time.
Benita Kolovos has been speaking to some younger voters about the gender divide – “there’s this sort of us v them kind of mentality” says one – while a date-gone-wrong showed Grace Richardson (pictured) that the hill was “much steeper” than she thought.
Read the full article here:
Bandt: federal election a ‘battle of the Band-Aids’
Now we’re onto the toothbrush: Bandt says people have been putting off going to the dentist because they can’t afford it.
The Greens have said they would pay to get dental into Medicare by taxing large corporations:
By bringing that into Medicare, it will deliver real savings. How do we afford it? Well, at the moment, one in three big corporations in this country pays no tax at all and so we have released a costed plan to make these big corporations start paying their fair share of tax.
Bandt says dental is a big priority for the minor party if it gets into a negotiating position in the event of a minority government.
But the Greens want more action on climate and Bandt believes neither party is doing enough on housing, healthcare or the environment.
You just have to look at the first week of the campaign, it’s the battle of the Band-Aids. We’re facing these big crises in this country - people can’t afford to buy a home, people are skipping healthcare because they can’t afford it, we got floods, we got fires, and instead we’ve just got this tinkering around the edges. [We’ve] got a choice between the timid and the terrible really.
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Bandt brandishes brush as he urges Australia to ‘detach’ from Trump
If there’s one thing that this campaign has so far been missing, it’s giant props – but it appears Greens leader Adam Bandt has us covered this morning, with a giant toothbrush on ABC News Breakfast (no prizes for what he’ll be talking about).
But before he gets to dental into Medicare – which is where I assume he’s going – Bandt is talking Trump and says Australia should be “detaching ourselves” from the US president.
Donald Trump is dangerous, a danger to peace, a danger to democracy … very clearly these aren’t the act of a friend, but still Australia acts as if Donald Trump is going to ride to the rescue … when it comes to defence, for example, I think this is an opportunity for Australia to detach itself from Donald Trump, have a much more independent relationship.
We have got the capacity to now forge those new alliances with other countries.
Bandt says Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton have been talking tough when Australia should be looking at resetting its relationship with the US.
He points to Canada, who he says have reassessed that alliance.
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PM returns to Sydney to end first week of campaigning
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, will wrap up the first week of the election campaign with his first stop in his home city of Sydney.
The NSW capital is home to several battleground electorates, with Labor bracing for defeat in Bennelong and under threat in several other seats including Parramatta, Werriwa and Macarthur.
Senior Labor ministers Tony Burke (Watson) and Jason Clare (Blaxland) are also facing challenges from independent candidates hoping to tap into discontent with the government’s approach to the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Albanese is scheduled to appear at a Daily Telegraph-hosted event in western Sydney on Friday, where he will reportedly commit to extend the $20,000 instant asset write-off for small businesses and tradies for another year.
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, will make a $231m roads funding announcement at the same event, the Daily Telegraph reports.
Ahead of the event, Albanese announced $120m for a new birthing service at Rouse Hill Hospital in north-west Sydney. The PM said:
Western Sydney is one of our fastest growing areas, and we will deliver $120m to deliver birthing and maternity services at the new Rouse Hill hospital - so mums-to-be in Western Sydney can give birth closer to home.
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Good morning
Krishani Dhanji here with you: thanks to Martin Farrer for starting us off this morning.
It’s Friday! Honestly it’s been a long journey getting to this point (and there’s still so much campaign to go).
Donald Trump and his tariffs are still dominating our headlines in Australia and there’ll be plenty more political reaction to it today.
The prime minister and Peter Dutton are both in Sydney today, and both making announcements for western Sydney, an area crucial for both parties.
So buckle up, it’s going to be a big one!
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YouGov poll says Dutton's approval lowest since becoming opposition leader
Opposition leader Peter Dutton’s popularity with voters has plummeted, a fresh poll suggests, with his approval rating at its lowest since taking on the Coalition’s top job.
In a YouGov poll provided to Australian Associated Press – the first conducted since the federal election was called – Dutton’s satisfaction rating dropped to negative 15, slumping by 10 points in the two weeks since the previous poll.
Prime minister Anthony Albanese’s rating improved slightly over the same period, increasing from negative nine to negative six. The poll’s results are the first time since June that Albanese has a higher net-satisfaction rating than Dutton.
Albanese also solidified his lead as preferred prime minister, leading 45% to 38%, after a two-point drop in support for Dutton as leader.
On a two-party preferred basis, Labor holds a slim 51-49 lead over the Coalition.
The YouGov poll also showed Labor’s primary vote went backwards slightly since the election campaign started, dropping one point to 30%, while the Coalition’s fell by two points to 35%. Greens and One Nation have remained at 13% and 7% respectively, while independents have enjoyed a slight increase of two points to 10%.
However, according to the latest analysis from Guardian Australia’s poll tracker – a model developed by political scientists, which follows all the major polls – the Coalition still leads overall on primary and two-party preferred support.
After four consecutive weeks of gains for Labor, the model showed the party’s two-party preferred support starting to level off.
There is a lot of uncertainty in polling. Despite the individual polls results, Labor has yet to show a clear lead in Guardian Australia’s modelling. The model averages the polls over the time they are in the field and factors in sample sizes, previous results and the “house effects” (bias towards a party) of each pollster.
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the best overnight stories and then Krishani Dhanji will be your guide.
Stock markets in Europe and the US have seen heavy losses after yesterday’s announcement by Donald Trump of tariffs on US trading partners. Anthony Albanese’s government is still considering its response but has unveiled $1bn in loans to help Australian exporters after the tariff hit. We have more coming up.
The US president’s economic warfare has made him politically toxic with Australian voters. Although the situation is fraught with difficulties for Albanese – will it crash our economy? – there could be political benefits because Peter Dutton has in the past tried to align himself with Trumpist themes such as being “strong” on defence and immigration. Our political writers have their analysis, and in the blog in a minute we’ll look at a new poll showing that Dutton is losing popularity with voters.
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