Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese were out and about on Monday on the first full day of a nearly six-week election campaign.
Look back on all of Monday's updates in our blog.
Key events
- Sunny morning for Albanese takes an unexpected turn
- 'Can't reverse history,' Constance says in relation to Cobargo comments
- LNP pledges $40 million towards road upgrades in Gilmore
- Anthony Albanese says he's 'not sure' what the national unemployment rate is
- Labor pledges funding for hearing loss centres in Tasmania
- Does Albanese feel there's a widespread sentiment for change?
- Morrison defends Hawaii trip
- Scott Morrison says Alan Tudge is still 'technically' in cabinet after stepping aside amid abuse allegation
- Morrison downplays importance of individual personalities in determining election outcome
Live updates
By Jessica Riga
This is where we'll wrap up our live coverage
Thanks for joining us so far today!
You can continue to stay up to date on the ABC News website or on our app.
Bye for now!
By Jessica Riga
'The key test of character is that when you make a mistake, do you own it'
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese is speaking to Sky News at the moment and has again apologised for fumbling the cash or unemployment rate this morning.
"People make mistakes and when it comes to figures quite often, I don't want to get into the Prime Minister's mistakes that've been made, but they have been," he says.
"I don't want to make excuses, I should've known it was 4 per cent.
"The key test of character is that when you make a mistake, do you own it, do you set about fixing it and then do you accept responsibility for it? I accept responsibility for it."
By Jessica Riga
Voters call out unsolicited emails from candidates ahead of federal election
While major party leaders have started spruiking their election promises to voters across Australia, some candidates are sending their message in a different format.
Michelle Patterson lives in the marginal Labor-held seat of Eden-Monaro on the NSW far south coast.
She said it was not long after the election was called that she received an unsolicited email in her inbox from Liberal Party candidate Jerry Nockles.
"[The email] was telling me to be very scared because a certain other candidate was 'going to put the country at risk' and to instead 'vote for [him]'," she said.
"I was thinking, how on Earth did this man get my email address?"
Ms Patterson has never been a member of the Liberal Party and is concerned about how data is being shared with political parties ahead of the election.
"I have come to expect this kind of email behaviour from unscrupulous marketing companies who have on-sold my data, but surely that can't be appropriate for upstanding political parties in our electoral process."
And Ms Patterson is not the only one receiving these types of messages.
By Jessica Riga
Are you guys going to update for the story that Albo has apologised for this morning's press conference?
-Michael
We sure did, Michael. You can find a link to the story here.
By Jessica Riga
Gold Coast candidates looking to usurp 'three jewels in the crown' of the LNP this election
Political pundits say some Gold Coast seats will be more of a battleground than others, as traditionally "safe" LNP seats come up against predicted big swings to Labor.
The five Gold Coast electorates held by the LNP are Forde, Fadden, Moncrieff, McFadden, and Wright.
Election pundit Paul Williams, from Griffith University, said "no-one should be surprised" about the expected "decent swings to Labor" — particularly in hotly contested Forde.
But Mr Williams says they "will be nowhere near" enough to topple the LNP from their "three jewels in the crown" — Fadden, McPherson, and Wright.
Meanwhile political marketing expert from the Australian National University Andrew Hughes said One Nation could be a "big factor" in returning the LNP to power on the Gold Coast but it was not yet clear how the minor party's preferences would flow.
By Georgia Hitch
How can Tudge be both in the ministry and out of it?
Political reporter Jane Norman has been mulling over the Prime Minister's comments on Alan Tudge. Here's her analysis of the situation.
It's day one of the election campaign and we've got a cabinet conundrum; how can Alan Tudge both be in the ministry and out of it?
Tudge was banished to the backbench in December when his former staffer, Rachelle Miller, went public with allegations that their affair had turned abusive — allegations he denies.
Months later, an investigation cleared him of breaching ministerial standards but rather than resuming his role as education minister, Tudge "requested" that he not be returned to the front bench before the election.
It appeared to be a resignation.
Given the proximity to the poll, and the scandal surrounding the Member for Aston, it was very convenient for the Prime Minister who obligingly accepted Tudge's request.
"He is not seeking to return to the front bench, and I support his decision," Morrison said on March 4.
Tudge remains on the sidelines; he is not receiving a ministerial salary and his colleague, Stuart Robert, is currently acting in the role.
So you can understand the confusion then when Morrison asserted on Sunday that Tudge was still technically in cabinet.
"Alan has stood aside," Mr Morrison said.
"He stood aside for his own health and family reasons. And when he is ready to return to the cabinet then he will."
Morrison's relying on a technicality — that Tudge was sworn in as education minister in 2020 and still has his warrant, or letter of assignment, from the Governor-General.
When Tudge "stood aside", it was seen by some of his colleagues as tidy solution. After all, Tudge is a political niggle for the PM, he reminds voters of the Coalition's perceived "woman problem".
So why has the PM left the door open for him to return? According to the ministerial guidelines, he did nothing wrong.
Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce all but confirmed this when asked about Tudge's status today.
"No findings that requires Mr Tudge to be removed have been made," he told reporters
Vivienne Thom's report found "insufficient evidence" that Tudge had breached the standards expected of ministers but clearly a calculation was made that his reinstatement to cabinet would be a political liability this side of an election.
On the other side, it is highly likely Tudge will return and resume his role as education minister, should the Coalition pull off a come-from-behind victory.
By Jessica Riga
Scott Morrison backs Liberal candidate lobbying to block transgender women playing women's sports
Scott Morrison says he agrees with a newly announced Liberal candidate who has been lobbying to stop transgender women from competing in women's sport.
Katherine Deves is running in the seat of Warringah, which is currently held by independent MP Zali Steggall.
Ms Deves is the co-founder and spokeswoman for a group that wants to limit participation in women's sport to those who were born female.
Mr Morrison has endorsed Ms Deves' campaign. And said he "welcomed" Katherine's selection.
Ms Deves was one of 12 candidates who was hand-picked by Mr Morrison and the federal executive during the bitter NSW pre-selection battle.
"I'm very pleased to play a role in that," he said.
"I think she raised very important issues and I think Claire Chandler's also been outspoken and brave on these issues.
"I share their views."
By Jessica Riga
In pictures: Anthony Albanese meets with nurses in Devonport
By Jessica Riga
Don't expect Tasmanian seats to follow national trend this election, analysts say
Bass in the state's north is the most marginal seat in the country, while Clark in the south is one of the safest.
Electoral analyst Kevin Bonham said Tasmania had been unpredictable in the past and often bucked the national trend.
"Tasmania has a habit of having large seat swings even when there's not a lot going on nationally," he said.
"So trying to predict Tasmania off the national trend hasn't worked very well over about the last 30 years."
By Jessica Riga
Albanese apologises for fumbling unemployment rate
Our political reporter Tom Lowrey is on the road with Anthony Albanese.
Just now, Albanese said: "Earlier today I made a mistake. I'm human, but when I make a mistake, I'll fess up to it. And I'll set about correcting that mistake. I won't blame someone else. I'll accept responsibility. That's what leaders do."
By Jessica Riga
Let's talk about pre-polling!
Pre-poll voting starts 12 days before voting day, on May 9.
You can vote early, either in person or by post for a whole range of reasons, including:
-
if you will be out of the electorate you are enrolled to vote in on voting day
-
are further than 8 kilometres from a voting booth
-
are seriously ill or about to give birth (or caring for someone who is)
-
in hospital or prison
-
travelling or unable to leave work, or if you are a silent elector.
You can also vote early if you have a reasonable fear for your safety.
In February, the AEC said a reasonable fear of getting COVID-19 "could be a reason" to justify an early vote in person or by post.
If you want to vote by post, you will have to apply in advance to do so.
The last day to register for postal voting is the Wednesday before voting day, May 18.
The AEC is expecting a surge in postal votes, which could delay the election result.
Oh, and if you find yourself in Antarctica, or on your way to "The Ice", you can use the AEC's telephone voting service, which is also available for people who are visually impaired.
By Jessica Riga
Albanese can't name cash or unemployment rate on day one of campaign
Anthony Albanese stumbles on the very first day of the election campaign, unable to recall key economic figures while trying to spruik Labor's credentials for government.
By Jessica Riga
By Jessica Riga
In pictures: Scott Morrison starts his campaign in Nowra on the New South Wales south coast
By Jessica Riga
By Georgia Hitch
Sunny morning for Albanese takes an unexpected turn
Analysis by political reporter Tom Lowrey, who's on the road with Anthony Albanese
Anthony Albanese's election campaign started probably just how he'd expected.
He kicked off his race in a Liberal-held seat pivotal to his election hopes, with a string of fairly straightforward breakfast TV interviews.
Nothing really unexpected, nothing particularly curly, nothing off-script.
And he was visibly enjoying himself - chatting with the media, and watching kids swing off monkeybars in a Launceston park.
But during the morning press conference, things took a turn.
After batting away questions on the Reserve Bank cash rate, and the Tasmanian unemployment rate (and listing neither), Mr Albanese was asked directly for the national unemployment rate.
He struggled - offering a few wrong answers, before giving up.
His Shadow Finance Minister, Katy Gallagher, later provided both the national unemployment rate and cash rate when asked.
Sitting at historic lows, the 4 per cent unemployment rate has been in the news. It is surprising Mr Albanese seemingly did not know it.
It's not the start to the campaign he would have hoped for, and his opponents will make plenty of the stumble. But there is a very long race to go.
By Jessica Riga
Yes, the rumours are true, we have an Australia Votes podcast!
I hear there's an Australia Votes podcast, except I can't find it on Spotify. Any chance it could go up on there, so I can gobble up more politic content?
-Podcast Fiend
Hey Podcast Fiend,
I'm so glad you're keen to gobble up more political content!
For those unaware, we've launched a new podcast called Australia Votes, the daily show that will keep you across all the developments in the 2022 Australian federal election. Hosts David Speers, Melissa Clarke and James Glenday speak to the ABC's best reporters around the country every afternoon from Monday to Thursday to run through the issues that matter to voters.
You can find it on the ABC Listen app.
By Jessica Riga
Scott Morrison backs Liberal candidate lobbying against transgender women playing women's sports
Reporter: This morning on 2GB you endorsed the campaign from your Warringah candidate, which was opposing trans women competing in female sports. You said something similar about Claire Chandler's bill?
Morrison: I did.
Reporter: Is this your position? If so, will you put in legislation in the next term of parliament to effectively ban trans women from competing if female sports?
Morrison: I think I conveyed my own personal view on these matters. I welcome Catherine's selection, pleased to play a role in that. I think she's raised very important issues. I think Claire Chandler's also been outspoken and brave on these issues. I share their views. We will have more to say about that at another time, if I do, I will. We will deal with that another time.
By Jessica Riga
Morrison on the cost of living
Morrison says multiple times that the cost of living, and the crisis in aged care, are "not easy issues to fix."
Reporter: Out of any other federal electorate in Australia, Gilmore's median housing prices have increased the most in the last 12 months. There are around 800 people sleeping rough in Shoalhaven, people on 5-10 year waiting lists, aged care workers sleeping in their cars because they cannot afford rentals. These are people who are 'having a go' in our electorate. Why is is this OK? What are you going to do to fix it?
Morrison: That's not OK. That's why we continue to make the investments we do. Let me start with housing. On housing in particular... when I was treasurer, I set up a new agency of the government. And its job working with the treasurers of all the other states and territories because public housing, state housing is a state responsibility... what we did was we borrowed money at incredibly low rates so we could loan the money to local community housing associations to help them develop affordable accommodation run by local community housing associations. We've put $2 billion extra into that loan fund to ensure that could be done, supporting the investments made by state governments, by the New South Wales government here.
In addition to that, you are right, in regional areas, house prices have been rising. People in our major metropolitan areas, particularly Sydney and Melbourne, have been used to that for a very long time. It's always hard to buy a house, always. So, we at the last election said 'we need to make it easier for people' despite rising prices. We put in place the home guarantee scheme, the HomeBuilder scheme. On my way here, I saw the housing estate with homes being built. That's the best thing to reduce pressure on housing prices.
We have got 300,000 Australians into their own home, directly, because of those schemes I have talked about. 300,000. That's because we've been able to take the deposit that they would otherwise had to have saved for from 20 per cent down to 5 per cent. If you're a single parent, down to 2 per cent. Now, that has saved people eight years of having to save before getting into their own home. So, these are practical policies, that address the very issue you've raised.
On aged care, we called the royal commission. Including the most recent budget, we have a $19.1 billion plan to address the issues raised in that royal commission. They're not easy issues to solve. As the royal commission themselves said, it's dealing with 30 years of a system with problems. We stumped up $19.1 billion dealing with everything from getting the workforce we need, the nutrition in meals, $10 extra per resident per day over, over $3 billion directly to address the nutrition and direct care support for people in aged care.
It's not an easy issue to fix. You can't just stand up and all of a sudden make nurses miraculously appear. The Fair Work Commission will determine the wage outcome and of course that will be respected by the government and the industry.
So, they're not easy issues, very hard issues. I think that demonstrates why having a strong economy is so important.
