And, that’s a wrap this Easter Sunday. Here’s what’s been keeping us busy today:
Byron Bay’s Bluesfest was just one of a handful of music festivals saved by New South Wales state funding, the Minns government revealed.
Bridget McKenzie was grilled over cost of Coalition’s nuclear plan, then said that Murray Watt had ‘lied’ about the Coalition’s supposed cuts to Medicare.
Michael Sukkar, meanwhile, defended negative gearing for people on high incomes – and said, referring to election day, that the Coalition was ‘in it to win it’.
Over in the Greens camp, Adam Bandt said the government should prepare a ‘green book’ in anticipation of a hung parliament – and, while the Greens were taking nothing for granted, he defended his party’s campaign stunts.
Customary Easter messages arrived from both Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton.
60 economists penned an open letter calling for clean energy, rather than nuclear.
Anthony Albanese said that he has “consciously tried to bring people together and to reduce conflict” while Peter Dutton tried to fit into a zeitgeist of strength.
Finally, a man was arrested outside Nine Entertainment shortly before Anthony Albanese was due to arrive at the broadcast network’s North Sydney base. Nine Newspapers reported the incident was not connected to the PM.
We’ll be back bright and early tomorrow – until then, thank you for joining us.
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Man dead after being swept off rocks at beach south of Sydney
A fisher has died and a teenager is in a stable condition after being swept from rocks south of Sydney this morning.
New South Wales Police said the pair were winched out of the water after emergency services were called to Wattamolla at about 11am. They had been rockfishing when they were swept into the water.
Officers from Sutherland Shire Police Area Command, PolAir, Marine Area Command, Surf Life Saving NSW and NSW Ambulance paramedics helped in the rescue, police said.
One man was unable to be revived and died at the scene. He is yet to be formally identified, police said. A report will be prepared for the coroner.
A 14-year-old boy was taken to the Children’s hospital at Randwick where he remains in a stable condition, police said.
The death is believed to be the sixth drowning so far this Easter long weekend, as wild surf conditions caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Tam continued to batter Australia’s east coast.
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Independent candidate in safe Labor seat campaigning on Palestinian state
The independent candidate for Watson in Sydney, Dr Ziad Basyouny, is calling for the establishment of “a unified, pluralist, democratic state in historic Palestine where all live as equal citizens”, in a foreign policy move that the Muslim candidate says is a world-first.
Basyouny is taking on the very safe Labor seat on 3 May, held by the home affairs minister, Tony Burke.
In a campaign statement released today, he called for a unified, democratic Palestine, the right of return and reparations for Palestinian refugees, and “targeted sanctions against entities complicit in human rights abuses in occupied Palestine”, as well as “international engagement to address mass atrocities in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Myanmar” and investment in peacebuilding, reconciliation and refugee support.
“We will no longer accept the double standards of global politics,” Basyouny said.
Basyouny has previously said he believed Labor’s reaction to the war in Gaza was the “straw that broke the camel’s back” for many in his community.
Local responses to the war are expected to impact votes well beyond Watson, with Melbourne’s Labor candidates already feeling the pressure, reports Guardian Australia’s Benita Kolovos:
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Man arrested at Nine’s Sydney office prior to PM’s arrival
A man has been arrested outside Nine Entertainment shortly before Anthony Albanese was due to arrive at the broadcast network’s North Sydney base.
New South Wales Police said that officers attached to North Shore Police Area Command were called to Denison Street at about 11am, responding to concerns about the behaviour of a man outside a business acting aggressively.
Police arrested a man aged in his 20s after he allegedly jumped on to a car. Checks revealed the man had also breached his bail conditions, police said.
Police said the man has been taken to Chatswood police station.
Nine Newspapers reports that the PM was due to appear on this afternoon’s Sunday Footy Show, recorded at the premises, and that his security detail was in place outside the building at the time of the incident.
A source told the SMH that they do not believe the incident was related to the PM.
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PM tells podcast he’s trying to ‘bring people together’
Anthony Albanese says that he has “consciously tried to bring people together and to reduce conflict” while Peter Dutton has tried to “undermine” and fit into a zeitgeist of strength.
Speaking on podcast The Rest is Politics, the PM said that criticisms he faced of being “weak” were in the style of his opponent. Without naming Donald Trump, he alluded to a new and alienating “machismo” in world politics:
“In part, that’s the style of Peter Dutton with his cheer squad in the media, as well, will repeat those comments in order to try to undermine and to try to fit into what Peter Dutton thought was the zeitgeist, if you like, of strength, channelling some other world leaders … bringing a machismo, essentially, to politics, and that is something that I think alienates the center,” he said.
In the conversation recorded on Saturday evening – which has received some local attention – Albanese told hosts Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart that politics in Australia was “different”.
“We have compulsory voting, and people do go and vote, and there’s record numbers on the electoral roll. You win elections from either the center left or the center right … We’ll see how it plays out over the next couple of weeks, but certainly Peter Dutton has gone out of his way to appeal to a right-wing base, and there isn’t too much that is there for the center,” Albanese said.
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Economists issue letter calling for clean energy, not nuclear
An open letter from 60 Australian economists has rejected the Coalition’s nuclear energy plan, promoting instead the subsidising of household clean energy policies, including incentives for home battery storage.
The organiser of the letter, Gareth Bryant, an associate professor in political economy at the University of Sydney, says the letter is intended as an intervention in the election campaign, reports AAP.
“As economists, energy analysts and policy specialists we strongly support government investment in household clean energy and industrial electrification and not in nuclear energy,” the letter says.
It says simple household clean energy upgrades can deliver immediate cost-of-living benefits and reductions in carbon emissions, and electrification can safeguard the future of industrial jobs and the communities that rely on them.
The economists, from a range of Australian universities and other tertiary institutions, said the construction of nuclear power plants would take at least 15 years at a cost of at least $330bn:
It would result in higher household energy costs, drain investment away from renewable energy and energy-intensive manufacturing, and leave the Australian economy precariously over-dependent on increasingly automated mineral extraction.
The economists said they support a nationwide program to upgrade homes and industry with clean renewable energy.
They said the technologies to fund should include large-scale home electrification with smart appliances to provide bill savings, energy-efficiency upgrades and battery storage, which can save surplus solar for night-time use, and hot water retrofits for more efficient water heating.
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Easter ‘reminds us of the values that help bind our nation together,’ says Dutton
Peter Dutton has also thanked those working over the long weekend and wished Australians a “safe, happy and holy Easter”.
In his Easter Sunday message, the leader of the opposition said the long weekend was a “time of reflection, and a time to rest, recharge, and spend time with those we love”.
Whether you’re attending a church service, hosting a family lunch, or enjoying a quiet moment with a hot cross bun and a cup of tea, Easter also reminds us of the values that help bind our nation together – service, kindness, compassion and grace.
From my family to yours, I wish you a safe, happy and holy Easter.
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Victoria police investigating fatal stabbing in Melbourne
Over to Victoria, where homicide detectives are investigating a fatal stabbing in Prahran this morning.
Victoria police said emergency services were called to reports a man had been stabbed during an altercation on Chapel Street at about 1.30am.
The victim, who is yet to be formally identified, was taken to hospital where he later died, the police said.
No arrests have been made and an investigation is under way.
Anyone who witnessed the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
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Albanese delivers Easter message
Anthony Albanese has delivered his Easter message, wishing Australians a “safe and joyous” weekend at a “sacred time that is central to faith”.
In a video posted to social media, the PM thanked those who are working over the holidays and wished those taking a more leisurely break: “May it be everything you want it to be.”
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Greens taking ‘nothing for granted’ in campaign to retain seats, says Bandt
Adam Bandt was then pushed on whether he still thinks Australia – under prime minister Anthony Albanese – is complicit in a genocide in Gaza.
“I think Australia is engaging in a two-way arms trade with Israel,” he replied. (For the record: the government denies this.)
Bandt was asked again if the Greens have “dropped” the line about the government being complicit in genocide.
When you see a genocide occurring, as Amnesty International as the experts are saying, then you want the Australian government to actually do something, to speak out for peace.
Finally, Bandt was asked about the Greens’ prospects on 3 May and whether he’s confident of holding the three Brisbane seats it won in 2022 (Brisbane, Griffith and Ryan).
Having been through this myself (defending the seat of Melbourne for the first time), I know the first time around, you take nothing for granted. You have to work incredibly hard.
This time we’ve got Labor, Liberal and (rightwing campaign group) Advance and the billionaires all coming after us. We accept that.
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Bandt defends Greens’ campaign stunts
Adam Bandt was asked about the Greens’ approach to the campaign generally, which has been filled with stunts – including DJ sets and regular appearances from a large red toothbrush to promote the party’s push for dental into Medicare.
Far less prevalent has been discussion of the conflict in Gaza and push for Palestinian recognition, which consumed much of the Greens’ focus last year.
Speaking with the ABC, Bandt was asked if the shift is in response to the Greens’ poor showing at last year’s Queensland state election. He replied:
No, it is not.
A lot of people at the moment are turning away from the major parties, we make no apologies for trying to get people’s attention. If that involves going to a nightclub with a big toothbrush to advance our push to get dental into Medicare, then I am happy to do it, because a lot of people do not see politicians tackling the big issues.
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Bandt asked about housing and gas
Staying with the ABC where Adam Bandt was asked whether the Greens would be prepared to phase out the concessions over a longer period of time to prevent a mass sell-off of investment properties, which could send rents spiralling.
The Greens leader said:
We are willing to consider any ideas. This is part of the reason it would be good for the public service to start work on this now.
The interview turns to Peter Dutton’s plans for an east coast gas reservation, a policy that has drawn praise in progressive circles (a rarity for a Coalition idea).
Bandt said Dutton’s policy was a “pretty stunning admission”, but argued there was a better option to shore up domestic gas supply.
But there is a much simpler solution than what Peter Dutton is proposing, which is just stop the corporations like Santos from dipping into the domestic markets to fulfil future contracts. Do that and you do not need to open new gas fields, which is what Peter Dutton wants to do.
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Bandt says government should prepare a ‘green book’ in anticipation of hung parliament
The Greens leader, Adam Bandt, is now in the hot seat on ABC’s Insiders.
The party this morning revealed Bandt had written to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet asking it to prepare a “green book” to help prepare for a hung parliament.
For some background, ahead of each election, public servants prepare “red books” (for a potential Labor government) and “blue books” (for a potential Coalition government) detailing the parties’ respective policies and how they could be implemented.
Bandt is asked about the Greens’ push to wind back negative gearing and capital gains tax concessions and whether it would curtail supply.
So what we’re saying is that we need to ensure that younger generations have the same chance at owning a home as previous generations have.
How would we do it? We’ve got to really, I guess, defuse this timebomb in a way that is fair because there would be a lot of people who have one investment property.
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Sukkar quizzed on NDIS
Rejoining Michael Sukkar on ABC’s Insiders, the interview turned to Sukkar’s other portfolio, the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
The NDIS hasn’t featured much during the election campaign. Sukkar explains why:
One of the reasons why that is the case … is that what I’ve tried to do as shadow minister is not have the NDIS as a political football. I think even my biggest critics would agree that we’ve tried to work in a really cohesive way with the government, push them where we need to, criticise them where we need to …
Sukkar confirms he received a departmental briefing last week about ongoing negotiations with the states and territories on foundational support – a new tier of support for disabled people outside the NDIS.
There is some sort of impasse between the commonwealth and the states, and I think in the end asking the states to step up and to try and assist those children is important because what we won’t accept in the Coalition is a cohort of young children with ASD or developmental delay being thrown off the NDIS.
Sukkar is asked to “honestly rate” the Coalition’s election campaign so far, with opinion polls pointing to a significant drop in support for Peter Dutton’s opposition in recent weeks.
We are in it to win it, David, absolutely. We are in it to win it. I can assure you there is no one on our side waving a white flag.
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McKenzie accuses Watt of ‘lying to the camera’ over Medicare claims
Looping back to Bridget McKenzie’s Sky News interview for a moment, where the shadow transport minister was asked about her comments last week that Russia and China wanted Labor to win the election, which she later admitted were wrong.
Look, I made a mistake – I’ve owned it. [I] corrected the record on becoming aware of that and I think that’s the right thing to do in politics.
McKenzie then takes a swipe at Murray Watt, urging him to “own him to the fact he is lying to the camera” about the Coalition’s supposed plans to cut Medicare.
The Nationals frontbencher is asked how many Medicare urgent clinics would be on the chopping block.
Staring down the barrel of the camera, she says: “None.”
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Michael Sukkar defends negative gearing for people on high incomes
The shadow housing minister, Michael Sukkar, is now up on ABC’s Insiders.
He’s asked about his colleague Jane Hume’s comment, reported in the Nine papers on Sunday, that the Coalition’s now-aborted work-from-home policy wasn’t a bad idea – it just wasn’t the right time for it.
We’ve made very clear that we’ve left that policy behind.
He’s now asked about negative gearing and whether people on high incomes need such generous tax breaks. (After a bit of back-and-forth, Sukkar confirms he’s not negatively gearing the one-bedroom apartment he owns in Canberra.)
The point here is that it is a feature of our tax system. If you have an investment, you are entitled to offset losses from one investment into other forms of income that you’ve got.
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Bridget McKenzie grilled over cost of Coalition’s nuclear plan
The shadow transport minister, Bridget McKenzie, is up next on Sky News and she’s immediately pushed on the cost of the Coalition’s nuclear plan.
As many of her colleagues have done in recent weeks, McKenzie refuses to give a straight answer before retreating to the line that it will cost 44% cheaper than Labor’s renewables-focused approach (that figure is based on Frontier Economics’ modelling of the two scenarios).
That will mean that when you look at the laws of economics, if it’s cheaper to produce something, it’s going to be cheaper to sell.
Clennell doesn’t appear to be buying it.
So this is probably the problem, isn’t it? You can’t tell me … and our viewers how much it’s actually going to cost to build these nuclear power plants?
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Murray Watt reiterates Medicare urgent clinics under threat if Coalition wins
Murray Watt has been pushed on the “scare” campaigns Labor is running this election, including on the price tag for the Coalition’s nuclear reactors and the future of Medicare urgent clinics.
Labor has been quoting a $600bn figure for the cost of the nuclear reactors, which comes from analysis from the pro-renewables Smart Energy Council.
Sky News host Andrew Clennell notes the Smart Energy Council is a lobby group, not an official government agency.
Clennell also pushes Watt on Labor’s claim that the Coalition would shut Medicare urgent clinics if Dutton wins the election.
That’s a lie, isn’t it? That’s not true?
Watt responds:
Absolutely not, absolutely not. If you go back to look at what Peter Dutton had to say about our Medicare, urgent urgent care clinics … he has to find the money to pay for his $600bn in nuclear reactors. He’s got no choice but to cut Medicare, to cut the urgent care clinics.
For the record, the Coalition have matched Labor’s major election pledges on health and have made no announcements about shutting urgent care clinics.
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Election campaign continues over Easter
The frenetic pace of the federal election campaign has slowed a gear or two over the Easter weekend.
Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton will spend Easter Sunday in their respective hometowns of Sydney and Brisbane, after both attended Sydney’s Royal Easter Show on Saturday.
The Sunday morning political programs are running as usual, with employment minister, Murray Watt, up first on Sky News Agenda.
Watt is asked about Labor’s new pledge to enshrine penalty rates in law if the government wins on 3 May.
The Australian Retailers Association and others have asked the Fair Work Commission to vary the award, proposing some workers be given a 25% pay rise in return for giving up their penalty rates, overtime and other allowances.
We shouldn’t have a situation in Australia where big business can roll into the Fair Work Commission and demand that those penalty rates are removed.
The government passed multiple tranches of pro-worker industrial relations laws in the previous term, which business groups vehemently opposed.
Watt rejected suggestions Labor was “putting up barriers” to small businesses employing new staff.
We obviously support small businesses growing, and that’s why we’ve seen a record number of companies created over this term of office.
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Easter's Bluesfest: one of the festivals saved by lifeline funding
This long weekend’s Byron Bay Bluesfest is one of the New South Wales music festivals that received a lifeline from the Minns government after almost being felled by changes in ticket-buying behaviours, financial headwinds and insurance costs.
It is joined by Lost Paradise on the Central Coast, Your and Owls in Wollongong, Listen Out and Field Day in Sydney, which were collectively given $2.25m in emergency funding by the Contemporary Music Festival Viability Fund, the state government revealed this morning.
The funding of up to $500,000 per festival is hoped to deliver a boost to the regional economies that support the industry and comes after the cancellations of Splendour in the Grass, Falls festival, Spilt Milk and Groovin’ the Moo.
John Graham, the minister for music and the night-time economy said the post-Covid era had been a “financial nightmare” for music festivals in NSW.
The government needed to step in to save the furniture, and the feedback is that this fund has helped some of these festivals survive.
The festival circuit a vital part of the live music industry which employs almost 15,000 people. It’s too important to lose, that’s why we’re backing festivals with emergency funding and reforms that bring down their costs.
With the lockouts under the previous Liberal government, the pandemic and then the cost-of-living crisis it’s been a really tough time for the music industry. That’s why we’re backing it in any way we can.
Applications for the fund’s second round ahead of the next summer festival season open on 1 May.
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Good Morning
Good morning and Easter greetings, readers. Welcome to today’s live news blog as the election campaign continues at much the same pace as usual. Let’s get cracking …
