The Latest Breaking News from Josh Frydenberg

Good morning, early birds. Scott Morrison will reportedly today tell Queensland voters that the “green-left” claim to be “more virtuous” than them and “deride their jobs as unworthy”, and a five-week inquest into the death of an Indigenous woman named Veronica Nelson has begun. It’s the news you need to…

As Labor outlined its economic strategy, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has made a direct pitch to regional voters as climate divisions loom.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics says the consumer price index rose 2.1 per cent in the March quarter, taking the annual rate to 5.1 per cent.

Confidence eased slightly in the past week and could fall further as the latest inflation data highlights the extent of cost of living pressures.

Cost of living pressures will re-emerge as an election issue, as figures are released and a one-off $250 payment will be made to six million Australians.

WOOF.

Karen Hayes is the subject of an internal investigation by Guide Dogs Victoria for publicly backing Mr Frydenberg in the hotly contested inner-Melbourne seat of Kooyong.

Guide Dogs Victoria’s chief executive has been stood down after endorsing Treasurer Josh Frydenberg in a series of pre-election material.

This week’s Newspoll, conducted April 20-23 from a sample of 1,538, gave Labor a 53-47 lead, unchanged from last week. Primary votes were 37% Labor (up one), 36% Coalition (up one), 11% Greens (down one), 4% UAP (steady), 3% One Nation (down one) and 9% for all Others (steady).

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From marginal seats with diverse communities to blue-ribbon ones with climate-focused independents, voters are fed up with political spin and are seeking policy action on big issues like the cost of living and climate change.