Election 2022 live: Scott Morrison’s security team in car crash; Albo flip flops on offshore detention
Scott Morrison has wished his security team well after they were injured in a car crash with Tasmanian police officers. It comes after Anthony Albanese backflipped on offshore detention centres.
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Two of Scott Morrison’s protective detail and two Tasmanian police officers have been injured following a shocking car crash in Tasmania.
The unmarked police vehicle, a Toyota Prado, was following the Prime Minister as he travelled to a campaign event when a Mitsubishi Triton smashed into the back of it while attempting to merge on the Bass Highway.
The police car rolled off the road just outside Elizabeth Town about 1.30pm.
Two Tasmanian police officers and two Australian Federal Police officers from Mr Morrison’s security detail suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were rushed to hospital.
News Corp was told they were all conscious when rushed to hospital.
Mr Morrison was not involved in the crash.
He later issued a statement saying: “Earlier this afternoon two of my protective detail, along with two Tasmanian police officers, were involved in a terrible car accident while they were supporting my visit to Northern Tasmania.
“I am relieved they have all been safely transferred to hospital where they are receiving care.
“Our police do an amazing job in keeping us all safe.
“I am incredibly grateful to all the police who look after me and my family.
“We have all got to know each other over the years.
“They are selfless, professional and incredibly generous.
“I hope to hear further good news about their condition.
“Jen and I also send our thanks, love and best wishes to them and their families.”
Tasmania Police said “initial enquiries indicate the Triton has collided with the rear of the police Toyota Prado, while attempting to merge”.
It is understood the Prado then crashed through two sets of railing before rolling down a grassy embankment, coming to a rest on its side.
An investigation into the crash is ongoing.
Both vehicles were travelling west between Deloraine and Latrobe.
The four police officers – a man and a woman from the AFP and two men from Tasmania Police – suffered non life-threatening injuries.
Images of the wreckage show the unmarked police car with a smashed windshield and heavily dented roof.
At least three officers could be seen lying on the ground being treated by paramedics.
Mr Morrison was travelling to a defence industry event, which was cancelled.
Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews wished the injured members of the Australian Federal Police and Tasmanian Police a “speedy recovery”.
“They were on duty, providing protection to the Prime Minister,” Ms Andrews said.
“My thoughts are with them and their families, and I thank them for their service.”
Labor leader Anthony Albanese posted a note on Facebook saying: “Best wishes to the Australian Federal Police and Tasmania Police personnel assisting the PM who were involved in the car crash in Tasmania today. They do a fantastic job and I wish all a speedy recovery.”
ALBO FLIP FLOPS ON OFFSHORE DETENTION CENTRES
Mr Albanese has left his opponents stunned after saying Labor would not need offshore detention centres because he will successfully turn back asylum seeker boats, only to pull back from the comments hours later.
Defence Minister Peter Dutton described the initial statement as ‘very dangerous’, warning people smugglers would be ‘jumping for joy’, while Mr Morrison said Mr Albanese was a ‘complete weather vane on this issue’.
“Turning boats back means that you don‘t need offshore detention,” Mr Albanese said.
Labor denied this was a change in policy, but that did not stop Mr Morrison seizing on Mr Albanese‘s comments in an attack on the Opposition leader’s track record on border protection.
Mr Dutton was asked about the comments on 2GB and, at first, could not believe the Labor Leader had made such a statement.
“I haven’t seen that but that would be a remarkable departure from the Labor Party policy. If that is what he has said, that would be a weakening of the policy that Julia Gillard had,” Mr Dutton said.
“If Anthony Albanese said that now, you would expect the people smugglers to be jumping for joy … in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam because that is actually a very dangerous statement has made this morning.”
“You can’t just turn people around. I am really stunned by that, I have got to say.
“I think this is a really significant watershed moment for them.”
But hours later, Mr Albanese said offshore processing would remain in place.
“Can you clarify your position on if you want to remove offshore processing,” he was asked.
“Of course, not. It was established in 2013 when I was the Deputy Prime Minister,” he said.
“I was asked today about boat turn-backs. Our position is clear.
“We continue to support them. And the thing about the government is that they waited a long, long period of time before they had finally taken up the deal that was done between Julia Gillard and John Key a long time ago for New Zealand settlement from people from offshore.
“That should have been taken up a long time ago.”
He said “yes” when he was asked if he would keep offshore detention in place.
Mr Morrison said he designed and implemented the boat turn back policy, and stood up to the criticism calling it an “inhumane policy” that ”wouldn‘t work”.
“I stood firm on that policy,” he said.
“It worked. We stopped the deaths at sea.
“We closed 17 detention centres that Labor had to open.”
Mr Morrison said warned Mr Albanese‘s comments were a risk to border security.
“If people want to weigh up and understand these issues of border protection, they can believe someone who came up with it, stood up to the opposition on it … or they can listen to Anthony Albanese, who has been a complete weather vane on this issue,” he said.
Following Mr Morrison‘s comments, a party spokesman told NewsCorp, “Labor support Operation Sovereign Borders and it’s three key elements – offshore processing, regional resettlement and turn backs where safe to do so”.
Speaking to News Corp earlier this week, Mr Albanese was upfront about his change of position on the turn back policy.
“That’s an example of something I’ve changed my view on,” Mr Albanese said. “Boat turnbacks worked.”
Previously in 2015 Mr Albanese said, if people were in a boat, including families and children, I myself couldn’t turn that around“.
In a more than 30-minute press conference – after cutting his one a day earlier suddenly short – Mr Albanese answered a range of questions on many issues, such as pensioners, after local Cessnock resident Fred Krauset raised that he was struggling to get by on $250 a week on a part-pension.
"I will always be sympathetic to pensioners," he said.
"I grew up in a household where I survived as a child with a mum on an invalid pension.
"So I get it. We'll always do what we can. "And that's why I've said in every single budget, every single budget, governments should consider what they can do for people who are doing it tough. "
PM HAILS YOUNG ‘HERO’ OF PANDEMIC
Mr Morrison has made his second stop in Tasmania, visiting the state’s largest electorate of Lyons.
The seat is held by Labor MP Brian Mitchell on a 5.2 per cent margin. The Prime Minister attended a community morning tea at the Longford RSL Memorial Club with Liberal candidate Susie Bower.
He also announced $45,000 for renovations of the Longford Town cenotaph, if Ms Bower and his government are in power following the election.
Mr Morrison spoke with veterans and locals at the morning tea.
He also eyed off the sweet and savoury scones, made by local member Pat Jones.
Ms Jones, who makes finger food for the club, said Mr Morrison was “lovely”.
But he refused to eat one in front of the cameras.
In a speech to the club, the Prime Minister spoke about a young man named Daniel who he met with at a Bridgenorth V Longford AFL game a few weeks ago.
Mr Morrison said Daniel was on JobKeeper during the pandemic but saved up the Covid supplement, using it to buy a few lawnmowers and start a gardening business.
“I call him a great Australian hero of the pandemic,” he said.
Mr Morrison also spoke about the war in Ukraine and paid tribute to the Australians that have fought for our country. “It takes a nation to defend the nation,” he said.
JOBLESS RATE REMAINS STEADY
Australia’s unemployment rate has held steady at 4 per cent – unchanged from last month – defying expectations that it could drop to a 50 year low.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics on Thursday reported about 18,000 more people got jobs in March, missing market expectations of a 30,000 rise, while monthly hours worked fell by 10 million hours.
The sharemarket rose modestly on the data as traders bet on the Reserve Bank now holding off until after the May 21 federal election before it lifts the rate from its current record low 0.1 per cent.
It is still expected to drop below 4 per cent sometime this year.
MORRISON DENIES BREAKING PLEDGE
Mr Morrison has batted away questions about his trustworthiness during a fiery press conference in Launceston.
The Prime Minister was grilled over his inaction on a federal anti-corruption watchdog, again blaming Labor for not supporting its proposed body.
Mr Morrison was asked how Australians could trust his word after he failed to deliver on several 2019 election promises including an integrity commission, commuter car parks and planting a billion trees by 2030.
But he instead started talking about the pandemic and other projects.
“I‘m not going to introduce a kangaroo court,” Mr Morrison said.
“We put forward our proposal, detailed legislation that has not been supported by the Labor Party.”
Asked why bipartisan support was needed if the government secures a majority at the May poll, Mr Morrison the issue was in the Senate – where he does not have the numbers to pass the legislation.
“Where I believe on legislation could be passed, that is in the national interest, then I pursue that,” he said.
Bass MP Bridget Archer, who has been outspoken about the government’s model, rejected suggestions she supported Labor’s proposed body.
But Ms Archer said nothing will happen until the politics is “taken out of it”.
“I don‘t want the Labor model. My view has always been all the way through on every occasion I have spoken about it that all sides of politics will need to come together to get this done in a bipartisan way,” she said.
She also revealed she didn’t know much about the NSW anti-corruption commission model, which Mr Morrison has previously dubbed a kangaroo court.
Asked why the voters of Bass should support the Prime Minister given she had not supported key planks of his agenda, she said she wouldn’t be doing her job if she didn’t stand up for the electorate.
Mr Morrison again accused Labor of not having an economic plan saying the Coalition was the party that understood what drives regional economies.
ALBANESE LIKENED TO MARK LATHAM
Mr Albanese has been compared with failed PM contender Mark Latham after having a ‘shocker’ start to the federal election campaign with his command of the numbers under serious questioning.
Mr Dutton said Mr Albanese was ‘clearly not up to the job’.
“I think that Albo has a shocker. Let's call it what it is. It has given people an insight of somebody who has hidden himself from public view for months.
“Now you understand why.
“He is clearly not up to the job and not prepared for the job.
“It is clear to Australians that the rumblings within the Labor Party about the leader and he can't go the distance in the campaign.
“That all makes sense to people now. People have a bit of a taste. It is a bit of Mark Latham about it of 2004.
“I think that you will see more from Anthony Albanese by way of mistakes and just demonstration that he is not ready for the top job in the country.”
Mr Latham became leader of the ALP in 2003 and Labor lost five seats in the 2004 election with the Howard government re-elected for a fourth term. He later joined One Nation, winning a seat in the NSW upper house in 2019.
Mr Dutton said Australian voters needed to remind themselves they live in a lucky country when compared with nations like Ukraine and show respect for their leaders.
Responding to the controversy of activists crashing the campaigns of both leaders, he said respect needed to be shown during the election campaign.
He said while both Labor and Liberal parties had “enthusiastic” supporters behind them, that was no excuse for disrespect. The 20-year-old activist who gate crashed Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s private western Sydney event earlier this week was cited.
“I think one of the things we should remind ourselves of in this campaign is when you look at the Ukraine and what is happening in Europe, the uncertainty in other countries at the moment sometimes we do take for granted what we have got in this country, how fortunate, how lucky we are and how our democracy is pretty fragile on occasion, we haven’t even realised it,” he said.
“So I think it is a great thing that people can express a view but whether you are with the Young Liberals, Young Labor or whoever you are, Young Greens, whatever, you’ve got to express it respectfully and in the end the office of prime minister is a very high office in our country and whether its Liberal or Labor we have to show respect to the person in that position.
“ I think sometimes we should remind ourselves of that, everyone is after a great moment on Snapchat or YouTube or whatever but do it respectfully.”
JOYCE SOUNDS ALARM ON CHINA THREAT
Australia needs to make its relationship with the United States as “strong as possible” to front up against China and protect future generations, according to Barnaby Joyce.
The Deputy Prime Minister said China’s interests in the Solomon Islands had shown just how much things had changed, and western allies needed to switch up tactics.
Mr Joyce told Sky News on Tuesday morning that China’s attempts to “dig in” to the Solomons was “a threat to your children and your grandchildren”.
“We’ve got to try and make sure that your sons and daughters and grandsons and granddaughters are not put in a position where they’re threatened or subjugated or intimidated,” Mr Joyce said.
“Our relationship with the US has to be as strong as possible. Circumstances have changed. “I wish they hadn’t, but our focus has to change.”
MORRISON MEETS NEW TASSIE PREMIER
Mr Morrison congratulated new Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff at a meeting on Thursday morning.
Mr Rockliff was sworn in as the 47th premier last week. The Prime Minister kicked off his first campaign trip to the state with a visit to Launceston, in the seat of Bass.
The electorate is the Liberal’s most marginal, held by Bridget Archer on 0.5 per cent. Ms Archer caused a stir in the parliament last year, after crossing the floor to support a crossbench push for a federal anti-corruption commission.
Mr Morrison and Mr Rockliff then headed to the Neville Smith Forest Products Saw Mill in Launceston.
They met with Ms Archer and Assistant Minister for Forestry Jono Duniam to spruik their forestry package and tour the site’s wood pellet manufacturing operation, which utilises offcuts.
The site employs about 70 workers and supplies hardware retailers including Bunnings and Mitre 10.
Mr Morrison is sticking to his target of planting one billion new trees by 2030, blaming the Black Summer bushfires for causing major “setbacks”.
The Prime Minister took into the last election a promise to plant one billion new trees by 2030. But latest data shows just one per cent of that target has been achieved.
“We had, of course, setbacks from the summer bushfires, which had a massive impact on the forestry industry,” Mr Morrison said.
He vowed to stick to the 2030 target, despite forestry experts casting doubt over its feasibility.
“We will monitor that target and we intend to hit it,” Mr Morrison said after announcing a $219.5m package to secure the industry’s 73,000 jobs.
“We didn’t set (the targets) because we thought they were easy,” he said. “We set them because we believe they are important. “So we are going to keep working to that despite the setbacks we’ve had.”
LAMBIE: BOTH SIDES ‘ON THE NOSE’
Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie says there are ‘bigger things to focus on’ than Mr Albanese not knowing his numbers with both sides of politics ‘on the nose’ with voters.
Numbers continue to haunt Mr Albanese on his election campaign, as he rebuffed accusations Labor dumped a JobSeeker review and wrapped up a fiery press conference in just eight minutes.
Senator Lambie got into the Easter spirit on national television on Thursday morning, donning an Easter bunny costume.
Through her lifelike costume head, Senator Lambie told the Nine Network she would be out “collecting eggs for sure”.
Earlier, she’d been asked what she thought of Anthony Albanese and Scott Morrison’s first week on the hustings, considering her home state is a key target for both sides.
Labor are gunning to take the marginal seats of Bass and Braddon back from the Coalition.
Senator Lambie said both parties had a long way to go to win over voters.
“I am hearing that both are on the nose, and people are saying we don’t have a talent pool up there and we don’t want to vote for either of them,” she said.
“There is no trust left in politics. That is against both of them, not just one.”
When asked about Mr Albanese’s now-infamous gaffe, Senator Lambie said there were bigger things to focus on.
“You’ve got all these rorts going on and all the stuff from the last three years, I think that is much bigger … than Albo not knowing a couple of numbers, to be honest with you,” she said.
ALBO REVEALS HIS TOUGHEST JOB
Mr Albanese is facing the toughest five weeks of his life as he battles for Prime Ministership, but he’s revealed the hardest job he’s ever had was a one-off during his university days.
Mr Albanese recalled the days he was paid to clean one of the abandoned wharves down on Sydney Harbour.
Taking a sideways swipe at Scott Morrison, Mr Albanese said he had “gone in with a high powered hose”.
“The wharves had been abandoned at the time, we had to go in with high powered hoses – they were really tall roofs,” Mr Albanese said.
“They hadn’t been used for a long time and we basically – I think back on it now, no occupational health and safety – we were hosing off pigeon poo probably decades old and it went all over us and it was a dreadful day.
“We did get paid for it. Three days’ work, but it was a pretty tough job.”
Mr Albanese also worked at Pancakes on the Rocks. “I worked the Saturday night 11pm-7am shift on a Sunday morning. At times, there were issues, not surprisingly at 3 or 4:00am in the morning.
“The pancake mix got into your skin and people knew that you had worked for two or three days afterwards that you had been there.”
Mr Albanese headed to the Hunter electorate where he will continue pushing his message of a better health system.
He spoke to nurses at Cessnock Hospital, part of the electorate which is held on just a 3 per cent margin by Labor MP Joel Fitzgibbon. Elected since 1996, Mr Fitzgibbon is retiring, putting the seat, which has a strong coal mining community, under greater threat.
Mr Albanese met with Labor's candidate, Olympic shooting medallist Daniel Repacholi, at the hospital along with Member for Paterson Meryl Swanson and Shortland MP Pat Conroy.
Mr Repacholi was a captain's pick for the seat, causing anger within the party with some wanting local branch members to vote.
Mr Albanese spent the afternoon at a coal mine in the marginal Hunter electorate as the party seeks to balance jobs in the region with environmental issues.
Mount Thorley Warkworth Mine is Mr Repacholi's old workplace.
Mr Albanese posed standing back to back for photos with Mr Repacholi who stands at 202cm tall, or 6'8, and weighs 140kg. "I shouldn't have lost all that weight," Mr Albanese, who looked much smaller by comparison joked.
After struggling through the mud when he arrived, Mr Albanese met with workers.
One of them was Claire Bennis, who works in environmental advisory for operations.
She said she used to work with Mr Repacholi.
"We used to drive these trucks together, we had lunch together dinner usually," she said.
"He's lovely, so easy to talk to, we have the same sense of humour … he was a trainer out on site."
Asked about the Labor candidate's social media history, for which he was forced to apologise last year, she said she hadn't really paid attention to it.
"I don't have social media out here," she said. "I doubt it would be something intentional from his character."
The Nationals have put forward James Thomson to run in the electorate.
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Originally published as Election 2022 live: Scott Morrison’s security team in car crash; Albo flip flops on offshore detention
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