AEC receives complaints after unauthorised pamphlets distributed in Wentworth
The Australian electoral commission says it’s received complaints on the distribution of unauthorised pamphlets, opposing Allegra Spender, the member for Wentworth.
More than 47,000 pamphlets with no authorisation have been distributed across Wentworth, according to the AEC, meaning voters have no way of identifying the source of the information.
The commission says it’s worked quickly to identify and make contact with the entity responsible for the pamphlets, and an investigation is ongoing.
It says the pamphlets breach the Commonwealth Electoral Act, which can attract civil penalties that would be determined by a court.
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Updated at 24.55 EDT
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Albanese in wafer-thin Melbourne marginal seat of Menzies
Albanese has also travelled down to Melbourne this afternoon, and he’s in the seat of Menzies.
Menzies is a traditionally blue ribbon area that’s been held by the Liberals for several decades.
But after a large swing against the Liberals in 2022, and a recent redistribution across Melbourne, the seat is now notionally Labor on an oh-so wafer thin 0.4% margin.
Albanese, joined by foreign minister Penny Wong, is out having lunch in Box Hill.
Anthony Albanese with the Labor candidate for Menzies Gabriel Ng and foreign minister Penny Wong attend a lunch event at the Golden Lilly restaurant in Box Hill. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAPAnthony Albanese takes a selfie at the Golden Lilly restaurant in Box Hill. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP
Box Hill was previously in the neighbouring seat of Chisholm, held by Labor’s Carina Garland.
That seat is in the Liberals’ sights, with former Higgins MP Katie Allen running against Garland. (Allen lost the seat of Higgins to Labor in 2022, and it has now been abolished under the Australian Electoral Commission’s redistribution.)
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Updated at 24.47 EDT
Coalition not going to reduce visas for migrant parents, Dutton says
The final question goes to whether the Coalition is planning to cut parent visas.
Reporter Sara Tomevska asks Dutton three times if he’ll cut visas for migrant parents.
Twice Dutton says generally the Coalition will cut migration, and that migration is a “significant contributor to young Australians [being] locked out of housing”.
On the third attempt, Dutton says:
In relation to parents, I’ve been clear about this, it’s an important part of the migration program. And we’re not going to reduce those. We’ve been clear in relation to it. And I believe very strongly we’ve got the best migration program in the world, but only if it’s well managed.
He then ends the answer with a final pitch to voters ahead of early voting opening tomorrow, mentioning the petrol excise cut, cutting migration, and the promise to build more homes.
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Updated at 24.11 EDT
Coalition opposed to hybrids not being part of fringe benefits tax exemption
Dutton confirms he won’t repeal the fringe benefit tax exemption for electric vehicles, but has said his party is opposed to hybrid vehicles not being included in that exemption.
We said that what we’re opposed to is the government’s big tax on hybrids, for example on a Toyota RAV4. Almost $10,000 additional that people will be paying if Albanese is re-elected. It’s $14,000 on a Ford Ranger …
The government whacking a new tax on those people in the market to buy a house, to buy a car, a lot of Australians would be shocked to know that Anthony Albanese is proposing a $14,000 tax on a Ford Ranger.
The current fringe benefit tax exempts battery EVs, hydrogen fuel cell EVs and plug-in hybrid EVs (not including hybrid vehicles that are only fuelled by liquid petrol).
Dutton has also announced this fortnight that the Coalition would scrap the penalties under the vehicle fuel efficiency standards, which they say would make heavy emitting cars cheaper. The government says scrapping the penalties is “nonsensical”.
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Updated at 24.09 EDT
Dutton says tobacco black market is ‘a huge concern’
Dutton brings up the tobacco wars when addressing the increase in crime that he says has been felt across Victoria.
Asked a follow-up on that, as to what the government should do about tobacco and the increase in black market sales, Dutton says it’s a “huge concern”.
I think it’s a huge concern for our country. Because there’s a loss of revenue. I want to see the smoking rates decline in our country but they’re not, because people are just buying chop-chop or tobacco from, you know, under the counter, or from a crime gang, that’s the reality. The taxpayer is missing out on revenue and the smoking rates haven’t gone down.
Dutton accuses the government of having “taken its eye off the ball” on stopping illegal tobacco at the border.
Asked whether the Coalition would consider decreasing the excise – to bring down the price of legal cigarettes and stop Australians buying more illegal cigarettes – Dutton says:
We don’t have any proposal to change the excise.
On whether the new money is something the police and security agencies are asking for, Dutton promises the $350m announced today is “additional money that we’ve got on the table. We’re very serious about it. We have spoken with police and agencies, there’s a very real concern.”
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Updated at 23.56 EDT
Dutton says PM has ‘ducked and weaved’ on Russia and Indonesia
Dutton is asked about Russia and Indonesia, which Albanese was also pushed on this morning.
He says the PM has “ducked and weaved” on the issue, and the Coalition has asked for a briefing.
I think the prime minister has ducked and weaved on this question today. The government’s language keeps changing. That seems strange. And we have asked for a briefing. It’s still not forthcoming from the government. What do they have to hide?
The government hasn’t made it clear whether Russia did ask Indonesia to base its military aircraft in the Pacific nation.
Albanese derided the opposition leader this morning for asking for a briefing, saying, “I’m waiting for them to ask for a briefing on who faked the moon landing.”
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Updated at 23.46 EDT
James Paterson denies dumped candidate Britton was adviser
The next question goes to James Paterson over his connection to former Liberal candidate Benjamin Britton, who was dumped by the party over his controversial views.
That story was broken by my colleague Sarah Basford-Canales, and you can read it here:
Sky News revealed leaked emails and documents suggest Britton sent advice to Paterson, but Paterson says that Britton never worked for him.
Asked again, Paterson says:
If every person who sent me unsolicited policy advice was adviser in my team, I would have hundreds of advisers …
I stand by everything I said to Andrew Clennell. I never employed Mr Britton in any capacity. Anything he sent me was his own initiative; as he was a party member, I politely thanked him for his correspondence, at no stage has he advised me on any matter.
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Updated at 23.44 EDT
Dutton says Albanese ‘loose with the truth’ about Coalition child sex offender register
Dutton accuses Albanese of being “loose with the truth” over his response to the Coalition’s announcement of a child sex offender disclosure scheme.
Albanese and other senior Labor members have said the child sex offender register already exists.
Dutton says information can’t be disclosed to members of the public, and his scheme would work in a similar way to a scheme in WA.
[It] allows parents or guardians to make applications to the police, if they’ve got concerns about a particular individual that has contact with their child.
I don’t understand why the prime minister wouldn’t be supporting this on a bipartisan basis.
Asked whether this is a state responsibility, Dutton says it needs to be coordinated.
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Updated at 23.41 EDT
Coalition will have ‘more to say’ on domestic violence policy, Dutton says
The first question to Dutton goes to the scourge of family and domestic violence in Australia, and what the Coalition is proposing on that.
Dutton says he’ll have “more to say about our domestic violence policy”
The incidents of domestic violence in our country is an abomination. We’ll have more to say about our domestic violence policy. I wanted it to stand alone, I didn’t want it to be part of today’s announcement.
Dutton adds there is “no more egregious crime in our community than harming a woman or harming a young girl”.
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Updated at 23.39 EDT
Crime as election issue ‘underestimated’, Dutton says
The Coalition has been increasing its focus on law and order issues throughout the election and, as mentioned earlier, it’s an issue it’s focused on in Victoria.
Dutton says:
I think Australians underestimate how big an issue this is at this election. People feel unsafe.
The Commonwealth government has a particular role to play because we have border protection and those services are meant to be stopping drugs coming into our country.
Shadow home affairs minister James Paterson is with Dutton, and uses the issue to also attack the state government under Jacinta Allan.
Paterson drums the Labor is “weak” line:
Weak Labor governments who are soft on crime make communities less safe. Here in Victoria they are suffering under not just one weak Labor government but two weak Labor governments.
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Updated at 23.37 EDT
Dutton speaking to media
Peter Dutton is now up speaking to reporters, and he starts on that pledge of $750m for the so-called Operation Safer Communities.
A little earlier, Dutton held a roundtable with members of the Dunkley community.
Families that have been affected by all sorts of criminal activities, people had homes broken into over 12 months. The crime rate here in Frankston is up by 21%. That is dramatic increase in just 12 months.
Liberal candidate for Dunkley Nathan Conroy, Peter Dutton and shadow minister for home affairs James Paterson at a community roundtable on crime at the Carrum Downs Library. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAPShare
Updated at 23.38 EDT
Christopher Knaus
Labor vows to consider strengthening animal welfare body if re-elected
Labor has promised to provide greater oversight of the nation’s export abattoirs if re-elected.
Guardian Australia on Saturday revealed shocking animal welfare breaches that went unpunished and “profound” failings in the agriculture department’s oversight of export abattoirs, which relies largely on its workforce of veterinarians placed inside slaughterhouses.
Whistleblower vets have made a series of internal and external complaints about the failures of the system in recent years, including failures to report welfare breaches, an understaffing crisis that has allegedly left facilities unmonitored, and new restrictions on the inspection of animals up-close.
Prior to the Guardian’s revelations, Labor had promised to use the independent Inspector-General for Animal Welfare to “promote greater transparency and accountability in the reporting of animal welfare breaches”, according to the Australian Alliance for Animals.
Labor told the Alliance: “If re-elected, Labor will expand the role of the Inspector General to include export abattoirs to provide additional assurances to our trading partners, noting the responsibility of states in managing these sites.”
Labor confirmed to the Guardian it would consider such changes if re-elected.
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Updated at 23.00 EDT
Peter Dutton makes campaign’s 12th stop at petrol station
Peter Dutton is due to stand up in a moment, after visiting yet another petrol station, this time in the Melbourne seat of Dunkley.
It’s held by Labor’s Jodie Belyea on a fairly safe 6.8% margin, but it’s a target for the Liberals.
Liberal candidate Nathan Conroy is contesting the seat for a second time – the first was in a byelection against Belyea in 2023, following the death of Labor MP Peta Murphy, who had held that seat from 2019.
This was the 12th stop at a petrol station on the campaign.
Liberal candidate for Dunkley Nathan Conroy and leader of the opposition Peter Dutton at a petrol station in Carrum Downs, Melbourne. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAPLeader of the opposition Peter Dutton at a petrol station in Carrum Downs, Melbourne. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAPShare
Updated at 23.14 EDT
Dutton in Melbourne
Peter Dutton is in Melbourne today – with several seats on the line across the city, it’s must-win territory for the Coalition.
The Coalition has pitched crime as a key issue for Victoria, so it makes sense Dutton is selling his policy there today.
Here’s a recap of that policy here:
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Updated at 22.09 EDT
More details on the latest polling numbers
AAP has more details on the latest polling numbers for Labor and the Coalition.
The Newspoll, published in the Australian, showed a lift in Labor’s primary vote to 34%, with the Coalition on 35%. On a two-party preferred basis, Labor is at 52%, ahead of the Coalition’s 48%.
Peter Dutton was favoured as preferred leader in areas such as defence and the economy, but Anthony Albanese was preferred on the electorate’s dominant concern, the cost of living, along with housing and health.
The survey’s 1,263 respondents also judged the Labor leader to be better able to handle the fallout of the Donald Trump presidency in the US.
Meanwhile a Resolve Strategic poll, published in Nine newspapers, has shown voters are not entirely convinced by Labor’s cost-of-living promises, with 47% saying it is a stumbling block to voting the prime minister back into power.
But that has not translated into an automatic boost for Dutton, with 45% of those polled citing his personality as the number-one reason they would not elect him to the top political job.
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Updated at 21.38 EDT
Spender weighs in on report PM overrode online gambling reforms
Continuing from our last post: the independent MP for Wentworth, Allegra Spender, has also weighed in on those reports Anthony Albanese overrode his cabinet to shelve online gambling ad reforms. She wrote on X:
We can’t keep abandoning good policy for safe politics. The government should have acted to ban gambling ads already. It’s clear they will only have the courage if there are strong independent voices in the next parliament.
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Updated at 21.25 EDT
Report PM overrode online gambling reforms ‘disturbing’, Greens say
Members of the crossbench have jumped on reports that the prime minister overrode his cabinet to shelve reform on online gambling advertising.
The reports from Nine newspapers say Anthony Albanese decided to put the reforms developed by communications minister Michelle Rowland on hold late last year.
The Greens have called the report “disturbing”, and senator Sarah Hanson-Young says the minor party will push Labor to act.
Today’s news that the prime minister personally intervened to protect the gambling lobby is disturbing. The prime minister may not have the guts to stand up to the gambling lobby – but the Greens will act.
The Albanese government has failed to act on the scourge of gambling ads, despite the pleading of their own backbenchers and even their own communications minister.
Independent MP for Goldstein, Zoe Daniel, took to X (formerly Twitter) and said “we can finally fix this” under a “balanced parliament”.
Gambling ads are everywhere – even during the footy. It’s not normal, and it’s not OK. I’ve written the bill to ban them. It’s ready. The major parties stalled. In a balanced parliament, we can make it law. Independence works.
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Updated at 21.26 EDT
