Second Dutton event gatecrashed by climate protesters
Josh Butler
Peter Dutton has again been targeted by protesters from climate action group Rising Tide, who managed to gatecrash an event at a Chinese restaurant in the electorate of Moreton.
Just hours after his very first campaign event of the election at the XXXX brewery was targeted by an anti-nuclear protester, Dutton again endured a shouted protest from Rising Tide.
A woman managed to get close to Dutton and unfurl a banner calling for no new gas or nuclear. There’s now been about half a dozen events – mostly hosted by the Coalition – “bird-dogged” by Rising Tide.
A second protester confronts Peter Dutton at a community event in Brisbane. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
The campaign stops of each party leader are closely guarded secrets for security reasons – but also to avoid protests. It’s unclear how protesters are learning about Dutton’s movements.
At the restaurant in Labor-held Moreton, Dutton addressed a small group of supporters from the Chinese community. He announced $225,000 for the Queensland Chinese museum – currently a virtual resource – to improve its website and go toward building a physical museum.
“The Chinese museum of Queensland plays a vital role in preserving the stories of Queensland’s Chinese heritage, including the contributions of Chinese immigrants to Australia and cultural and religious traditions of Chinese Australian communities,” Dutton said in a statement.
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Updated at 24.37 EDT
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Lisa Cox
Good afternoon everyone, Lisa Cox here to take you through any developments on the campaign trail this afternoon. We’ve got another press conference from the opposition leader Peter Dutton coming up, we’ll bring that to you when it happens.
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Updated at 24.35 EDT
Mostafa Rachwani
And with that, I leave the blog with Lisa Cox. Thanks for reading.
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Updated at 24.27 EDT
Second Dutton event gatecrashed by climate protesters
Josh Butler
Peter Dutton has again been targeted by protesters from climate action group Rising Tide, who managed to gatecrash an event at a Chinese restaurant in the electorate of Moreton.
Just hours after his very first campaign event of the election at the XXXX brewery was targeted by an anti-nuclear protester, Dutton again endured a shouted protest from Rising Tide.
A woman managed to get close to Dutton and unfurl a banner calling for no new gas or nuclear. There’s now been about half a dozen events – mostly hosted by the Coalition – “bird-dogged” by Rising Tide.
A second protester confronts Peter Dutton at a community event in Brisbane. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
The campaign stops of each party leader are closely guarded secrets for security reasons – but also to avoid protests. It’s unclear how protesters are learning about Dutton’s movements.
At the restaurant in Labor-held Moreton, Dutton addressed a small group of supporters from the Chinese community. He announced $225,000 for the Queensland Chinese museum – currently a virtual resource – to improve its website and go toward building a physical museum.
“The Chinese museum of Queensland plays a vital role in preserving the stories of Queensland’s Chinese heritage, including the contributions of Chinese immigrants to Australia and cultural and religious traditions of Chinese Australian communities,” Dutton said in a statement.
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Updated at 24.37 EDT
Independent MP Andrew Gee blames self-reply Facebook post on new staffer
Benita Kolovos
Andrew Gee, an independent MP for Calare in NSW, has been caught doing an “Angus Taylor” by replying to a Facebook post from his own account.
Gee posted a statement on Facebook on Friday accusing the Nationals of engaging in “dirty tactics” on day one of the election, claiming they had called an elderly constituent and spread “blatant lies about who I was going to preference in this election”.
In a comment underneath the post, Gee appeared to reply to his own post, thanking himself for being the “good guy” compared to the Nationals and the “Teal mob”. The comment read:
“Thank you Andrew Gee MP I am new to the area and have received texts from the Nationals and seen nasty ads in the paper from the Teal mob, it has helped me see who is the good guy.
The reply was later deleted and comments on the post were restricted to Gee’s followers.
Screengrab from the Facebook page of Andrew Gee MP Photograph: Facebook / Meta
Guardian Australia has approached Gee for comment.
In a statement provided to the Daily Telegraph, a spokesperson for Gee said the post was made without his knowledge by a “new and inexperienced member of the campaign team” who had access to his social media account.
The staffer said they knew it was an “extremely disappointing and unacceptable thing to do”, the spokesperson said, adding that “Gee does not condone, approve of or support under any circumstances”.
Gee was elected in 2016 as a member of the National party before he resigned and turned independent in 2022 due to the party’s opposition to the voice to parliament referendum. He will recontest the seat against his former party.
Social media users drew parallels between the post one made in 2019 by the Liberal MP Angus Taylor who replied to his own Facebook post congratulating himself for announcing new car parks across his Hume electorate, writing: “Fantastic. Well done Angus. Great move”.
A spokesperson for Taylor later said the comment was a “simple mistake” that occurred when an admin of the Facebook page was switching between multiple accounts.
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Updated at 23.52 EDT
Marles announces $10m community hub in Darwin if Labor re-elected
The deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, is in Darwin today, where he has announced a $10m commitment to establish a community hub in Zuccoli if Labor is re-elected.
He was also asked there about the 99 year lease of Port Darwin granted to the Chinese-owned Landbridge Group in 2015:
The port should never have been leased in this way, and that’s been our position from the get-go.
He adds that how the lease is managed is up to the NT government, but “we keep engaging with the Northern Territory government on this issue”.
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Updated at 23.41 EDT
Wong targets Dutton’s foreign policy and energy credentials
Wong continued, taking a couple of shots at Dutton, focusing on his foreign policy and his gas plan:
Peter Dutton gave a so-called foreign policy speech last week – … he didn’t mention Japan, Korea, China, India, Indonesia, he actually didn’t mention Asean at all, which is really quite… shows you what the map of the world according to Peter Dutton might look like.
On gas prices, she said Labor had secured “six times more gas supply for the domestic market” than Dutton’s gas reserves plan promises, and then added that Dutton “really wants you to believe he cares about domestic gas”:
Well, he voted against price caps, he voted against the code of conduct which has enabled more gas to be supplied to the Australian market.
This is Peter Dutton reheating a failed Scott Morrison announcement.
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Updated at 23.05 EDT
Wong speaking in Perth
Amid the flurry of pressers today, we turn to foreign minister Penny Wong, who has been speaking in Perth.
Wong begins by spruiking Labor’s tax plan, and slamming Dutton for opposing “every cost-of-living measure that has been rolled out, and opposes future tax cuts, and our tax cuts are permanent.”
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Updated at 22.48 EDT
Rising Tide confirms involvement in Dutton protest
Lisa Cox
Climate activist group Rising Tide has confirmed it was behind an earlier disruption to opposition leader Peter Dutton’s campaign stop at Brisbane’s XXXX brewery.
In a statement the organisation said protester Natalie Lindner confronted the Coalition leader, unfurled a “no new nuclear or gas” banner and said “nuclear and gas will drive up energy bills. Why are you lying to the Australian people?”
This is the fifth such protest by the group in the past two weeks in which activists have disrupted public events for MPs from both major parties.
Lindner said:
Dutton’s nuclear scheme will actively worsen the cost of living and climate crisis.
We have just seen with ex tropical cyclone Alfred what the climate crisis is already doing to Australian communities. We cannot afford more distraction and delay with ridiculous energy policies like nuclear.
Dutton himself knows it’s an unpopular policy, that’s why he and the party are doing their best not to talk about it. Even Liberal party members are campaigning against their own party now, because they see how bad of an idea it is.
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Updated at 23.22 EDT
Josh Butler
Dutton vows to address homelessness, tackle CFMEU and other unions
Peter Dutton said a Coalition government would be “focused” on helping those sleeping rough or experiencing homelessness.
The opposition leader is now moving to his stump speech criticising the CFMEU and other unions, referencing media reporting on 60 Minutes about misbehaviour in the construction sector, and criticising the Labor government and PM Anthony Albanese for not speaking more forcefully about those reports.
Dutton says the Coalition is seeking minority government, but “if there’s a position where we need to negotiate with the independents, we can do that to form minority government”.
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Updated at 23.22 EDT
Josh Butler
Dutton sees ‘sliding doors’ moment for Australia because of cost-of-living pressures
Peter Dutton has dropped into a community morning tea in his electorate of Dickson on the first day of his campaign. The crowd is a bit more supportive (and the security a little bit tighter) than the reception he got at the XXXX brewery earlier, where he was met by an environmental protester who infiltrated the media pack.
Peter Dutton, savouring what he hopes will be a ‘sliding doors’ moment for the election. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
In a large function room at the Eatons Hill hotel, there’s a large Australian flag and numerous large posters bearing a smiling headshot of Dutton. Many in the room are wearing Dutton or Liberal campaign T-shirts.
In front of a large blue “let’s get Australia back on track” backdrop, Dutton is making a speech to more than 100 supporters.
“I think there is really a sliding doors moment for our country coming up. We’ve had three years that were unimaginable for many people across the community,” Dutton said.
“We’re now seeing people who are working two jobs, people who are still turning up to food banks asking for food hampers because they can’t afford to pay the bills under this government … we see the level of homelessness and level of despair that we see across the community.”
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Updated at 23.24 EDT
Albanese campaign lands in Bundaberg
Dan Jervis-Bardy
We’ve just arrived at the Bundaberg brewery for Albanese’s next campaign stop.
So why is the prime minister sampling ginger beer in a safe Nationals seat on the first full day of the election campaign? It might have something to do with Donald Trump – even if Albanese won’t explicitly say it.
As the US president prepares to detail his next round of tariffs on 2 April – or “Liberation Day” as he calls it – the federal government is launching a new Buy in Australia campaign to support local industry.
The federal budget last week included $20m for a new advertising campaign and to help manufacturers and producers secure Australia Made certification.
Albanese said:
Labor is building Australia’s future.
We’re backing Australian workers and Australian businesses with a $20m campaign to encourage shoppers to buy local.
We want to make sure when customers walk into a shop, they know straight away which products are made in Australia.
It’s good for jobs, good for the local community and good for Australia.
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Updated at 22.49 EDT
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Albanese press plane lands in Bundaberg
After starting the morning in Peter Dutton territory in Brisbane’s northern suburbs, the media contingent following Anthony Albanese has landed in Bundaberg in central Queensland.
Bundaberg is home to the seat of Hinkler, which the Coalition holds on a comfortable margin of 10%.
It usually wouldn’t be in play, but perhaps Labor thinks it’s winnable after the retirement of the Nationals’ Keith Pitt, who has been appointed Australia’s ambassador to the Vatican.
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Updated at 21.29 EDT
Dutton refuses to say who Liberals would negotiate with to form minority government if necessary
Dutton next dodges a question on who he would call on to form a potential minority government, should the election fall that way.
He began by saying the Coalition would negotiate in “good faith” if a hung parliament was a result and added Labor would need to rely on a deal with the Greens to form government.
But he refused to outline who he would negotiate with if he needed to:
So to answer your question, the guarantee that I can give is that we will negotiate in good faith, if that’s the circumstances put before us.
But I would say to the Australian people that the choice you have, if you’re voting for Labor at this election, you’re voting knowing that it can only be a Labor-Greens government.
I just think the focus at the moment is on how we can present our positive plan to the Australian people.
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Updated at 23.23 EDT
Liberal leader says it would be ‘reckless’ to put hard numbers on his gas policy at this stage
Dutton is asked about energy prices several times at this presser, and each time he ducks and weaves.
He was asked if he is going to voters and saying “just trust me” on prices, considering he continues to refuse to provide any modelling and details.
Dutton countered by saying his plan was “based on economics”, and then proceeded to explain his policy is based on hypotheticals:
If you bring more supply into the market, if you bring more gas into the market, you will bring the price down. And so we lower the prices, you know, and we went through some of this detail on Thursday night.
He was then pressed on why he has not put a figure on 2035 emissions targets, to which he said it would be “reckless” to do so before speaking to “the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and of finance and of Treasury”:
I’m keen to speak to the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and of finance and of Treasury, so that we can provide in an informed way and in a way that is achievable. There’s no sense doing as the Labor party says and damaging the Australian economy, putting out numbers there that aren’t based in fact, just emotion, because they’re chasing inner city votes from Green[s] voters in Melbourne and Sydney.
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Updated at 21.08 EDT
Dutton refuses to outline how energy prices will fall under gas plan
The opposition leader has next refused to outline how much energy prices would potentially fall under his gas reservation plan.
Dutton has previously promised bills would fall, but has so far failed to actually outline any details around that. But he did say he would make “tough decisions” on dealing with gas companies:
Well, there’s gas already. Obviously that is being exported, but it’s not contracted to do so under the foundation contracts. And that’s the point that I’d make. We don’t need to rely on new gas wells. There is gas there now. We will work with the companies, and we’ve been working on this plan for months in consultation with stakeholders and others who have expertise in the area.
I just think we need to point out that it is a very significant part of our economy, and it’s a big part of why electricity prices have gone up and why gas prices are up by 34% under this government. So we’ve got a plan. It’s a positive plan.
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Updated at 20.43 EDT
Opposition leader calls Labor $5-a-week tax cuts ‘farcial’
Dutton has continued, laying into the government’s tax cuts, which he described as “farcical.”
He said families that use two cars would only save around $30 a week under his party’s reduced fuel excise, as opposed to the Labor tax cuts that would result in $5 back in voters pockets:
I mean, I think it’s actually farcical and it’s insulting to Australians who are really going through a lot of pain under this government at the moment.
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Updated at 20.43 EDT
