Anthony Albanese is expected to end months of speculation by calling the federal election on Friday for a polling day in early May, according to Labor sources.
The timing of the announcement would draw attention away from Peter Dutton’s budget reply speech, in which the opposition leader will further detail his alternative vision for the country. Among the Coalition’s offerings: repealing Labor’s tax cuts and a plan to halve, for one year, the fuel excise added to petrol.
Our politics live blog will cover Dutton’s speech in full from 7.30pm tonight.
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In pictures
From 1980s Melbourne to 2020s Paris, Martin Grant’s 40-year career was expansive. The Australian fashion designer, who dressed Naomi Campbell, is being featured in a major retrospective at the National Gallery of Victoria.
What they said …
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“It’ll be a little in-joke between the three of us.”
It has been uncovered why Albanese called the Coalition “delulu with no solulu” in parliament yesterday. As a guest on the Happy Hour podcast, the PM was dared to drop the quip in a speech. He replied, “We’ve got budget next week, listen up.” (If you’ve got no idea what this phrase means, read our explainer here).
In numbers
That’s according to stark new analysis published Wednesday by the nonprofit Oceana. A similar amount of plastic could fill the stomachs of 18 million whales.
Before bed read
Fans of pornographic film loathed Café Flesh during its initial run in 1982, but it eventually became a late-night sensation in the tradition of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. With a restored print hitting some cinemas, Ryan Gilbey ponders whether the movie featuring characters from a pencil-headed boss to a rodent milkman is in fact a “twisted masterpiece”.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: ULU. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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