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.
Key events
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.”
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.”
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”.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
Dutton refuses to outline 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.
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.
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.
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.
