Election 2022: Scott Morrison attacks Labor election costings revealed to have $7.4bn deficit
Scott Morrison has attacked Labor’s budget deficits over the next four years of almost $232bn – about $8.4bn higher than promised by the Coalition.
Federal Election
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Scott Morrison has attacked Labor’s projected $7.4bn deficits, warning voters cannot “risk Labor” when they go to the polls.
He said the Coalition’s plan would save $1bn over the forwards, and Labor’s plan would drive up inflation and put upward pressure on interest rates.
“What we have always seen from the Labor Party is when they can’t manage money, they come after yours in higher taxes,” Mr Morrison said. “That is the risk of Labor.
“On this Saturday, you can vote for the Liberals and Nationals, you can vote for them to ensure that you can secure the opportunities that we have ahead with strong economic management or a strong economic land, and you can vote for the Liberals and Nationals this Saturday and avoid that risk of Labor.”
Earlier, Labor leader Anthony Albanese released his election costings, which reveal it would add $7.4bn to the deficit, or $8.4bn greater than the Coalition.
Earlier he made an embarrassing blunder claiming Australia’s ‘borders are closed’ – months after they reopened.
It comes as he made the curious decision to ditch his media pack and long-awaited costings announcement today before later backflipping and keeping the reporters travelling with him to Brisbane for the crucial final 48 hours of campaigning.
Meanwhile Pauline Hanson has confirmed she has tested positive to Covid-19 following a trip to Perth.
“I thank all of those people who have sent their well wishes, and apologise to those who had hoped that I would drop dead,’’ Senator Hanson said in a statement.
Australia can finally boast its lowest unemployment rate since 1974, after the key jobless measure dropped to 3.9 per cent in April.
The historic milestone was confirmed Thursday morning, which showed an additional 4000 jobs were added last month, tipping unemployment below 4 per cent for the first time in 48 years.
Underemployment – which measures those with jobs but who want to work more hours – fell from 6.3 per cent to 6.1 per cent, the seasonally adjusted figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed.
Full-time employment climbed by 92,400, while part-time jobs declined by 88,4000 in the month.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg criticised Labor’s costings as a “farce”, and said Australia was in a much better position than countries around the world, as called on voters to stay with the Coalition. He then called the nation’s 3.9 per cent unemployment rate released today “an extraordinary result”.
In other stories today:
• Mr Albanese has unveiled his to do list for his first 100 days in office, promising new laws on everything from climate change to corruption
• The soccer kid ‘bulldozed’ by the PM has spoken saying he was left with a ‘massive smile on his face’.
• Finance Minister Simon Birmingham has ridiculed Mr Albanese’s claims he can improve real wages, saying Labor had ‘promised to write a letter’ rather than having a detailed economic plan to manage a $2.1 trillion dollar budget.
• Craig Kelly, who is being touted as the ‘next PM’ in huge United Australia Party ads, has admitted even he will have to “fight hard” for his own seat in the upcoming federal election.
• Millionaire investor Simon Holmes a Court has been filmed repeatedly ignoring requests to leave Liberal Senator Jane Hume alone at a Melbourne pre-poll.
• Scott Morrison has revealed he is “concerned” by reports that Metricon could be in financial trouble saying the “priority” is for Aussies to get their homes built and sites stay open.
• Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party has launched another text-message blast to Australian voters,
Keep up to date with the latest in rolling federal electing blog below.
LABOR COSTINGS REVEAL $7.4BN DEFICIT
Australia’s budget bottom line will be $8.4 billion further in the red over the next four years under an Albanese Labor Government compared with the Coalition.
The opposition has released its long-awaited election policy costings, which show a deficit $7.4bn higher than the current budget over the forward estimates.
The Coalition’s costings released on Tuesday included a $1bn efficiency dividend, slightly improving its budget bottom line to $223.5bn in deficit.
By comparison Labor would be $231.9bn in deficit over the four years, making the difference between the two parties $8.4bn.
In Labor’s document, a “Plan for a Better Future,” the opposition said its policies were “fully costed and reflects the priorities and choices of an Albanese Labor Government”.
“Our investments are smart and targeted to deliver economic value, and our offsets are responsible,” the document said.
“Our policy commitments will have a net aggregate impact of $7.4 billion over the forward estimates compared to the underlying cash balance outlined in the 2022 PEFO (pre-election fiscal outlook).
“Labor’s election commitments are measured and modest compared to the Government’s commitments in the election period ... which total $45 billion and $39 billion respectively.”
Mr Albanese has vowed Australians would see a return on his party’s additional spending quicky.
But the Labor leader stopped short of ruling out further cuts to the budget during an last-minute press conference in Brisbane.
Speaking shortly after Labor handed down its long awaited election policy costings, Mr Albanese also denied his party’s additional spending would further inflame inflation.
“The measures that we’re aiming at here, whether it’s childcare, whether it’s clean energy, or skills and training, are precisely aimed at that,” he told reporters on Thursday.
“That’s why we have prioritised those investments. In a similar vein, you just said there about boosting wages and boosting profits, but you’re talking about extra government spending, we’re in the inflationary situation.
“We are in part because governments come so much cash into the economy.
“How is it $7 billion extra spending not inflationary? Because what it will do is produce a return or produces economic activity.”
But Mr Albanese declined to provide a timeline when asked when exactly Australians can expect to see that return.
The Coalition this week announced spending cuts across the public sector would deliver $3.3bn in savings to pay for its election commitments.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Finance Minister Simon Birmingham revealed a proposed increase to the public sector efficiency dividend and changes to super contributions would offset the $2.3bn in new spending promises made by the Coalition since the beginning of the election campaign.
The costings come after the Labor leader made a quick visit to a pre-poll centre in Strathpine, where he met with local candidate Ali France and other members of the party faithful.
It was the second visit to an early voting booth on Thursday, after he was spotted in Indooroopilly with Queensland Premier Annastaicia Palaszczuk.
Arriving to a lukewarm “Albo, Albo, Albo” chant, Mr Albanese took selfies with the crowd who had been waiting for his appearance.
“We like a winner here mate,” an older gentleman told him.
One of the men who snaked his way through the crowd, Darren, told the leader he “had his vote”.
Later, Darren told reporters he was going to vote for him regardless of his chance meeting.
Another member of the crowd approached him with a sketch of his face. Mr Albanese remarked at the artist’s skill before signing it.
At one stage a volunteer for the United Australia Party broke through the scrum and demanded to ask the Labor leader a question.
“This is not a press conference,” he quipped back.
He didn’t stay long with the entire visit over in less than four and a half minutes.
JOBLESS RATE PROVES OUR PLAN IS WORKING: PM
Prime Minister Scott Morrison, in a snap press conference in Sydney, seized on unemployment figures to underline his message that the Coalition is better with the economy.
“Two years ago, as we stared into the economic abyss of the pandemic, we were staring down unemployment rate, hitting 15 per cent,” he said.
“Now you can imagine what that news like when it was conveyed to myself and the treasurer, as we looked into that.
“The actions which were taken since then, have been without precedent in our country.
“It’s a choice between who has an economic plan that is working and a Labor party that doesn’t have an economic plan.
“It’s a choice between what you know, in a government that has been able to bring Australia through one of the biggest economic challenges that we’ve seen since the Great Depression and the Second World War, with a plan to secure the opportunities in the future.
“Or the risk of Labor who can’t manage money. Today, the Treasurer and the finance minister will have a bit more to say, but it is a very late hour.”
Mr Morrison has maintained his offensive streak, visiting Gough Whitlam’s old seat of Werriwa.
The Prime Minister is hoping to cash in on changing demographics in the western Sydney electorate - Labor heartland - which is held by the opposition on a 5.5 per cent margin.
Mr Morrison, standing alongside Liberal candidate Sam Kayal, pledged $10m in additional funding for a new 25m lap pool at the Michael Clarke Recreation Centre.
He then gave a speech at an afternoon tea with members of the multicultural community.
“As I look out here, as I have in so many other parts of the country, I just see the face of Australia, everywhere,” Mr Morrison said.
“We’ve all come from somewhere else.
“If you have a go, you get a go in this country.”
He said migrants came for economic opportunities, adding his economic plan was working because the unemployment rate for June fell to 3.9 per cent - sparking loud applause from attendees.
Mr Morrison also took aim at Mr Albanese for not making the western Sydney airport a reality, prompting people to yell “shame”.
Mr Kayal said people in the area had small businesses, family values and were aspirational.
MORRISON’S METRICON CONCERNS FOR AUSSIES
Mr Morrison also revealed he is “concerned” by reports that Metricon could be in financial trouble saying the “priority” is for Aussies to get their homes built and sites stay open.
The Prime Minister confirmed his housing minister Michael Sukkar and industry ministry Angus Taylor were working through the issue following concerns about the company’s future.
Mr Morrison said the pair was also speaking with the Victorian government and the banks.
“The priority here is to ensure that people get their homes built, that the sites remain open and that the company is able to get through these difficulties,” Mr Morrison said.
“It is our hope that they will be able to work through any challenges they may have.
“But both the Victorian government and the federal government obviously takes those matters very seriously.”
Mr Morrison said more than $2bn worth of housing work was being completed by Metricon.
“That’s people’s dreams, that is their homes,” he said.
Asked what his government would do to help businesses such as Metricon facing the pressures of soaring costs for building supplies, Mr Morrison said it had provided support during the pandemic.
Asked if that support had been enough, he said: “This is what we’ll look carefully at in relation to the issues with Metricon”.
“The supply chains have been disrupted,” he said.
“That’s what the pressure is on inflation in this country.”
HANSON IN ISOLATION AFTER GETTING COVID
Pauline Hanson has tested positive to Covid just two days out from the federal election.
The One Nation leader is not vaccinated and is in Queensland where isolation is for a minimum of seven days or until symptoms have gone away – which they don’t appear to be close to doing so close to the election.
Senator Hanson sounded very unwell when she spoke to The Kyle & Jackie O Show over the phone on Thursday.
She is in Queensland where isolation is for a minimum of seven days or until symptoms have gone away – which they don’t appear to be close to doing so close to the election.
“You really want to know, I’m up the shit, I’ve got Covid,” she said through heavy coughing.
“I travelled to five states around Australia campaigning, but I go to the most locked-down state last week and I got it and I came home.
“I’m not getting vaccinated, I haven’t been in hospital, I’m fine, I’m alive, it’s like I’ve had a heavy cold.
“I think last Saturday, look, it’s been disappointing.”
A spokesman said that Senator Hanson had symptoms similar to the flu.
“She’d actually done several tests prior to that but there was a positive test on Saturday,” he said.
“She’s not especially sick, it’s basically like a cold, it’s like the flu.”
The spokesman confirmed that Senator Hanson remained unvaccinated but said she had been treating herself with dewormer ivermectin.
It remains an unproven treatment the Therapeutic Goods Administration says can be dangerous.
Senator Hanson has previously slammed the Covid vaccine.
“I’ll tell you honestly,” she told Queensland business leaders in December.
“I haven’t had the jab, I don’t intend to have the jab, I’m not putting that shit into my body.”
The upper house descended into chaos late last year after Senator Hanson attempted to introduce a private member’s bill seeking to ban mandatory vaccinations and overturn state and territory requirements for full vaccination to be required in some settings.
The bill was defeated by an overwhelming majority but five Coalition senators crossed the floor to vote for it.
The renegades included Liberal Senator Alex Antic and Matt Canavan from the Nationals.
Senator Hanson confirmed she has tested positive to COVID-19 following a trip to Perth.
Symptoms developed on Friday last week, but testing did not return a positive result until Saturday.
“I will self-isolate in accordance with the current rules, and do my best to drive One Nation policies from home ahead of this weekend,” Senator Hanson said.
“I thank all of those people who have sent their well wishes, and apologise to those who had hoped that I would drop dead.”
CLIVE PALMER’S TEXT MESSAGE BLITZ
Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party has launched another text-message blast to Australian voters, boldly claiming both of the country’s major political parties will hand over control of the federal health department if elected.
The text messages, which began arriving with voters on Thursday afternoon, claimed the Liberal and Labor parties planned to give “Health Dept to China W.H.O.”.
The message also includes a web link to short video including footage of UAP leader Craig Kelly at the National Press Club, saying the country could not “surrender the sovereignty of our nation, our medical decisions, to the World Health Organisation”.
The message appears to be misleading.
The WHO is in the process of creating new guidelines to deal with future pandemics, but proposals include sharing genome data, reporting new variants, and rules around the equitable disruption of vaccines.
It would not involve “giving” up Australia’s health department to another body.
The latest UAP text messages came the day after an election advertising blackout began for television and radio broadcasts in Australia, and after the party sparked outrage with two SMS messages sent to millions of voters in September 2021, sparking more than 8000 complaints to the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
Bulk political text messages are not restricted under Australia’s Spam Act, despite more than one attempt to close the loophole.
An Australian Electoral Commission spokesperson said the UAP text message appeared “to meet the authorisation rules,” and it was “up to voters to stop and consider all messages they get”.
‘THE BORDERS ARE CLOSED’: LABOR LEADER’S BLUNDER
Senior Coalition figures have again questioned Anthony Albanese’s ability to get across basic details after he wrongly claimed Australia’s international borders were closed.
Mr Albanese has made a series of gaffes during the election campaign, including not knowing the unemployment rate or the official cash rate which determines interest rates.
Speaking on ABC News breakfast, the Opposition leader was asked whether he believed Australia’s low unemployment rate could boost the Coalition this Saturday after a campaign fought on cost of living and the economy.
Mr Albanese responded that Australia’s unemployment figures were only low because the international border was closed.
“Our borders are closed, Lisa. Our borders are closed,” Mr Albanese said.
“People are doing it tough. That’s having an impact on employment figures. We know that that’s the case. But we know as well that people are really doing it tough.
Since the borders have reopened, over 920,000 temporary visa holders have arrived in Australia, including 442,100 visitors, 168,000 students and 90,300 temporary skilled visas.
Only unvaccinated people are not permitted to enter the country.
Finance Minister Simon Birmingham jumped on Mr Albanese’s border blunder, echoing comments by former PM John Howard, that the Labor leader was not across the detail.
Mr Birmingham said he would not trust Mr Albanese with his ‘shopping list’ let alone a $2.1 trillion economy.
Mr Albanese later corrected his comments when asked about the gaffe.
"The borders were closed. The borders were closed. And I was asked a question about skills shortages, and one of things that business say is that they were impacted by the fact that the borders were closed,’’ he said.
“And, indeed, people who were here on temporary visas were told to leave. That's had an impact on our labour market.”
WATCH THE LATEST SKY COVERAGE HERE
You can follow the latest Sky News coverage in the player below, or catch up on all Sky’s election latest at skynews.com.au.
WHAT GOOGLE SEARCHES SAY ABOUT VOTERS
Australians want to watch Prime Minister Scott Morrison tackle a child, be interviewed by Tracy Grimshaw, and hear what he said about bulldozers.
Meanwhile, questions raised about Anthony Albanese include his Italian heritage, what “young Albo” looked like, and what he looks like as Gollum in a Liberal attack ad.
The findings from Google Trends, released on Thursday, represent what Australian voters searched for about the two political leaders over the last week before the federal election.
The data also showed web searches about Mr Morrison were higher than those about Mr Albanese across all states, though Labor proved the most popular party in Google searches, followed by the United Australia Party and the Liberals.
The Nationals ranked last.
Quirkier trended web searches detected by Google included how many homes Mr Morrison owned, how long he spent in Hawaii, and what words were most frequently uttered by Mr Albanese.
In slightly more concerning developments, Australians also searched for “is Scott Morrison liberal” and “donkey votes,” which was most popular in Hobart, Canberra, and Newcastle
CLIMATE ACTIVISTS IN NATION-WIDE PROTEST
South Australian Senator Simon Birmingham’s office was vandalised as part of a national protest to highlight the “environmentally destructive record” of the Morrison government.
Mr Birmingham’s SA office was one of five Liberal MPs targeted across the country including Scott Morrison, Peter Dutton, Nola Marino and James Paterson.
In the SA vandalism, Extinction Rebellion activists wrote: “Climate criminals, tell the truth” or Thursday morning.
An anonymous “rebel” said the Liberal Party’s emissions reduction target of 26-28 per cent by 2030 was not in line with the Paris Agreement, and was “a death sentence”.
The Extinction Rebellion symbol was also featured in the vandalism, who earlier this month gathered out the front of Mr Birmingham’s office in protest.
They used banners, drums and “theatre” over the government’s support of what the group calls a “fossil fuel future”.
ALBO REVERSES DECISION TO DITCH MEDIA PACK
Mr Albanese has reversed a decision to ditch his travelling media pack but he will miss Labor’s election costings announcement today.
The Labor leader will hold a press conference in Sydney this morning and then jump on a plane to Brisbane, initially planning to leave behind the travelling media pack who were going to be diverted to Canberra for when the long-awaited costings are announced by opposition Treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers and finance spokeswoman Katy Gallagher.
Mr Albanese will not go to Canberra and instead campaign on marginal Queensland seats.
However, about an hour later, the Labor campaign team backflipped on the decision.
The media pack will now travel to Brisbane with him to cover the crucial final 48 hours of campaigning.
It was going to be the first time the travelling media pack was separated from Mr Albanese and was a curious decision given the pressure Mr Albanese has faced over the unreleased costings.
Mr Albanese has refused to say for weeks whether his costings will have higher budget deficits than the Coalition.
Mr Albanese walked out of a press conference in Perth on Tuesday when he was pressed by journalists over whether Labor would run higher deficits over the next four years than the Coalition.
LABOR LEADER FACES MORE QUESTIONS ON COSTINGS
Mr Albanese has again refused to say whether deficits will be higher under a government he leads.
Just hours ahead of the release of Labor’s election policy costings, Mr Albanese again swatted back questions.
Instead, he argued his policies will “produce a return”.
“Here’s the big tip: If you look at our commitments for economy-boosting reforms, in child care, in skills, and in our Powering Australia Plan, that adds up to the difference which will be released later today,” he told reporters in Sydney.
He hit back at reports the deficit could be as higher than the Coalition by up to $10bn.
“It is less than the figure that was published, as I indicated,” he said
“We make no apologies for the fact that. We make no apologies for the fact that we are investing in things that will produce a return.”
PM SAYS ALBO ‘RUNNING AWAY’ AGAIN
Mr Morrison accused Mr Albanese of “running away from scrutiny” over his policy costings.
“We’ve seen Labor running away and Mr Albanese running away from scrutiny when it comes to just how much his policies cost,” Mr Morrison said.
“We're so late in the campaign now, and even today, he wanted to run to the other end of the country away from his own travelling media pack so we wouldn't have to face questions.”
Mr Morrison said he was pleased the media was able to “pressure” Mr Albanese back into facing scrutiny.
Ahead of new unemployment figures being released today, the prime minister said getting more people into jobs would increase wages, which in turn would help with rising cost of living pressures.
“Getting unemployment down is incredibly important,” he said.
“It is actually the most important job, the most important job our federal government has, in managing the economy is to get people into jobs.”
Mr Morrison also took aim at Mr Albanese, who in another gaffe said the borders were closed, saying “this guy doesn’t know whether he’s coming or going”.
“You don't know what the cash rate is, you’ve never done a budget, who are you going to trust,” he said.
Mr Morrison was also grilled over attack ads saying it “won’t be easy under Albanese”.
Asked if he would respond to claims from the opposition leader that migrants often have their names made fun of, Mr Morrison accused Mr Albanese of being “precious” and a “hypocrite” after attacking Zed Seselja.
“If he's that precious, and he can't hack a campaign, then how on earth is he going to handle running this country?”
PM FLAGS VISIT TO SOLOMON ISLANDS
A diplomatic visit to the Solomon Islands will be on the agenda of a re-elected Morrison government the Prime Minister has confirmed, though he did not identify a timeline.
Australia’s relationship with the Pacific nation has been under increasing strain after Honiara signed a security pact with Beijing, a move that launched national security to the forefront of the election campaign.
Mr Morrison, campaigning in the Tasmanian seat of Lyons on Thursday, said it was his “intention” to visit the Solomon Islands and “many of the other Pacific countries” that he had hoped to visit over the pandemic.
But he ruled out the trip happening next week — assuming the Coalition is re-elected — when Australia’s Prime Minister is due to attend a Quad meeting in Tokyo with partners Japan, India and the United States.
Mr Morrison confirmed there had been plans also to visit Vietnam, which was “really important” to Australia’s relationship with ASEAN.
“Most of the diplomacy we had to do in the last three years was on the phone but over that period of time, I made over 100 direct contacts and calls with Pacific leaders,” he said.
“And so yes, I would look forward to doing that and look forward to having an opportunity (to meet leaders in person).”
ALBANESE DENIES RUNNING FROM COSTINGS
Mr Albanese has pushed off criticism that he was seeking to distance himself from his party’s costings.
Earlier this morning, the media pack travelling with the Labor leader were told they would be sent to Canberra for the Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Labor’s finance spokesman Katy Gallagher’s press conference instead of following Mr Albanese to Brisbane.
While the decision was ultimately reversed, Mr Albanese was pressed on the matter at his press conference in Bennelong on Thursday morning.
Sky news reporter Jonathan Lea put it to Mr Albanese that by having a press conference before the costings were released, and by seeking to separate himself from the media pack, he was attempting to distance himself from the costings.
Mr Albanese said during the campaign he had been “completely accountable”.
“I have been more accountable than this government throughout this campaign,” he said.
The press pack pushed back, asking him if he knew the costings figures and if he would speak to media again after the figures were released.
Mr Albanese would not be drawn on whether he would speak to the costings this afternoon.
He said he stood by his policies and what Mr Chalmers and Senator Gallagher would announce later today.
Mr Albanese assured reporters he knew the deficit figure but declined to provide further information.
“If you actually get out a calculator, I've just told you what the costings are.”
ALBO UNVEILS LONG LIST FOR FIRST 100 DAYS
Anthony Albanese has unveiled his 100-day plan if he wins the election on Saturday, vowing a different style of leadership and promising new laws on climate change, corruption, employment and constitutional recognition for indigenous Australians.
The Labor leader sought to reassure undecided voters that he had “a plan for a better future”, leading ”the most experienced incoming team” that Labor has taken to an election.
Mr Albanese’s busy 100-day plan would begin with a swearing-in of himself as prime minister and Penny Wong as foreign minister on Sunday or Monday to attend the Quadrilateral meeting with leaders from the US, Japan and India in Tokyo on Tuesday.
The Australian revealed Labor caucus is expected to meet on May 30 to elect ministers as required under party rules, with a swearing-in of the full ministry to take place later that week.
Mr Morrison said on Tuesday that Mr Albanese was “getting a bit ahead of himself” by declaring that he would seek a swift swearing-in after the election.
“He seems to think this election is already done,” the Prime Minister said. “Australians will make this decision; you don‘t get to make it before the election.”
The 100-day plan, subject to advice, also includes:
• Replace the head of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Philip Gaetjens.
.• Convene the first sitting of the 47th parliament in June.
• Treasurer Jim Chalmers to deliver a ministerial statement on the budget and economic outlook in June. • Hold a summit with business and unions that will inform a white paper on employment.
• Begin structural change in departments and prepare legislation to deliver policies on climate change, energy, infrastructure, skills, employment, an integrity commission and constitutional recognition.
Mr Albanese said he would adopt a very different style of national leadership to Mr Morrison with a new tone, approach and governing model in order to reshape Australia.
“I want to bring the Australian people on the journey of shaping change,” he said.
“In the way that I intend to govern, if we are successful, it will be more inclusive and respectful as well, including the way that the parliament functions.
“I want there to be a genuine contest of ideas and I want government to be accountable. We will also, in the first 100 days, continue work on the structures of a national anti-corruption commission. We will have legislation introduced before the end of the year.
KYLE AND JACKIE O HIT ALBO WITH BONG QUESTIONS
Mr Albanese has carved out half an hour of his time on the second last full day of the election campaign to sit down for a wide-ranging interview with Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O in Sydney on Thursday.
The man hoping to be prime minister come Sunday morning has “taken the fifth” when asked if he’d ever smoked marijuana, and said the luxuries that come with being Prime Minister would take some getting used to.
He’s also recommitted to no new taxes, and spruiked his plan for cheaper childcare while on the commercial station.
His appearance was delayed after his security team carried out a “bomb sweep”, according to host Sandilands.
“Your friends were in here earlier, making sure there’s no bombs. We did a joke where we pretended there were drugs,” Sandilands jibed.
Mr Albanese said his security team were “pretty good”, but it had taken some getting used to having multiple police cars parked outside his “pretty ordinary” Marickville house.
🇦🇺 LABOR leader @AlboMP is EMBARRASSED for the Liberal party and their campaign commercials!#KJshow#ALBO@ScoMo#ausvotes#auspolpic.twitter.com/FFDE45he4h
— Kyle and Jackie O (@kyleandjackieo) May 18, 2022
Sandilands asked Mr Albanese if he had told his partner Jodie Haydon to “start packing up the s***, we’re moving to Kirrabilli”, to which Mr Albanese laughed off.
WOULD-BE PM RETURNS TO CHILDHOOD HOME
Mr Albanese has begun his final 48 hour sprint to the election finish line at the place it all started – outside his childhood home.
Over the last two days of the election campaign, the Opposition Leader and senior Labor figures will hit 20 key electorates in a final push to get over the finish line.
Mr Albanese himself will hit Bennelong on Thursday morning before flying to Queensland where he’ll hit Longman, Dickson, Ryan and Petrie.
He also plans to blitz South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria before polls close at 6pm on Saturday, while Penny Wong will blitz Western Australia.
But before Mr Albanese hit the hustings, he started Thursday morning beaming into national television from outside the Camperdown council house he once called home.
“The number 41 on that home there was something I drilled in a long, long time ago, about 40 years ago,” he told ABC News.
“This is where my journey began … From a council house in Camperdown to being candidate for Prime Minister … Humble beginnings”
The final two days of Labor’s bid to form government could be buoyed by the wage figures released on Wednesday, which suggest Australians are suffering a 2.7 per cent pay cut in “real wages”.
“People are going backwards. People know the cost of everything is going up except their wages aren’t,” Mr Albanese said.
“Here they (the Coalition) are saying that life is easy under them. The truth is that life is tough for a whole lot of Australians. “This government is out of touch and this Prime Minister just doesn’t get it.”
SOCCER CRASH STAR ‘DOING WELL’
The eight-year-old accidentally crash tackled by the Prime Minister at his soccer training on Wednesday night says he’s “doing well”.
Luca Fauvette has gone viral after Scott Morrison took his “bulldozer” approach a little too seriously, bowling over the young boy while in Devenport.
Luca told 2GB’s Ben Fordham it “didn’t hurt”.
“I think Scott Morrison tripped and was trying not to fall on top of me, so he fell underneath me instead,” the boy told Fordham.
“He said (to me) you’re a good sport.”
Mr Morrison called Luca and his mum on Wednesday night to check in and make sure the boy was okay.
Mum Ally said the pair had been laughing while talking about Luca’s interest in football.
Earlier, Jobs Minister Stuart Robert told ABC Radio the crash tackle had been “an error from both of them”.
“I think when you get out there to kick a footy with the Prime Minister, these things happen,” Mr Robert said.
Mr Morrison accidentally knocked over the boy at the Devonport Strikers Club in Tasmania, sparking gasps and awkward laughter from the side of the pitch after the pair got caught up during practice with the under-8s team.
He appeared to trip and lose his footing, wrapping Luca as he fell to the ground seemingly to protect the child as they crashed over.
This prompted jokes from the sidelines that Mr Morrison, who likes to try his hand at every sport, may have forgotten what code he was playing.
Mr Morrison quickly patted Luca on the back and later gave him a high-five to check he was okay.
A club official said Luca went home without any injuries, with Mr Morrison saying he hoped Luca wasn’t off to the hospital.
“It’s been a lot of fun being here this afternoon,” Mr Morrison said
“When that grandstand comes down here it needs a bit of a bulldozer to knock it down. So I might be able to help with that,” he joked.
Under 8s soccer coach Keegan Smith said Luca was “tough as” and came out of the incident with a smile on his face.
“He probably falls over three times that much just training with the boys,” Mr Smith said.
“He had a massive smile on his face and I think he ended up scoring a goal after that too.”
Mr Morrison made the late-afternoon dash to the electorate of Braddon to announce a $3.5m upgrade to the pitches and facility at the Valley Road Soccer grounds, if elected.
On Wednesday evening, Mr Morrison said he had spoken to Luca and his mother Ali.
“A shout out to young Luca for being such a good sport,” Mr Morrison wrote on Facebook.
“You may have seen we had a bit of a collision at club training tonight at the Devonport Strikers Football Club in Tasmania.
“I spoke to Luca and his mum Ali tonight to check in on him and he was in good form. Great to be able to have a good chat to him about his love of football and to hear he’s had three hat-tricks in his budding career already.”
Luca’s club also posted their support of Luca.
“Our club values are determination, effort and respect,” the club wrote.
“We think Luca showed plenty of determination and effort to stop the PM scoring at all costs!
“The latest star of the election is OK and looking forward to being the star of the show at school tomorrow,” they wrote.
LABOR V COALITION ON WAGES
Finance Minister Simon Birmingham has ridiculed Mr Albanese’s claims he can improve real wages, saying Labor had ‘promised to write a letter’ rather than having a detailed economic plan to manage a $2.1 trillion dollar budget.
Mr Birmingham said he would not trust the Labor leader with a shopping list, let alone the economy.
Mr Albanese told Sunrise on Thursday would write a submission to the Fair Work Commission pushing for wages to keep up with inflation, which is currently running at 5.1 per cent, if elected on Saturday.
His comments come as official unemployment figures are expected to be released today, which is expected to be positive news for the Coalition, which has campaigned heavily on creating jobs in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mr Albanese said he would welcome any drop in the unemployment rate – but they would not address the biggest issue – the rising cost of living for many Australians.
“The problem for the Government is – they said that their strategy around wages was all about employment. And if employment went down to where it is now at 4%, then wages would rise. “What we're seeing is that wages aren't rising.”
Mr Albanese described yesterday’s wage figures, a 2.4 per cent increase, as ‘shocking’, given the current inflation rate.
He said it amounted to a 2.7% cut in real wages, worth about $2,000 a year, for people on the average wage.
Mr Birmingham told the ABC there were huge inflationary pressures right across the globe.
“We saw overnight UK inflation spiking to 9%, Australia holding down 5%, a demonstration we are withstanding some pressures,’’ he said.
He said the government had provided fuel price relief, announced further tax cuts, as well as cheaper medicines, and a new housing plan to help young people getting into a home.
“There is no magic wand as Anthony Albanese pretends. It takes hard work to make sure businesses remain viable and they have incentives for them."
“Anthony Albanese he says he will write a letter, that's not a policy,’’ Mr Birmingham told Sunrise.
When asked whether he would support a $1 increase to the minimum wage, the Finance Minister said it was important that any submission was done in an expert way, including consideration of the impact on small businesses still struggling to come out of the pandemic.
“Anthony Albanese has pretended there are simple solutions to complex problems.''
“He's a guy that doesn't get it and doesn't understand and should be trusted with wages or a $2.1 trillion economy.’’
Earlier Mr Albanese said the government had failed to make any account for people doing it tough in its submission on wages.
“It doesn't refer to the cost of living pressures that people who are on $20 an hour are under. if we are successful we will make a new submission to the Fair Work Commission saying those people who are on $20 an hour simply can't afford to go backwards, they're struggling.
But Mr Albanese refused to put a figure on the increase.
“It's not a matter of putting a figure it's a matter of saying that those people can't afford to go backwards.”
When asked what he would have done to tackle inflation, he said he would lifted productivity, working with employers and unions.
“The only way you can lift wages and profits without putting pressure on inflation is to lift productivity.”
PM SWITCHES FROM SOCCER TO TENNIS
Mr Morrison is out on the offensive in Northern Tasmania, with just two days to go until Aussies head to the polls.
But the Prime Minister hasn’t let his accidental tackle on a young soccer player get the better of him, heading to a tennis court on Thursday morning.
In a visit to the seat of Lyons, held by Labor MP Brian Mitchell on a 5.2 per cent, Mr Morrison attended a community breakfast at the Whitemore Tennis Club.
Orange juice and coffee were flowing, as mother and daughter duo Ruth and Stephanie cooked eggs and bacon on the barbecue.
Mr Morrison gave them a hand, getting on the tools to flip eggs.
“Beautiful morning,” Mr Morrison said.
Under the glow of the morning sun, he met with local farmers and tennis players who had been gathering around roaring fire pits to keep warm.
This included club champion Sarah Hirst, who took out the Whitemore Cup after the team changed its names from lemons and pineapples.
Mr Morrison said sporting clubs were the cornerstone of local communities.
He also spoke to budding tennis stars, before saying “who wants to have a hit”.
But he hit a few easy balls to a little boy called Frank, before rallying with Liberal candidate Susie Bowers.
Asked if he’d still have a tennis court after Saturday Mr Morrison said “yes”, although he conceded he didn’t get to use it much.
Sitting down on a hay bale, he also spoke to a few children from the Hagley Farm School about the animals. It is his fourth visit to Lyons.
CRAIG KELLY ADMITS FIGHT FOR OWN SEAT
United Australia Party MP Craig Kelly has admitted even he will have to “fight hard” for his own seat in the upcoming federal election, while also failing to identify key areas the UAP had a chance of winning seats in.
Speaking in Brisbane yesterday, the UAP leader said the party was pining for all 151 seats across the nation, but couldn’t specify which seats the party was hoping to win, saying “anything could happen” by 6pm on Saturday.
“I think with the election result, anything can happen with so many undecided voters going into the polls, and with the two major parties, their primary votes probably at historic lows,” he said.
“We hope we have the balance of power in both houses at a minimum … we’re making a really big pitch to them (voters) over these last couple of days. “But the reality is, I’ve got a hard fight in my seat, as does every other candidate that we’ve got.”
When asked if Clive Palmer had lined up a job for him, Mr Kelly denied there had been no discussion or plans for him to work for Palmer if he loses his seat at the election.
‘BOB HAWKE LOOKING DOWN’
Mr Albanese has laughed off John Howard’s criticism of him, saying it would be “really weird” if the Liberal stalwart did support the Labor Party.
The Opposition Leader has said he values Mr Howard's tenure as prime minister as being one with a strong economic reform agenda, and has levelled his criticism at Mr Morrison on his lack of any such agenda.
Appearing on the Nine Network, Today Show host Karl Stefanovic asked Mr Albanese if “it had hurt” that Mr Howard had on Wednesday said the Australian community didn’t think the Opposition Leader was quite up to the job of running the country.
Mr Albanese laughed and responded: “You know what would be bizarre, Karl? If John Howard endorsed the Labor Party”.
“That would be really weird, Karl. Guess what? Paul Keating’s supporting the Labor Party, Julia Gillard’s supporting the Labor Party, Kevin Rudd’s supporting the Labor Party and Bob Hawke … is looking down, and he supports Labor,” Mr Albanese said.
Stefanovic asked if Mr Albanese really thought the late Mr Hawke was looking down, given he was “a bit of a rascal”. “Nah,” Mr Albanese replied.
“Hawkey was an absolute legend. He was a mentor of mine, and my model for governing is Bob Hawke’s cabinet – that was a good government.
“They put in place Medicare and superannuation and all those big reforms. I want to add childcare and aged care to those lists.”
LIBS THINK IT’S OK TO MAKE FUN OF YOUR NAME: ALBO
Anthony Albanese has taken aim at the Liberal Party, suggesting its attack ads are a slur on his Italian heritage.
The ads, which have been running throughout the campaign, plays on the Labor leader’s last name claiming life “won’t be easy under Albanese”.
“People of my age in this room will know that (people at school) made fun of your name,” he told the Marconi Club at Bossley Park – a room half filled with members of the Italian community.
“My opponents think it’s still okay to make fun of someone’s name in their advertising.
“And that’s a matter for them to consider perhaps in the future. But I know that many in the Italian Australian community have made their own judgments about what that says about them.”
He told the crowd he was proud to be the first candidate without an Anglo-Celtic surname to stand to be the Prime Minister.
“I’m proud of my heritage,” Mr Albanese said. “The Italian community is one million strong in Australia.”
His speech touched on many of the same talking points that he hit earlier in the day at the National Press Club.
Following his address, the Labor leader was mobbed by the crowd as he walked about the room to meet with attendees.
Luckily for Mr Albanese the venue thought ahead and set up a “media wall” at the back of the room for him to pose for photos with guests.
He’s repeatedly denied sweet treats on the campaign trial, saying he did not want to put his diet at risk.
But on Wednesday night the Labor leader did not hesitate to sink his teeth into a traditional Italian desert – the cannoli.
Asked how it tasted, he simply replied “Bellissimo!”
I’M STAYING IN LIVERPOLL IF I LOSE: KENEALLY
Win or lose on Saturday, Kristina Keneally said she and her husband will continue to live in Liverpool, denying a late campaign visit from Anthony Albanese was an attempt to shore up votes.
At the Marconi Club at Bossley Park, the former NSW Premier was repeatedly asked if she would move back to her $1.8m Scotland Island home should she not be successful in Fowler.
“My husband and I live in Liverpool,” she replied.
Ms Keneally, who moved from the northern beaches hideaway late last year, said she was enrolled to vote in the electorate.
But is she considering her next move if she’s not returned to parliament?
“I don’t think many of us are contemplating what happens after 6pm (on Saturday),” she said.
Asked about what she offers the western Sydney electorate, Ms Keneally said she planned to give the residents something they hadn’t had before: “a senior minister”.
On predecessor Chris Hayes, Ms Keneally said he had been extremely supportive since her preselection.
CLIMATE 200 MILLIONAIRE IN POLLING BOOTH CONFRONTATION
Millionaire investor Simon Holmes a Court has been filmed repeatedly ignoring requests to leave Liberal Senator Jane Hume alone at a Melbourne pre-poll.
In a video posted on social media by the Liberal Party, Mr Holmes a Court is seen trying to talk to Ms Hume, who the Climate 200 convener is suing for defamation.
Ms Hume repeatedly told Mr Holmes a Court to leave her alone, which he ignored.
“Just leave me alone Simon please leave me alone. You are suing me for defamation Simon, I don’t want to talk to you,” she said.
Ms Hume said it “may have legal implications” if she spoke to him.
“Leave me alone Simon, you are the son of Australia’s first billionaire. You are suing me for defamation. Please leave me alone.”
Mr Holmes a Court then turns to Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who appears to be behind the camera filming the incident.
“Hey Josh, how are you doing?” Mr Holmes a Court asked.
“I agree with everything she (Ms Hume) said,” Mr Frydenberg replied.
HOUSEHOLD BUDGETS HURT AS COST OF LIVING BITES
Household budgets will feel the extra pain of higher fuel, electricity and rental prices, economists have warned, after wages rose less than half the rate of inflation.
Wages grew at an annual rate of 2.4 per cent as of the March quarter, compared to inflation surging 5.1 per cent, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday.
The effective 2.7 per cent real wage decrease is expected to keep the issue in sharp focus in the final days of the election campaign, which has been dominated by debate on how to ease cost-of-living pressures.
AMP chief economist Shane Oliver said the low wage rise was “not great news for Australians,” though “not particularly surprising”.
“Wages growth has been very weak for a while now,” he said.
But Mr Oliver said with jobless figures on Thursday expected to be as low as 3.9 per cent, it should only be a “matter of time before wages pick up”.
He said households would struggle to afford basic goods and services in the meantime, with government supports in the short term clearly “not enough” to cover rising costs.
“Real growth is going to be a way off,” he said.
“The inflation rates are going to get worse before they get better.
“Rents are skyrocketing, we are hearing whispers of electricity prices going up, fuel prices have surged and supermarkets are telling us more price rises are on the way.”
Opposition leader Anthony Albanese seized on the latest data to highlight Labor’s argument wages were taking a huge “hit” under the Coalition.
“Real wages have gone backwards yet again,” he said.
“This delivers the biggest cuts to real wages in more than 20 years.
“Real wages are plummeting but the costs of living are skyrocketing.”
TWO DAYS LEFT: ALBO MOVES INTO SPRINT MODE
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese and his frontbench team are launching a 48-hour “sprint” – blitzing 20 Liberal-held seats in a display of confidence the party says shows they’re taking “nothing for granted”.
After limiting his campaigning to about two events a day, the Labor Leader will be stepping up his efforts in the last two days before the May 21 poll with a “final sprint to a better future” focusing entirely on seats the opposition wants to attack rather than defend.
Mr Albanese will be campaigning in Sydney and Brisbane on Thursday, while his front bench team consisting of Richard Marles, Penny Wong, Jim Chalmers, Jason Clare and Tanya Plibersek will be dividing up the remaining seats.
On the hit list in NSW are Reid, Bennelong, Robertson and Banks, in Queensland it's the seats of Brisbane, Leichardt, Dickson, Longman and Ryan, while in South Australia Labor will target Boothby and Sturt.
In Tasmania it’s the seats of Bass and Braddon, in Victoria the “sprint” includes Chisholm, Higgins, Casey and Deakin, while in Western Australia it will be Swan, Pearce and Hasluck.
Labor’s campaign spokesman Jason Clare said the party was in the “final sprint now” before polling day on Saturday.
“Australians have just a few more days to make a choice between more of the same with Mr Morrison, or a better future with Labor,” he said.
“Things need to change, we need a better future, and Labor is ready to help build a better future.”
After jetting from Canberra back to Sydney on Wednesday afternoon, Anthony Albanese headed out west to the Marconi Club in the Labor-held seat of Fowler.
Chris Hayes has held the safe seat since 2010 and is retiring with a healthy margin of 14 per cent.
But the decision to parachute ‘wannabe Westie’ Kristina Keneally into the seat over Mr Hayes’ preferred candidate Tu Le, and pressure from independent Dai Le, has some concerned the seat could slip away.
Around 400 members of the Italian community are expected to join with the Labor leader for an evening of risotto and cannoli.
On Wednesday, Mr Albanese used a National Press Club address in Canberra to again rule out a change to tax cuts for higher income earners and promise he would continue Australia’s deepening ties with the Pacific region and focus on the US alliance to combat a rising China.
Mr Albanese pledged he would continue many of the Coalition’s positions if elected on Saturday, including keeping the Stage 3 tax cuts.
He said Australians could not afford another three years of Coalition government as they would not seize the opportunities to grow wages and improve Australians’ lives.
On foreign policy, Mr Albanese said his strategy would focus on the US alliance, deepening regional relationships and support for multilateral relations.
“I won’t leak text messages to international leaders,” he said, referencing the exchange with French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Scott Morrison which was made public last year.
“I will engage in an upfront way, in a mature way, and I look forward in particular to some of the policy changes that we’re putting forward, increasing our standing globally.”
On China, Mr Albanese said he would “maintain an absolute consistency in that position in standing up for Australia’s values.
PM MAKES LAST-DITCH BID TO PUT PEOPLE ‘IN DRIVER’S SEAT’
Australians need to choose between a Coalition that will put people “in the driver’s seat” of their future or Labor and their love of control, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said, as he opts to fight the final days of the campaign on ideological differences.
But Mr Morrison was forced to address the stark reality living costs had risen at twice the rate of wages over the last year.
Blitzing three electorates on Wednesday across two states, Mr Morrison also defended the “bulldozer” label he had given himself.
On cost-of-living pressures, Mr Morrison said global pressures pushing up inflation were out of his control as he revealed petrol was likely to rise by 22 cents a litre in September when the fuel excise cut ends.
But he maintained that wages would go up by the end of 2023, because unemployment was being driven down.
Later, in an off-the-cuff speech to an Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce lunch in Melbourne, Mr Morrison painted the difference between him and his opponents.
“The Liberals and Nationals believe in the power of Australians, the Labor Party believes in the power of government,” he said.
“Australians being at the centre in the driver’s seat of our future matters.”
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