The Treasurer and his opposition counterpart have faced off in a televised debate as the mid-election rate rise puts the cost of living front and centre in the campaign.
Look back at how the day's election campaigning unfolded.
Key events
- What do Frydenberg and Chalmers think the other would do?
- What's the plan to get tax to GDP and spending to GDP into line?
- Time for the Treasurer/Shadow Treasurer to ask the questions
- Our next question is on power prices
- Cost of Medicare, NDIS and aged care in 10 years time
- This next question is about the Coalition's attacks on Albanese's economic record
- Why isn't either side talking about increasing skilled migration?
- When is the reckless spending going to stop?
- How is funding for dog parks a good idea?
- Jim Chalmers says Labor's energy infrastructure plans would be included in first budget
- Bridget Archer says she'll again vote against own party if Liberals re-introduce Religious Discrimination Bill
- Kristina Keneally says Labor will match Coalition's promise to freeze deeming rates
- Coalition promises to freeze pensions for older Australians if re-elected
- Frydenberg says he doesn't owe Monique Ryan an apology for bringing her family into campaign
- Frydenberg says government takes responsibility 'for the factors we can control'
- NAB lifts rates by 0.25%
- When is the Treasury debate due to kick off?
Live updates
By Jonathan Hepburn
And that's where we leave you for today
Good afternoon and good night, dear readers, for I have been given the nod to put this blog to bed.
Join us tomorrow for another day's campaigning and another National Press Club debate.
In the meantime, get your politics fix at news.abc.net.au, the ABC app available on the app store relevant to you, or our Australia Votes portal for this 2022 election.
By Jonathan Hepburn
Why politics in Melbourne may never be the same
But in the 2022 election, a group of "teal" independents are putting previously safe seats — including the Treasurer Josh Frydenberg's seat of Kooyong — under threat.
ABC Radio Melbourne's Raf Epstein joins Melissa Clarke and James Glenday to discuss a campaign unlike any he's seen before.
By Jonathan Hepburn
Adam Bandt is asked about the Smart Energy Council
The council is an organisation advocating for renewable energy, and Liberal senator Andrew Bragg has called for its charity status to be revoked or at least reviewed. The Greens have done some campaigning with the council.
Mr Bandt says he can not speak to the council's legal status, but he pointed out the organisation has supported people on all sides of politics, including former Liberal premier of New South Wales Gladys Berejiklian, former NSW energy minister Matt Kean and Clive Palmer.
He said the government should look at its policies, not complain about others:
You have an organisation that has been prepared to stand next to any side of politics, I think it is more about Liberal senator Andrew Bragg, it shows what the federal government's climate policies are.
…
It shows the Liberals are getting desperate. They are behind in the polls and they know that the ABC Vote Compass shows climate change is the number one issue of people s minds in this election.
That is why we are making it our key issue as well and saying to Labor and Liberal to stop opening up coal and gas minds and let's get onto renewables.
The Liberals have nothing to offer in the selection, that is why they need to go. If this is something they were really concerned about, something Andrew Bragg was really concerned about, they have had nearly a decade to come up with a new — good climate and renewables plan and they haven't. Don't go blaming the people who have been calling out, they should look in the mirror instead.
By Jonathan Hepburn
Adam Bandt says the Greens have had their policies costed by the Parliamentary Budget Office
He says there is a lot of money to be saved to help fund their promises by stopping handouts to billionaires and big corporations.
He said stopping handouts to fossil fuel mining companies would fund adding dental care into Medicare.
He also pointed to large corporations avoiding tax:
The gas industry — 27 big corporations brought in $78 billion in revenue between them. They paid $0 tax. When a nurse pays more tax than a multinational, something is wrong.
By Jonathan Hepburn
Greens leader Adam Bandt is speaking to Afternoon Briefing
He's been in Queensland and has been nominating seats he thinks the Greens can take off Labor:
The Greens' support is growing across the country as the election campaign becomes more and more this really narrow contest between a terrible government and a vision-less opposition.
We are offering a vision and tackling the big issues. In Queensland, in those inner areas in Brisbane, there are two Liberal seats and one Labor-held seat at the moment where our vote and support is growing and that is because, increasingly, people understand that we have got some pretty big issues this country is facing in the housing affordability crisis and the climate crisis.
Mr Bandt says the Greens offer a clear alternative to the two major parties: No more coal or gas mines, getting dental and mental health care in Medicare, affordable housing, free child care, wiping student debt.
By Jonathan Hepburn
Liberal senator Anne Ruston speaks to Afternoon Briefing
The South Australian senator spoke to Greg Jennett a little while ago, and was asked about the freeze to deeming rates for pensioners.
She said it was about providing certainty:
I think the decision was largely based on being able to create some certainty for older Australians, particularly those older Australians on a pension, either full or part pension, and other people on government payments, to give them some certainty.
Obviously, the last two years has been a terribly uncertain time for all Australians — we were able to provide to give that certainty to Australians who have got some income that comes from their financial assets, to say to them that they have certainty if their situation remains the same over the next two years, then every fortnight they will get the same amount of money.
On the interest rate rise, Senator Ruston avoided commending on whether the official cash rate would peak at 2.5 per cent. She said we live in uncertain times, with a war in Europe and a lot of volatility in the market. She said the government relies heavily upon Treasury modelling and independent assessments from the Reserve Bank of Australia.
She said the government was trying to give Australians the support they need to deal with the rising cost of living, while trying working to build a strong economy.
On health and the possibility she will be the next health minister, Senator Ruston said she would be honoured to be the next minister:
If I should be so lucky as to have that position, I will be seeking to work with all stakeholders in the health and aged care portfolios to find ways we can make sure that the world-class health system and world-class aged care system are continuously improved.
We have certainly seen over, through the royal commission, that … there are a lot of areas that need improvement, and the best way for us to get employment in all areas is to sit down and work together so that collectively, we can efficiently and effectively deliver great healthcare for Australia.
Senator Ruston also compared the government's recent achievements to health funding when Labor left office in 2013.
By Jonathan Hepburn
Labor hits some must-win hustings in Melbourne, and Tanya Plibersek makes her campaign debut
Political reporter Tom Lowrey is travelling with the Opposition Leader in the seat of Chisholm in Victoria.
Anthony Albanese's campaign has wrapped up the day in Melbourne, with two surprising campaign "firsts" coming in week four.
It was the Albanese campaign's first visit to the electorate of Chisholm in Melbourne's east — a seat that is pretty vital to Labor's election hopes.
It's held by the Liberal's Gladys Liu by a razor-thin margin of 0.5 per cent and it is hard to picture a Labor win without flipping it.
The seat is clearly on Scott Morrison's mind: he's been there three times since the election was called.
But today's visit to the Holmesglen Institute for a cooking class, and a quick coffee with some (extremely handpicked) local voters in Mount Waverley was Anthony Albanese's first trip for the campaign so far.
The other "first" was the colleague by his side.
After a notable absence from all of Mr Albanese's public campaign events to date — including Labor's launch in Perth on the weekend — Tanya Plibersek appeared.
The Shadow Education Minister, ordinarily one of Labor's most prominent spokespeople, was along to help spruik Labor's policy to create hundreds of thousands of new TAFE places if elected.
When the question inevitably arose at the press conference as to where she had been for weeks, it was quickly laughed off.
Asked if she had been "shafted from the campaign", Ms Plibersek said she had visited more than 20 marginal seats so far and was working hard.
"Can I tell you one thing?" she said.
"Not a single person has stopped me in the street and asked me the sort of question that you've just asked me now.
"Y'know what they're talking to me about? They're talking to me about the cost of living."
Nothing to see here, Ms Plibersek reckons.
By Jonathan Hepburn
Watch Frydenberg and Chalmers react to the interest rate decision last night
Not surprisingly, the RBA's interest rate decision yesterday came up a few times in the debate — in questions, or brought into answers by either candidate.
Both spoke to 7.30 last night. Have a look back at what they each had to say:
By Jonathan Hepburn
Josh Frydenberg and Jim Chalmers give their takes on the debate
The Treasurer and his aspiring replacement have tweeted after today's debate.
Mr Frydenberg chose a "pros and cons" approach:
Australians have a clear choice this election between: The Coalition who has delivered more jobs, lowered taxes & steered our economy through #COVID. The Labor Party who when last in Govt, saw unemployment increase to 5.7%, increased taxes & got the big COVID calls wrong.
Mr Chalmers, however, had a straightforward attack:
The biggest risk at this election is a Morrison Government which thinks during a full-blown cost of living crisis that nothing needs to change
By Jonathan Hepburn
Anthony Albanese on Q&A tomorrow
Want to ask the man who wants to be prime minister a question? You can submit one via Q&A's website here.
By Jonathan Hepburn
Scott Morrison shrugs off 'buffoons' sledge from ICAC boss
On Monday, outgoing NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption Commissioner Stephen Rushton took aim at people who have described the agency as akin to a "kangaroo court".
He did not expressly mention the Prime Minister, although Mr Morrison has repeatedly uttered the phrase in condemning the NSW ICAC's use of public hearings as part of its investigations.
"I stand by what I've said about why I don't think that model is a good model for the federal jurisdiction," the Prime Minister told reporters in Adelaide.
"He can say whatever he likes, I'm not easily offended. I think you've learned that about me.
"He's free to disagree with me if he wishes, I just don't think that their model is the right model at a federal level."
You can continue reading this story here.
By political reporter Matthew Doran
By Jonathan Hepburn
Watch analysis of the debate
After the Treasury Debate between Josh Frydenberg and Jim Chalmers, Greg Jennett and Jane Norman bring you analysis of the key debate topics, speaking to Andrew Probyn at the Press Club for reaction from the room.
By Jonathan Hepburn
Watch the economic policy debate here
The debate is on the ABC News YouTube channel in full:
By Jonathan Hepburn
Former Liberal deputy takes aim at party, encourages Australians to vote for independents
A former Federal Liberal deputy leader says his old party has lost its way and the tone of politics in Australia will only change if more independents are elected.
Fred Chaney served in federal parliament from 1974 to 1993 and his niece is running as an independent in the usually safe WA Liberal electorate of Curtin (held by Celia Hammond after Julie Bishop's retirement) in this year's poll.
He has taken aim at the Coalition's handling of issues such as the Robodebt saga, arguing moderate Liberal members were too quiet about the situation.
Mr Chaney says the culture in federal politics needs a shakeup, and it won't be fixed by electing candidates from the Coalition or Labor.
"Like a lot of Australians, I'm fed up with the way the system of government has operated over recent parliaments and I think it's time for a change. And I think that change will only come if the major parties are forced to change."
By Jonathan Hepburn
Tomorrow's National Press Club debate: Defence
After today's debate between the treasurer and the man seeking to replace him, tomorrow there will be Minister for Defence Peter Dutton and Labor's Brendan O'Connor.
By Jonathan Hepburn
Good afternoon everyone
Yes, I will be helping you follow the election campaign through more of today.
Hello! Have you changed your mind on any of the parties or candidates since this campaign was kicked off?
By Jessica Riga
That'll do me
But the blog is not going anywhere!
I'll be handing you over to my colleague Jonathan Hepburn who will keep you up to date throughout the afternoon.
By Jessica Riga
In pictures: Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese continue their campaigns
Scott Morrison spent his morning at a retirement village in Boothby in South Australia, while Anthony Albanese spent time in the seat of Chisholm in Melbourne's eastern suburbs.
By Jessica Riga
And that's it for the Treasury debate
I think the big winner after all of that was the bell.
By Jessica Riga
And here's Jim Chalmers' closing statement
"This debate in this election can't be exclusively about the past. It's got to be partly about a better future and we got to plan for a better future and at the core of that is a stronger economy and more opportunities for people," he says.
"And that's the difference, really, the choice, the Labor site has a plan for the better future and the Liberals and Nationals want to bang on about the 2019 elections and Australians deserve better than that.
"We are here for one reason, to remember, Josh, who sent us here and why we are here and that is to deliver Australians in their communities and the very troubling thing about this debate is that you either don't know or don't care what the impact of the real wage cuts in your own budget are ordinary working people, $1,355 this financial year.
"And that speaks volumes, I think, about a government that has let inflation run out of control and dropped the ball on cost of living, a government that's gone after wages and job security over the best part of a decade in the consequence of that is a full-blown cost of living crisis and only Labor has a plan to strengthen the economy to deal with that and deliver the better future that Australians need and deserve."
