What we learned, Monday 31 March
Many thanks for joining us on the live blog, that’s where we’ll leave things for today. Here’s what made headlines:
Anthony Albanese visited Perth for his first visit west as part of the election campaign.
The prime minister pledged that Labor would help fund a $355m upgrade of St John of God Midland public hospital if re-elected on 3 May.
He ruled out forming a coalition with the Greens in the event of a minority government.
Albanese also said he “would prefer” a Chinese research vessel was not sitting off the coast of Victoria, and stressed it will be closely monitored by the ADF.
Meanwhile, Peter Dutton toured a mining business in the NSW Hunter region this morning, where he refused to say how much power prices would drop under the Coalition’s gas plan.
Dutton confirmed he and his family would move into Sydney’s Kirribilli House rather than the Lodge in Canberra if elected.
The Dutton campaign then travelled to flood-affected Queensland, pledging $10m for a new weather radar for western Queensland if the Coalition is elected.
Liberal MP Jason Wood was heckled by protesters at a mosque in Melbourne after announcing $6.5m for the Afghan community on behalf of Dutton.
The latest Newspoll in The Australian put Labor ahead 51-49 two-party preferred.
Krishani Dhanji will be back with you bright and early tomorrow morning, as the election campaign continues. Until then, take care.
Treasurer joins chorus in hosing down rate-cut hopes
The treasurer Jim Chalmers has downplayed hopes of a second successive interest rate cut, mirroring market expectations that a new monetary policy board will stick with the status quo.
AAP reports that the new board met for the first time today, and is tipped to keep the cash rate on hold at 4.1% when the two-day meeting concludes.
Chalmers told reporters in Brisbane earlier:
Almost nobody in the market expects there to be an interest rate cut tomorrow, so we’re upfront about that.
Labor had made “substantial progress” on inflation, which was above 6% and rising when it came to office, he said.
We got new numbers last week which said that inflation is 2.4% and underlying inflation is 2.7, so well within the Reserve Bank’s target range.
The progress that we’ve made in the last three years ... is inflation is down, real wages are up, unemployment’s low, debt is down, interest rates have started to come down and growth is rebounding solidly in our economy as well.
Updated
Photos from Dutton’s visit to Thargomindah
Here are some photos that have filtered through this afternoon from Peter Dutton’s visit to flood-affected Thargomindah in Queensland.
As we reported earlier, he was joined by David Littleproud and the local mayor John Ferguson.
Updated
Dutton responds to latest polling numbers
Sticking with polling: In Queensland, the opposition leader Peter Dutton has taken questions on the latest numbers, showing Labor had taken the lead.
As the pool reporter on the ground reports, Dutton said:
I think there will be a lot of polls between now and election day, and really what it’s about is Australians are in a bad situation.
Here in Thargomindah, that’s our priority today. But there are a lot of Australians in their darkest hour.
Dutton has been visiting flood-affected Thargomindah, where he announced the Coalition would put $10m toward a new weather radar for western Queensland if elected.
Greens senator says Coalition paying for plans to cut public servants in recent polling
As we reported earlier today, the prime minister Anthony Albanese has ruled out forming a coalition with the Greens in the event of a minority government.
Barbara Pocock was asked if she thinks this would hold in the event of a minority government?
She said “everything is up in the air” and what the Greens are pushing for is “outcomes that make a difference for the Australian population” – such as dental on Medicare.
I think it’s very interesting that these leaders polls the couple of percentage points off the Coalition and I’m interested in the fact that the couple of places where they’ve actually been explicit about what they really will do – for instance cut 41,000 public servants and do away with working from home – they’ve paid a real price for those things because they don’t understand the modern workplace and the modern household.
Dutton’s plan to ditch co-hosting global climate change summit criticised
Over the weekend, Peter Dutton said he would ditch Labor’s plan to co-host a global United Nations climate change summit with the Pacific if elected.
Michael McCormack, the shadow minister for the Pacific, shook off any concerns over this decision and told ABC Afternoon Briefing:
The Pacific knows full well that we are their best friends and we will continue to be so … What we need to do is make sure we spend the money that taxpayers give us on practical and sensible means to bring the cost-of-living pressure down.
But Greens senator Barbara Pocock, also speaking on the program, said Dutton’s move was “a step in the absolutely wrong direction”.
Think about the number of Pacific leaders who have been through our parliament in the last several years begging us to be more attentive to the existential crisis created in Pacific nations through rising sea levels, through extreme storms … It is vitally important that we, as a Pacific neighbour, play our role in drawing international attention to their plight.
Updated
Clare on preferences, war in Gaza
Jason Clare won his Western Sydney seat on first preferences at the last election. The host asked whether Labor’s handling of the war in Gaza may mean he has to rely on other preferences to get re-elected?
He told ABC Afternoon Briefing:
My community is suffering and feeling the impact of the war in Gaza very acutely and that is because this is not a war on the other side of the world for them. This is much closer to home, sometimes the people that they see injured or who have died on their TV screens are family, so they feel it acutely.
But Clare said this wasn’t the only issue affected his community, pointing to jobs, Medicare, school funding and Hecs. He then took aim at the opposition leader, and said:
Peter Dutton was out in this neck of the woods the other day … This is the guy who said not so long ago it was a mistake for Australia to let people from Lebanon live here. If he thinks that five minutes to midnight, or five weeks before an election, that people of my community, the people of Western Sydney are going to forget that, then I think he underestimates the people of Western Sydney.
Updated
Clare says ‘temperature’ of campaign may elevate in different parts of the country in coming weeks
The host asked about the “temperature” of the election campaign, after Tony Burke had to cancel a Muslim prayer event due to security concerns.
Jason Clare said “over the next few weeks temperatures will be elevated in different parts of the country particularly, when the pre-poll starts”.
The important thing here is democracy should be allowed to take place in our country in the way it always has. We’re lucky in Australia that we have not seen sort of violence or threats of violence we have seen recently in America, or in recent times in the UK. I hope that continues here in Australia.
Clare said “most of the time” when he’s out campaigning, people might “come up and say hello” or “mumble under their breath”, but there has been no violence or threats of violence.
Updated
Clare asked if anyone in NZYQ cohort sent to Nauru
Jason Clare was also asked if the government had sent anyone in the NZYQ cohort to Nauru yet?
He replied:
We have acted as you would expect us to act. The high court said these individuals could not be detained, and so we are taking steps working with Nauru to make sure that people can be sent to Nauru.
Beyond Nauru, what is the Labor plan to deal with this going forward? He answered:
We’re going to make sure that people who break the law are locked up, it’s as simple as that.
Updated
Clare says any tariffs around the world will have impact on Australia as part of ‘global market’
On Donald Trump’s next round of tariffs, due later this week, Jason Clare said he didn’t want to pre-empt any announcements the US administration may make.
He said Australia would “wait and see what the announcement is by the US later in the week”.
At a diplomatic level we’re engaging with our US counterparts. Whatever decision the US makes in relation to tariffs for other countries, or around the world, we will have an impact on Australia because we are part of a global market.
Updated
Clare questioned on Labor’s previous promise to lower energy prices
The education minister, Jason Clare, is on ABC Afternoon Briefing to chat power prices.
If Labor wins the election, what will happen when the energy rebate wraps up – will power prices increase? Clare turned the focus back on the Coalition and answered:
What we know is power prices will be lower under Labor than they will be under Peter Dutton … The cheapest and fastest way to do this is by replacing them with wind and solar with renewable energy backed up by gas and batteries, the most expensive way to do this is to build nuclear reactors around the country, which is Peter Dutton’s great idea.
Clare was also asked if Labor regrets making the promise, while in opposition, that power prices would come down under their government?
He answered by again pointing to the Coalition – accusing Dutton of “trying to con the Australian people” through its nuclear plan – but then answered more directly:
To be fair, what the prime minister said is that since that modelling was done, we’ve had the biggest energy crisis the world has faced since I was a kid in the 1970s.
Updated
Low pressure system over Tasman Sea bringing large waves
Sticking with the weather for a moment: there have been large waves across the east coast today, thanks to a low pressure system over the Tasman Sea.
A low pressure system over the #TasmanSea continues to drive showers, winds, and large waves across south-east #Australia today, impacting parts of #NSW and #Vic.
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) March 31, 2025
Latest forecasts: https://t.co/pIVv1tfrIh pic.twitter.com/eCx3CeR5Yu
This comes as flood watches and warnings stretch more than 3000km across the country, according to Weatherzone, from the WA interior to the east coast. Weatherzone reports:
Cloud and rain will spread further east from Tuesday to Thursday, soaking parts of the NT, SA, Qld and northern NSW. Rain and storms from this system should then contract to northern and central Qld from Friday before easing over the weekend …
The flooding that will be caused by the rain falling this week, combined with the rain that inundated river systems in recent weeks, is likely to cause significant river, creek and stream level rises. This may cause overland inundation that could affect roads and railway lines, possibly isolating communities and homesteads.
Updated
Coalition pledges $10m for western Queensland weather radar
A Coalition government would put $10m toward a new weather radar for western Queensland, Peter Dutton has announced during a visit to the flood-affected region.
In a written statement this afternoon, Dutton said:
The Coalition knows that a new weather radar is of critical importance for communities and businesses in Central Queensland.
This $10m funding announcement is yet another reflection that a Dutton-Littleproud government would once again prioritise the needs of regional Australians after the neglect of the Albanese government.
Dutton said the announcement would “significantly improve confidence in weather forecasts from the Bureau of Meteorology”.
He is touring the area with Nationals leader David Littleproud this afternoon, on the ground at Thargomindah. We’ll bring you pics of that visit when we can, but we understand journalists accompanying Dutton in a small pool of media have been battling poor phone signal and reception.
Littleproud said he had heard “first-hand harrowing stories of survival” in recent days.
If families had been given more notice, they would have easily had time to get to safety. Instead, some have been forced to fight for their lives. That’s why this is important.
Updated
Albanese ‘would prefer’ Chinese research vessel not off coast of Australia
As Krishani reported earlier, Anthony Albanese told reporters he “would prefer” a Chinese research vessel was not sitting off the coast of Victoria, and that the ADF was monitoring the situation.
For more details and context on this, Henry Belot has the full story below:
Peter Dutton continues visit to flood-affected Queensland
Here’s the latest from the pool reporters on the ground, as the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, continues his visit to flood-affected Queensland.
Dutton and Nationals leader David Littleproud arrived at Thargomindah airport, where a makeshift hospital has been set up. Water is currently flowing underneath the town’s hospital. Littleproud told the staff:
Thanks for what you’re doing.
Outside the terminal, Dutton, Littleproud and Bulloo shire mayor John Ferguson spoke to a fire and rescue crew out from Charleville, including two drone pilots.
The river is currently at seven metres, and is expected to get to 7.1 metres later tonight.
The town experienced five days of consistent rain that only let up on Friday. Of the town’s 200 residents, 97 slept at the evacuation centre last night and more were expected to stay tonight.
Mayor Ferguson said it’s the “worst he’s ever seen”.
We’re in unchartered territory, we’ve never been here before.
It’s well above the 6.48 metres recorded in 2010 and 6.78 metres in 1974.
Updated
Good afternoon! Emily Wind here, I’ll be with you for the rest of the day.
Thank you all for following along with me today. There’ll be plenty more travel, high vis and baby holding tomorrow – all of which I’ll being you as it happens.
I’ll leave you with the fabulous Emily Wind to bring you the rest of today’s politics (because it never stops!) and I’ll see you all in the morning.
Updated
Greens target renters in Melbourne seat of Wills
Over in Melbourne a little earlier, the Greens are hoping to pry the seat of Wills from Labor with their high profile candidate Samantha Ratnam (a former Victorian state MP).
Labor holds the seat on a 4.6% margin but the Greens fancy their chances.
They’re focused on housing, and pitching to voter what they reckon a Labor minority with the Greens will do.
Leader Adam Bandt was appealing particularly to renters – the seat (under the old boundaries before the redistribution) had 38% of its population renting – higher than the Australian average of just over 30%.
In Wills, there are many renters who are one more unjustified rent increase away from having to skip meals or look for a new place to live.
A third of the country rents and mortgage stress is growing, but all that Labor and Liberal have to offer them is unlimited rent increases.
For a refresher on the seats in play this election:
Updated
Coalition will increase small business write-off, says Cash
Coalition frontbencher and WA senator Michaelia Cash is talking to reporters in Perth, and responding to Anthony Albanese’s media appearances earlier this morning.
She points to Labor’s record on small business, and the instant asset write-off that was a regular feature of question time last week (both Liberal and Labor blaming each other for the write-off at risk of reverting back to $1000 for this financial year).
The write-off of $20,000 was finally legislated for this current financial year last week, while the parliament was sitting for the federal budget, but from 1 July 2026 (i.e next financial year) it will revert back to $1000.
Cash says the Coalition will increase the write-off even further.
On 1 July under Mr Albanese, the instant asset write-off reverts back to $1,000. How is that going to help small businesses across Australia and here in Western Australia invest back into their business, buy the equipment they need and grow their business ...? A Peter Dutton government, we will increase the instant asset write-off to $30,000 and we will make it permanent.
Updated
Liberal MP heckled at Melbourne mosque
Liberal MP Jason Wood has been heckled by protesters at a mosque in Melbourne’s outer eastern suburbs after announcing $6.5m for the Afghan community on behalf of Peter Dutton.
Wood attended the Afghan Islamic Centre and Omar Farooq Mosque in Doveton on Monday to mark Eid Al-Fitr and announce funding for the community, should the Coalition win the 3 May election.
A video seen by Guardian Australia shows prayers were interrupted by members of the congregation who, according to the mosque’s spokesperson Rokhan Akbar, objected to the presence of a Liberal politician at an Eid event:
[The protesters] actually planned this the night before. They created all this chaos in a place of worship. They did something that was uncivilised, appalling, extremely disappointing and embarrassing.
While [Wood] was speaking people were making noises inside [the mosque]. Some of them walked away. Some of them encouraged the youth to stand up in opposition.
We tried our best to calm them down. To pass on the message that [Wood] was here for a really good reason. They were supporting our community. $6.5m is not a small amount of money.
Updated
PM departs Perth
The press pack following Anthony Albanese is about to depart Perth, meaning we’ve spent less than 24 hours in the WA capital.
That’s election campaigns for you!
To quickly wrap up, Albanese did a round of local radio interviews on Monday morning before visiting a Perth hospital to pledge $200m for a major upgrade.
At his daily press conference, Albanese was pressed for detail on a Chinese vessel off Australia’s coast, hit out at Peter Dutton’s “hubris” for discussing plans to occupy Kirribilli and re-committed to legislating a federal environment protection agency (albeit in a different form).
Albanese also had his first slip-up of the campaign after replying “no” to his own question of whether he could rule out governing in Coalition with the Greens.
A Labor spokesperson later clarified:
The PM unequivocally ruled out a deal with the Greens today and every day for the last three years.
Monday’s flying visit marked Albanese’s 30th trip to WA as prime minister, and we can be certain that tally will rise during the campaign as Labor looks to shore up the gains it made in the mining state at the 2022 election.
Updated
Dutton tours flood-affected areas of Queensland
Peter Dutton’s media plane has landed back in Brisbane, ahead of his appearance on a Sky News special in the city tonight.
The opposition leader himself, however, is out in western QLD surveying areas affected by flooding.
His campaign took a small “pool” of media with him, due to limited space on the plane they took (which is a pretty standard scenario in situations where access is limited).
Here’s the first report from the pool journalist:
Opposition leader Peter Dutton and Nationals leader David Littleproud have just arrived in Thargomindah, about 1100 km west of Brisbane.
The Bulloo River is continuing to rise, and the levee is due to break later tonight.
About 70 people have so far been evacuated from their homes.
Updated
Streaming wars ramp up again
Leaving the election campaign for a moment …
Stars of popular streaming series The White Lotus have brought the glamour to the Australian launch of streaming service Max, reports AAP.
But just like the opulent White Lotus resorts, a darker side lurks beneath the luxury.
Max is not just another streaming service entering the local market - it’s likely to disrupt the whole Australian industry. Again.
The US streamer brings with it HBO, Warner Bros, the DC Universe and Discovery content, not to mention Harry Potter.
HBO alone is known for premium titles such as The Sopranos, Game of Thrones and The White Lotus, while another drawcard is the upcoming season two of global hit The Last of Us.
Foxtel-owned streamer Binge had been the local home of Warner’s HBO content, but these shows are expected to switch across to Max - with subscribers to follow.
RMIT television industry researcher Dr Alexa Scarlata says she believes there will be “a mass exodus from Binge over to Max, and that leaves Binge in a precarious position”.
She predicts subscription cancellation rates will rise, with the launch of Max setting off a period of industry consolidation.
What I anticipate in the next few years will be streaming services starting to gobble each other up and consolidate, because how many can we really sustain?
Updated
Kirribilli House versus the Lodge
It’s another Albanese versus Dutton comparison on who would reside where if elected (or re-elected) prime minister.
In case you missed it, Dutton said earlier this morning he’d live in Sydney as prime minister at Kirribilli House, which Labor was quick to mark as “arrogant” and showing “a fair bit of hubris”.
What’s all that fuss about? Henry Belot has all the details below:
Updated
Brisbane Labor candidate quizzed on Olympic stadium
Another big issue for inner-city Brisbane voters is, of course, the Olympics.
Brisbane Labor candidate Madonna Jarrett seems to have distanced herself from state government plans for a new 63,000 seat Olympic stadium.
At the end of the day, this was a decision by [premier] David Crisafulli and the LNP government. And they went to an election promising no new stadium, and here we have options for a new stadium. So I think David Crisafulli has to answer that question; his decision, his team.
Jim Chalmers then took over for the follow-up, whether the commonwealth would chip in for the venue.
We’re making a capped contribution of $3.4bn. We had two and a half (billion) set aside for the (Brisbane Live) Arena, and we had almost a billion set aside for local venues. And those local venues are largely going ahead. We will continue to work with and talk with the Queensland government. Everybody’s got an interest in making these Olympics amazing. This announcement by the state government has only been made relatively recently.
The Greens incumbent, Stephen Bates, firmly opposes the proposal on the basis that it would swallow green space in Victoria Park.
Updated
Treasurer coy on defining price gouging
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, spoke in Brisbane a little earlier today, announcing a new medical school at the Queensland University of Technology.
He was also asked how the government planned to define price gouging under its proposed ban for grocery prices after the prime minister was criticised for a lack of clear definition on the weekend.
When we work with the ACCC and with the Treasury, we will rely heavily on the definitions which have been implemented around the world, including in Europe and the UK.
We’ve said that price gouging is about excessive pricing. There are useful, workable definitions and lessons from overseas, and we’ll rely heavily on that as we finalise this regime.
Chalmers, a Queenslander, repeated the government’s line that the election is a “referendum on Medicare” five times.
Updated
Health experts welcome stronger regulations of baby and toddler foods
Public health experts have welcomed the decision from the food ministers to greenlight the creation of stronger regulations of baby and toddler foods.
Federal and state and territory food ministers received advice in a policy paper summarising concerns that these foods are often high in sugar and sodium, and do not necessarily provide key nutrients for babies and toddlers - despite often being marketed as healthy with product names and claims not matching ingredients. The paper outlines regulatory and non-regulatory approaches which could be introduced.
Federal and state and territory food ministers agreed to the policy position outlined in this paper:
A decision which will allow independent government agency Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to raise their own proposal for new regulations regarding what can be in these foods, how they are named and what marketing can feature on their packaging.
In a statement released this morning, Jane Martin, the executive manager of the Food for Health Alliance, welcomed the move:
I applaud food ministers for taking action to ensure higher standards are set for packaged baby and toddler foods. We know that industry won’t make these changes on their own, so action from government is crucial to ensure the health and development of young children.
Dr. Anthea Rhodes, a paediatrician at the Royal Children’s hospital, said in the same statement:
The first three years of a child’s life are essential for their development, so it’s crucial that foods specifically for them support their health, particularly as we know packaged baby and toddler foods account for a significant amount of young children’s diets in Australia.
Updated
No deal with Greens: Labor
Just back to the PM ruling in and out a preference deal with the Greens, a Labor spokesperson has told us:
The PM unequivocally ruled out a deal with the Greens today and every day for the last three years.
Updated
Election campaigns are synonymous with high vis, selfies and photo-ops with cute babies – and today has not failed to deliver.
We’ve got more pics of what the party leaders have been up to today.
Updated
Perth protesters call for live sheep exports to continue
Campaigners from the “Keep the Sheep” group to save the live sheep export trade staged a protest outside the Perth hospital where Albanese held this morning’s press conference.
For context, Labor passed laws to shutter the trade by 2028, sparking an angry backlash from WA farmers.
“Back WA farmers, back regional communities, we are trying to feed the planet,” shouted a protester, holding a poster with the words “Albo 4 the Chop”.
Updated
To rule out or rule in, that is the question
A gaffe occurred near the end of Albanese’s press conference, on whether Labor would preference the Greens at the election.
Take a look at what the PM said:
I have said we will not govern in coalition with anyone, including the Greens, that I rule out – I rule out. Just to be really clear again: if you ask me, “do you rule out governing in coalition with the Greens?”, the answer to that is no. I don’t negotiate with the Greens.
No? I don’t think that’s quite what he meant to say in the middle there…
Updated
PM swipes at Dutton on energy: ‘he doesn’t have a 2030 target’
Energy is a key battleground, and there’s a bit of a battle over modelling (and I don’t mean in the “Next Top Model” sense).
The Coalition hasn’t released its modelling on how much their gas or nuclear plans will reduce energy prices – and when those price drops (if they happen) will take effect.
Albanese is asked if Labor will also put out more modelling on their energy policies.
Our energy policy offering is all out there.
And he turns the focus back to the Coalition (something we’ve been seeing plenty of from all sides already).
He [Dutton] doesn’t have a 2030 [emissions] target. He doesn’t have a 2030 target. We have a 2030 target. We’re confident we’ll meet it and our policy is very clear…
Our policy is for renewables backed with firming capacity of gas and hydro.
Updated
PM still wants new environment watchdog but says it wouldn’t be ‘the same model’
A bit of a sticking point between state and federal Labor has been the introduction of an environmental protection agency.
It was well reported back in November – during the last sitting fortnight of 2024 – that a deal with Senate crossbenchers was imminent, but was derailed by the PM and lobbying from Roger Cook.
Labor has since said it’ll try again for a new EPA if it win reelection, and Albanese confirms it won’t be “the same model”.
We won’t be legislating the same model, point one. What we’ll be doing is attempting to legislate an EPA.
There is industry and environmental groups who both recognise that it’s not fit for purpose. What we’ll do is work it through, we’ll consult widely, make sure that we get it right, and that is what we will legislate: something that provides certainty for industry and the way that processes occur – but also provides for sustainability.
Updated
PM would prefer Chinese ship off coast ‘wasn’t there’
Albanese is asked further questions on what that Chinese vessel is researching and what the government is doing to protect Australia’s undersea cables from monitoring or sabotage.
Albanese says authorities are continuing to monitor the vessel.
We won’t – for obvious reasons – broadcast everything that we’re doing. But we’re keeping an eye on this, as we do….
The Australian Defence Force is monitoring what is happening. It’s going from New Zealand - we expect it to go around to China around that way.
Is the PM concerned about the vessel?
Albanese says he’d “prefer that it wasn’t there”.
But we live in circumstances where, just as Australia has vessels in the South China Sea and vessels in the Taiwan Strait and a range of areas, this vessel is there. What our task is to do is to make sure that we represent Australia’s national interests….
I have every confidence - every confidence - in our defence force and our security agencies to do just that.
Updated
PM says Australia monitoring Chinese ship off coast
Albanese has responded to reports about a Chinese research vessel currently off the coast in Australia’s exclusive economic zone.
It’s reportedly considered a dual-purpose ship for spying as well as performing scientific research.
Albanese says the ship has been in New Zealand, and the government is monitoring the vessel.
It’s been in New Zealand on a joint research operation, and this isn’t the first time that a similar vessel has been around the Australian coast. It occurred in 2020, for example, just to give one example. Australia, as you would expect, is monitoring this.
Updated
PM says Medicare boost also helps mental health
We’re on to questions, and Albanese is asked about the lack of additional investments in mental health in the budget (in Peter Dutton’s budget reply he recommitted to increase the number of subsidised mental health sessions from 10 to 20, and promised $400m for youth mental health).
Albanese says they’ve funded Medicare mental health centres and opened more.
Mark Butler adds that Labor’s funding for GP bulk billing also supports mental health.
The most important thing we do, first of all, is to expand bulk-billing access to GPs. GPs do more mental health work than any other part of the health workforce. The investments we’ve made in bulk-billing cover mental health items for GPs to be able to do that work as well.
We’ve also expanded Headspace. Only a short [time] ago we announced a range of expansions to Headspace, including modernising the model of care there.
Butler says a new early digital intervention service (that Labor announced early last year) will open on 1 January.
Updated
Premier wants WA to be Australia’s ‘healthiest state’
Roger Cook (who just celebrated a very comfortable Labor win in the 8 March state election) has welcomed the joint agreement, saying he wants WA “to be the healthiest state in the nation”.
The WA premier Cook is rattling off a list of projects his government has committed to to reduce wait times and “tackle ambulance ramping”.
Next is health minister Mark Butler, who’s giving Trish Cook a plug, saying it would be “terrific” to have another nurse in the Labor caucus (the other is assistant health minister Ged Kearney).
Updated
PM sticks with Medicare pitch in Perth
Anthony Albanese says he’s met his KPI in visiting WA 30 times since becoming prime minister:
I committed in 2022 to come here 10 times a year I’ve met that KPI, and I’ll exceed it because chances are, to the premier, I’ll be back over the next over the coming weeks.
He’s with the WA premier, health minister Mark Butler, Labor MP Tania Lawrence, and the candidate for Bullwinkel, Trish Cook.
Bullwinkel is a new seat but is notionally Labor with a 3.3% margin.
As expected, with a bright green Medicare logo backdrop, Albanese is focused on the health announcement.
Only Labor is strengthening Medicare.
Whether it be our funding for public hospitals, our health and hospitals agreement delivered – $1.7 billion extra this year ... You have then the tripling of the bulk-billing incentive – $8.5 billion to make sure that people can see a GP for free. And, of course, our 50 new Medicare Urgent Care clinics.
Updated
Baby and bountiful hair charm PM
We’re standing by for the prime minister, who’s at St John of God hospital in Midland in the Perth seat of Hasluck.
Albanese first toured the maternity ward and met baby Amber, who is just 27 hours old, joined by premier Roger Cook and Labor MP for Hasluck Tania Lawrence
They met mum Harsimranjeet Sidhu, who also has a five-year-old daughter, and said “my first one wanted a sister, she prayed for her”.
The PM picked up baby Amber and told her mum that “she’s beautiful … so much hair”.
The highlight of my day for sure.
The group then met with nurses and were joined by trained nurse and midwife Trish Cook, who is Labor’s candidate for the new seat of Bullwinkel.
Cook brought along her original nursing badge, as Albanese said Labor was hoping to recruit a nurse into parliament.
Updated
Campaign metaphor?
Checking back over the footage of Peter Dutton’s visit to the Cougar mining factory, there was an interesting moment where he jumped in a mining vehicle – and it appeared the factory employee behind the wheel couldn’t get the engine started.
A campaign metaphor? We’ll let you judge. Dutton wasn’t in the driver’s seat either, sitting in the passenger side instead.
Dutton did an extensive walk-through of the factory sheds, checking out work benches and machinery and chatting warmly to workers. He spoke to a number of employees, one who said the cost of living issue was “killing” people in the Paterson area.
Updated
Dutton presser leaves much unanswered on Coalition energy policies
Well that was an interesting press conference from Peter Dutton, with more questions than answers still about his energy, gas and nuclear policies – as we stand in the Hunter region, which would house a large nuclear reactor under the Coalition’s plan.
The opposition leader flatly rejected analysis from the Department of Energy which raised caution that the Liberal-commissioned modelling of their nuclear policy may have vastly underestimated costs around maintenance and construction. He scorned energy minister Chris Bowen as a “partisan player”, saying he wouldn’t take him “at his word on anything”– but Dutton failed to mount any serious argument, rebuttal or response to the department’s analysis.
Dutton also did not stand by his previous claim that his nuclear plants would produce just a Coke can of waste per year – an argument he mounted several times in mid-2024, for how much nuclear waste each of the small modular reactors would leave behind. Dutton said the government was already experienced in disposing of nuclear waste, but after being pressed several times, did not say how much waste each plant would produce - saying only that it would depend on the size of the plant.
But he also declined to say how big the Hunter plant would be. The Nine newspapers reported in December that a large plant, like the one that would be built in the Hunter, would more likely produce in the vicinity of 30 tonnes of nuclear waste a year.
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Albanese makes first stop of WA visit with healthcare push on cards
We’ve arrived at St John of God Midland public hospital in Perth’s eastern suburbs for Anthony Albanese’s first campaign stop of his Western Australia trip.
As we reported earlier, federal Labor has pledged $200m towards a $355m upgrade that includes extra beds, a new intensive care unit and emergency department.
The announcement continues the government’s early focus on health and Medicare as the prime minister attempts to frame the campaign around a perceived Labor policy strength and Coalition weakness.
The prime minister is expected to tour the hospital’s maternity ward before he holds a press conference with the WA premier, Roger Cook, the federal health minister, Mark Butler, the Hasluck MP, Tania Lawrence, and Labor’s candidate for the new seat of Bullwinkel, Trish Cook.
Albanese will have a spring in his step this morning after the latest Newspoll in The Australian put Labor ahead 51-49 two-party preferred.
It followed a YouGov poll published on Sunday that showed Labor would fall just one seat short of a majority if an election was held today – a significant improvement from just one month ago.
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Dutton on his Sydney mosque visit
Returning to Peter Dutton’s press conference a bit earlier, he was asked about comments from the leaders of a south-west Sydney mosque he attended yesterday, telling the Daily Telegraph they didn’t want his visit treated as “an endorsement”, and that they had “deep concern” over his previous comments on Lebanese Muslims.
Those comments were back in 2016 when Dutton said former PM Malcolm Fraser “did make mistakes in bringing some people in”. He followed that up a week later with: “The advice I have is that out of the last 33 people who have been charged with terrorist-related offences in this country, 22 of those people are from second and third generation Lebanese-Muslim background.”
Today Dutton said in response:
The point that I was making yesterday, and the point that I’ve made consistently through my career, is that people should be able to live in our country, in our society, particularly in the 21st century, peacefully and with freedom.
I don’t tolerate attacks on mosques, not on churches, not on temples, not on any place of worship, and I’ve been very clear about that.
On whether Dutton would apologise for those past comments:
I have never discriminated against any criminal, I am opposed to all of them.
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Dutton’s Canberra snub showed ‘hubris’ – PM
Anthony Albanese says Peter Dutton showed a “fair bit of hubris” this morning after he suggested he would live in Kirribilli House in Sydney over the Lodge in Canberra if elected as prime minister.
Dutton told Kiis FM this morning he’d choose the harbour-side residence “any day” over Australia’s centre of power.
Albanese told Nova FM in Perth he thought Dutton “showed a fair bit of hubris” by making the admission.
The prime minister’s residence, of course, is the Lodge. Not Kirribilli.
As Krishani Dhanji mentioned earlier, it’s a trend of Coalition prime ministers to snub the nation’s capital when in power.
The former prime ministers Scott Morrison and John Howard both lived in Kirribilli House, but stayed at the Lodge when in Canberra.
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Albanese says Scott Morrison left international relations in ‘diabolical’ state
While Peter Dutton was standing up for his press conference in the Hunter Valley, Anthony Albanese dropped into the Nova radio studio in Perth to give a broad-ranging interview.
The prime minister was asked about Donald Trump ahead of his announcement of a second round of tariffs, which the US president has referred to as “Liberation Day”.
Albanese declined to say anything negative about the US leader, as he has done since coming into office, but said he had held two positive discussions with Trump since his election.
My job as prime minister is to be respectful to leaders, and that’s what I will continue to do, and we’ve been very effective when I came to this job.
But the prime minister couldn’t resist taking a whack at his predecessor Scott Morrison, who infamously had a public stoush with the French president, Emmanuel Macron.
Albanese said:
Our relationship with France was diabolical. Our relationship with the United States was bad too, because they got told that France had no problems with the deal and the relationship with the Pacific and Asean was diabolical … the credibility to open the door to international relationships in our region is taking climate change seriously. Scott Morrison didn’t. There was major pushback from countries in the region. We’ve repaired all of that.
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Fact check: is Labor proposing green hydrogen as base-load power?
Earlier, Peter Dutton said Labor will use green hydrogen as base-load power – that’s not quite the case.
In October the government pledged $100m for the Port of Newcastle’s Clean Energy Precinct, which it said would support green hydrogen and ammonia production and storage, distribution and export. (This did not mention its use as a base-load power source).
More generally, Anthony Albanese has announced significant funding for green hydrogen production – including access to production credits.
Green hydrogen is being targeted mostly for industry use, to create green metals (a process that is traditionally very energy intensive). The government has suggested it may be used as a replacement for gas fast-start peaking plants that would be turned on as a backup, only when needed, but this is not intended to be its main use.
But there have been growing doubts about how much hydrogen really can play a role in the energy transition, which you can read more about here:
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Dutton asked about coal jobs
One of the key concerns in areas like the Hunter, a mining area, is what workers and those living in the area will do if the jobs dry up as the coal fired power plants shut down.
The Coalition has promised to build nuclear power stations on seven sites with ageing coal fired power plans (including one in the Hunter), but the timeline shows those plants are well over a decade away.
Dutton is asked what answers he has for the area – which a journalist says is facing 12,000 job losses. Dutton shifts the blame back on to Labor.
The answer they are getting from the government is that green hydrogen will be the base-load power, and when people talk about the timelines of nuclear, have a look at the prospect and the commerciality of green hydrogen. It’s just a joke. People are pulling money out of that …
So we have a much more positive plan for not just the Hunter region but for Australia.
(More on that base-load power line in a moment.)
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Dutton refuses to say how much power prices would drop under gas plan
Asked exactly how much electricity and gas prices will drop under the Coalition’s plan, Dutton won’t say.
He says there will be more detail, but shapes up the choice between the two parties.
We will have, in terms of our offering at the next election to the Australian people, a definite plan about how we can reduce prices. Not just to keep downward pressure, but I want to reduce power prices, I want to reduce power prices because that is how we’re going to bring grocery prices down.
He’s getting hounded by questions from journalists at the presser on exactly how much energy prices would or wouldn’t come down.
You can see Dutton is reluctant to come up with an exact figure (having spent so much time attacking Labor for its broken promise to bring down prices by $275).
The government is choking supply – so they are stopping gas coming to the system, which is what will force up prices. And we say to the companies that there is a requirement to put that back into the system through the mechanism we put in place.
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Peter Dutton speaking in Newcastle
Peter Dutton is standing up in Newcastle this morning, in the NSW Hunter region.
He’s starting out on energy prices (a key election showdown between Labor and the Coalition) and the cost of living, and claims the Coalition’s gas plan will bring prices down.
The prime minister has walked away today from his commitment to the $275 reduction …
They [Labor] have driven up the price of everything, groceries are up by 30% and one of the ways we believe we can help families is by cutting the price of fuel by 25 cents a litre. That will help families immediately and we will do that immediately after the election. If Anthony Albanese and the Greens are elected after the election, you will get a 70c-a-day tax cut in 15 months’ time.
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Bob Brown Foundation to fight salmon farming law in court
The Bob Brown Foundation has launched a court challenge to controversial new legislation to protect the Tasmanian salmon farming industry.
It said it had made an application in the federal court to argue that a bill that passed parliament last week should not apply to a government reconsideration whether a 2012 expansion of fish farming in Macquarie Harbour, on the state’s west coast, was properly approved.
The amendment to national nature laws – the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act – passed with Labor and Coalition support. It was specifically designed to end the reconsideration, which has been ongoing for 16 months.
Bob Brown Foundation campaigner Alistair Allan said the organisation had asked the court to rule that the environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, must still make a decision on the legality of the original approval of the salmon farming expansion.
He said under the new law a reconsideration could be stopped if a development had been ongoing or recurring for at least five years. The Bob Brown Foundation will argue that salmon farming in the harbour has changed significantly over the past five years.
Allan said “our campaign to save the ancient and unique Maugean Skate is far from over”.
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Feminist activist Merle Thornton to be given Brisbane statue
Another quick digression from the campaign trail:
Pioneering feminist activist Merle Thornton will be commemorated by a statue in Queensland.
The LNP announced the move this morning, which was originally promised under former Labor premier Steven Miles.
The statue will be built near the Regatta Hotel, in Brisbane’s Toowong. Thornton and Rosalie Bogner chained themselves to its bar in 1965 to protest a legal ban on serving women in pubs in Queensland.
The protest is regarded as one of the first second-wave feminist actions in Australia and came before the formation of any organised feminist group. The law was repealed five years later.
Minister for women, Fiona Simpson, said the project is in an early planning stage.
Thornton was later involved in the successful campaign to remove the marriage bar from the commonwealth public service.
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Albanese spruiks ‘fantastic’ investment in Perth hospital
Anthony Albanese is in Perth to announce hospital funding, an early stop in his campaign.
As Dan Jervis-Bardy brought you a little earlier, the funding today is a joint $355m upgrade for St John of God Midland public hospital in Perth’s east, which federal Labor would contribute $200m towards.
The hospital sits in the key seat of Hasluck, which Labor won from the Coalition in 2022.
The PM is spruiking the funding on ABC Perth:
We’re investing to deliver more hospital beds, more operating theatres, more ICU, more neonatal care and a new emergency department. So this is a fantastic announcement. It comes on top of boosting WA public hospitals funding to more than $3.6bn in the coming year, which is about cutting waiting lists and reducing time in ED and dealing with these issues.
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Dutton arrives at mining business in NSW Hunter region
Peter Dutton’s campaign has arrived in the Labor seat of Paterson, in NSW’s Hunter region. We’re at a mining business, where Dutton will do a factory tour and a press conference shortly.
Appearing with him are the Liberal candidates for Paterson and the nearby seat of Shortland, as well as senator Maria Kovacic.
There’s been a lot of hi-vis already on Dutton’s campaign trail and today is no different.
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Qantas announces board shake-up
Qantas has announced advertising veteran Todd Sampson will retire as a director from the airline’s board, and will leave the organisation on 31 July this year.
Dion Weisler has been appointed as an independent non-executive director with immediate effect, which Qantas says is in line with its commitment to renew the board.
In a statement, the Qantas chair, John Mullen, said Sampson’s “guidance and insights have been deeply appreciated” during one of the “most challenging” periods in airline history.
On behalf of the board, I’d like to express our gratitude to Todd for his contributions over the past ten years.
With a significantly refreshed board and executive team in place, Qantas is in a strong position to deliver for its customers, people and shareholders, and regain its place as one of Australia’s most trusted brands.
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Queensland to list new offences under controversial youth crime laws
Moving away from the election coverage for a moment:
The Queensland state government is set to introduce legislation into parliament this week in order to sentence more children as adults in the court system.
The government’s first round of “adult crime, adult time” legislation became law last year. It included 13 offences including murder, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and break and entry and applies to children as young as 10.
The premier, David Crisafulli, announced on Sunday that more offences would be added to the list, including rape, attempted murder, aggravated attempted robbery, torture and arson.
This is the next stage, but it won’t be the last stage, we won’t rest until we arrest the youth crime crisis.
Children as young as 10 face a potential life sentence for attempted murder, rape and arson, or 14 years for torture or aggravated attempted robbery.
The first round of legislation came under criticism by experts, legal groups, human rights advocates and the United Nations.
The new legislation was recommended by a five-person panel appointed by the LNP. The Labor opposition called on the government to publish the group’s advice.
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AEC warns against unsolicited postal vote applications over data privacy concerns
The Australian electoral commission (AEC) is this morning warning voters against using unsolicited postal vote application forms.
The AEC says political parties and candidates reportedly use the application forms – which can be sent via SMS, email or post – can collect data about voters before being forwarded to the commission.
There’s specific eligibility criteria for putting in a postal vote, which you can read on the AEC’s website here.
The AEC commissioner, Jeff Pope, says the number-one complaint they receive at almost every federal elections are concerns about unsolicited postal vote applications from political parties.
The AEC does not distribute unsolicited postal vote applications. If you receive an application form for a postal vote in the mail, or via SMS, it hasn’t come from the AEC.
People should always carefully consider what they’re doing with their personal information. The AEC takes privacy seriously and operates under the Privacy Act. Political parties don’t have to.
The AEC says it gave the same warning to voters during the 2022 election.
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Lambie calls for east coast gas reserve
Jacqui Lambie (and her independent Senate colleague David Pocock) have been calling for a gas reserve policy on the east coast.
She told Sky News:
This could happen tomorrow, we could put in a 15% gas reserve policy, we’ve already seen it go off in WA, it’s doing extremely well there. There’s no reason why we can’t run that across the country, full stop.
If you want to see the gas companies jump up and down you can go 20 or 25% but let’s not go into an argument with them coming up to the election.
But Pocock has explicitly said that reserve shouldn’t also come with an increase in gas plants – as the Coalition has been planning.
Last week he told the ABC Australia didn’t have a gas supply shortage – “we have a gas export problem”.
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Lambie says small business tax rate should be lowered to 15%
The peak body for small business, the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (Cosboa) is launching a campaign blitz to pressure Labor and the Coalition to do more for the sector.
The body is calling for the company tax rate to be lowered from 25% to 20%.
Independent senator Jacqui Lambie told Sky News a little earlier that small business is “on its knees” and the tax rate should be lowered even further.
I’d be going further – Cosboa is being nice and they’re being kind – I’d go 15%. Also, it is about time David Pocock and I were promised to make sure we have a definition of business, outside of that, from 15 [staff] to 25. Small business is on its knees …
This is not looking good.
Small business support was a key political issue in parliament last week, when both major parties accused the other of stalling progress on the instant asset write-off.
Labor said the Coalition had left legislation hostage in the Senate to legislate a write-off of $20,000 for this financial year, while the Coalition said Labor needed to also legislate to continue the write off for the next financial year.
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Meanwhile, the Coalition are trying to snag a few crucial seats from Labor in the Hunter region of NSW.
Peter Dutton is there this morning, as Josh Butler brought you earlier.
So what are the main issues there? Ben Doherty spoke to a small business owner on how he’s feeling about the election.
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There’ll be plenty of seats that come down to the wire at this election, and WA is no different.
The west is essential for Labor if they want to stay ahead of the Coalition.
But what are some of the biggest issues on the ground, and what are the issues that could ultimately decide the election?
Narelle Towie has given us a picture of what life is like for a Perth tradie and how he sees the two political parties:
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Dutton says if elected he would live in Kirribilli 'any day over Canberra'
Peter Dutton was on Kiis FM a little earlier this morning, where he told Kyle and Jackie O he’d stay in Sydney over the Lodge in Canberra (where Anthony Albanese currently resides).
We would live in Kirribilli. We love Sydney, we love the harbour, it’s a great city, and so yes. You’ve got the choice between Kirribilli or living in Canberra. I think I’ll take Sydney any day over living in Canberra.
A bit of trivia for you:
Scott Morrison and John Howard both lived in Kirribilli House, and then stayed at the Lodge when in Canberra.
Tony Abbott also lived in Kirribilli House, as the Lodge was being renovated, while Malcolm Turnbull lived in his Point Piper home until the renovations were finished, and he moved into the Lodge in 2016.
Kevin Rudd (who also hails from Queensland) lived in the Lodge, as did Julia Gillard – but she only moved in after she won the 2010 election.
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Coalition continues mixed message on referendum
Asked again about whether or not the Coalition would hold any referendums if in government, Paterson reiterated to RN Breakfast there are “no plans”… except they’re still considering one to give politicians the power to cancel the citizenship of criminal dual citizens.
We have no plans to hold any referendums if we win the next election. The only referendum that we would contemplate as a last resort is if legislative change to allow us to cancel citizenship of people who commit very serious crimes is not successful, then we will keep that on the table as a last resort.
So no plans, except there is a plan for one of the three that Peter Dutton mentioned on Sunday (and you can recap those three here).
We’ll keep following this issue.
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Who can bring down energy prices more?
Liberal campaign spokesperson James Paterson is now joining RN Breakfast, remaining coy on when the price modelling for the Coalition’s gas plan will be released, and by how much it will reduce energy bills.
Famously, Labor promised dozens of times during the last election campaign that household bills would drop $275 under Labor (and if you don’t remember them saying it, you’ll remember the dozens more times the Coalition has reminded them of that promise).
Paterson says, “we’re not making this specific promise like the prime minister did before the last election … when Anthony Albanese abandons the Reputex modelling that he used to promise 97 times that he would reduce power bills by $275”.
Exactly how will the mechanism work? What are the actual numbers?
The way the east coast gas market works is about 2000 petajoules are produced in Australia on the east coast each year. Of that only less than 500 is consumed domestically, and about 1,500 is exported internationally.
Now from that 1,500, which is exported internationally, we are saying [we] will require between 50 and 100 of those petajoules to be diverted into the domestic market.
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Gallagher says taskforce would determine what constitutes price-gouging
Over to Labor’s campaign spokesperson (and finance minister) Katy Gallagher, who’s on RN Breakfast, talking about the plan to stop supermarket price gouging.
How will it work? Gallagher says it’ll be up to a taskforce to determine:
We’re going to have a taskforce that will look at this. This is with Treasury, ACCC and other experts, to really look at how you would define if a price is excessive. There’s different definitions overseas …
Look, there are examples that people would see where they think, wow, those prices have really gone up much more than the market conditions would expect. And we saw that in Covid when people were trying to buy rapid antigen tests, for example. So we have seen examples of it, and this will allow us to get ahead of that.
But what about the fact that the ACCC didn’t find evidence of price gouging in its report to the government?
Gallagher says there were examples of prices escalating, and that the supermarket sector is “highly concentrated” and their market share is increasing.
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Dutton campaign touches down in Newcastle
Good morning from Newcastle, where Peter Dutton’s campaign has just touched down after an early morning flight from Sydney.
The Hunter region is high on the Liberal hitlist, with their eyes on the seats of Hunter, Paterson and Shortland. This is also one of the areas where Dutton plans to build a nuclear power station.
No word on our itinerary yet (the Dutton camp keeps their cards quite close to their chest) but we’ll keep you updated.
The opposition leader will be in Brisbane later today.
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Marles defends security relationship with US despite Signal leak
Moving on to US politics, and asked whether US vice-president JD Vance’s trip to Greensland has been provocative, Richard Marles says (unsurprisingly) that he won’t give a running commentary.
What about the story that rocked the US (and globe) last week, when a journalist was added to a group chat with top level officials including Marles’ counterpart, the US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth?
Marles says he’ll leave Hegseth to answer those questions:
We have a very close security relationship with the United States. We do share a lot of information with the United States, in a very secure environment and that is really important for our awareness, for our own security.
We make a real contribution to America’s as well. That information sharing has been one of the key parts of the alliance over decades and it will continue to be so. It is deeply important for us.
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Marles says price gouging laws will ensure prices ‘kept as a low as possible’
Deputy PM and defence minister Richard Marles is also on News Breakfast, questioned on the promise to take action against supermarkets “taking the piss” and price gouging consumers.
Marles says it’s “an important step forward”.
If you have got essential goods and services in a sector where there are companies with market power, price gouging in those circumstances will be made unlawful and that is the heart of the legislation you see elsewhere.
Marles says it’s been done overseas, and the legislation should exist in Australia too.
It will make a difference to ensure prices are kept as low as possible for consumers.
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More on the state of play in the west
Following from our last post …
The question for Albanese and opposition leader, Peter Dutton, is how much of the WA state result will translate to the federal election.
The Liberals’ best hopes of gaining ground in WA are in independent Kate Chaney’s seat of Curtin, the Labor-held seat of Tangney and the new electorate of Bullwinkel.
WA operates in its own political bubble at times, focusing intensely on issues that don’t always garner attention “over east” (read: the rest of the country).
So here’s a little primer.
There’s a fair chance Albanese will be asked to recommit to WA GST’s deal, a controversial arrangement that guarantees a 75 cent-in-the-dollar share even when the state’s coffers are overflowing with mining royalties.
My tip: He will. Why? Because he doesn’t want to lose every single seat in WA.
The Labor leader can expect to be grilled about banning the live sheep export industry – most of which is in WA – and plans to resurrect a federal environmental watchdog, which Albanese shelved (twice) amid lobbying from Cook and miners.
You can be sure the prime minister will highlight the government’s very WA-centric $13.7bn tax credits for critical minerals and green hydrogen production – and Dutton’s pledge to scrap them if he wins on 3 May.
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Albanese in Perth for hospital funding pledge
Labor would help fund a $355m upgrade of a major Perth hospital if it wins the 3 May federal election.
Anthony Albanese will make the announcement on Monday alongside the WA premier, Roger Cook, after flying into the western capital for his first visit of the campaign.
Albanese will pledge $200m to the planned upgrade of St John of God Midland public hospital, which includes 60 extra beds, two operating theatres, a new intensive care unit and emergency department.
The Cook government will fund the remaining $155m.
The commitment is expected to be among several health-related announcements in the first full week of the campaign, as Albanese attempts to frame the election narrative around one of Labor’s biggest policy strengths.
The health minister, Mark Butler, said:
This election is a choice between Labor’s plan to keep building or Peter Dutton’s promise to cut. Only a vote for Labor is a vote for stronger Medicare.
As mentioned yesterday, WA has been a Labor stronghold since former premier Mark McGowan closed the border at the start of the pandemic, delivering Albanese four seats – and majority government – at the 2022 election.
Although McGowan is long gone, Cook’s thumping state election victory showed the Labor brand remains strong while the Liberals continue to struggle, winning just seven of 59 seats at the 8 March state poll.
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Paterson: No plans to hold any referendum (except …)
On the back-and-forth over the Coalition holding up to three referendums if they form government, Paterson says:
No. We have no plans to hold any referendums if we are elected at this election. The only exception to that is, Peter Dutton has said very clearly a number of times, that if our efforts to protect the community from … violent citizens and cancel their citizenship is thwarted by the courts, then we will leave on the table as a last resort, the option of a referendum.
Paterson says on criminal dual citizens, the Coalition would try to address the issue through legislation first.
Where has all this chatter about not one, but three referendums come from?
You can read how the idea came – and went – here:
Paterson’s also asked about defence and migration – two key issues that the Coalition has promised more announcements on.
He says the public will have “not long to wait” before more details are made public.
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Paterson says Coalition are “underdogs”
The Liberals’ campaign spokesperson, James Paterson (you can tell he’s the spokesperson from the giant “let’s get Australia back on track” backdrop behind him) is fronting ABC News Breakfast this morning.
He says “it wouldn’t be an election campaign without a slogan”.
Paterson is asked about the latest polling which shows Labor able to form minority, and within striking distance of a majority. He acknowledges the election will be close and says the Coalition are the “underdogs”.
Paterson also blames some of the loss in support for the Liberals on “dirt” being thrown by the government at opposition leader Peter Dutton.
Is he concerned about the polls?
I am not concerned. What these polls show is the election is close. It will be decided in the campaign. We have a positive message about how we will get our country back on track.
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John Howard meets Peter Dutton on campaign trail
Some election trail gossip – we spotted former Liberal PM John Howard in the lobby of Peter Dutton’s hotel in Sydney last night, being escorted upstairs by some of the opposition leader’s staff.
We hear Howard joined Dutton for a private meeting last night.
Howard, a Liberal legend and victor of four elections, is a mainstay fixture of Coalition campaigns – and a favourite of Dutton, who describes the former PM as his political example – so it’s not surprising to see him on the trail already.
Particularly as his old seat of Bennelong, held by Labor, is one of the tightest races in the country and one the Liberals really need to win to have a chance of forming government.
For anyone wondering, we heard Howard waxing lyrical in the lobby about the big win of his beloved St George Illawarra Dragons in the NRL over the weekend – an unexpected 14-8 win over competition favourites Melbourne Storm.
Howard was photographed in the dressing sheds after the game, celebrating with the Dragons team, and he was heard talking about his afternoon out at Kogarah oval.
The Dutton campaign is taking to the skies straight away this morning, flying off somewhere unknown (at this stage). We’ll expect a presser this morning.
Dutton is due to join a Sky News event in Brisbane later tonight, but before then, it’s anyone’s guess.
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Labor to release new analysis of Dutton’s nuclear plan
Labor is set to keep hounding Peter Dutton on the costs and price impacts of his nuclear and gas plans, with the energy minister, Chris Bowen, to highlight advice he says he has from his departmental bureaucrats raising concerns that the costs of building seven nuclear power plants could be much higher than Dutton says.
Analysis of Dutton’s nuclear plan from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water – to be detailed further on Monday – says departmental experts say costs could be higher including in construction, refurbishment of the plants later in their lives, as well as the costs of extending Australia’s coal fleet, as the nuclear plan requires.
The analysis was done at Bowen’s request and delivered to the government before the caretaker period began – so we can expect Dutton will accuse Bowen of weaponising the public service, as the Coalition did when Jim Chalmers got treasury to cost the Coalition’s tax-deductible business lunch policy.
But the DCCEEW report also raises doubts that the nuclear plants could produce as much electricity as the Coalition claims they would, and warns Australia would need more power than the Coalition models for.
We’ll expect to hear more from Bowen and Labor this morning on this, and Dutton’s response when he fronts the media later on. In a statement, Bowen said the opposition was trying to “hide” the cost:
Peter Dutton is trying desperately to hide the true cost of his $600bn nuclear scheme. They don’t want to talk about a plan that is riddled with fundamental errors. Their so-called modelling is a con.
Dutton has pledged to release Frontier economics modelling of his gas plan within days.
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Welcome
Good morning,
Krishani Dhanji here with you, and we’re on leader watch this morning as Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton work their way around the country to vie for voters’ attention and trust.
Last night the prime minister flew over to WA – which swung heavily to Labor at the last election, and will be essential if the party wants to form at least a minority government. Albanese will be sand-bagging those seats as much as he possibly can.
There Albanese is making a hospital announcement this morning, while his energy minister Chris Bowen releases new analysis from his department of Dutton’s nuclear plan.
Dutton spent last night in Sydney, and our reporter Josh Butler, who’s travelling with him, tells us he met with former PM John Howard at his hotel.
The Liberal plane will be flying elsewhere this morning … we’ll be waiting to see where they touch down.
We’ll bring you all their movements and announcements.
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