Federal Election 2019: Scott Morrison, Bill Shorten’s election campaigns continue
Scott Morrison has plans to target extreme vegans if elected as PM, and defended the Liberal Party’s preference deal with Clive Palmer’s political party, as Labor launched a fiery attack on him.
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Extreme vegan activists who invade farms will be targeted with the same urgency as returning foreign fighters under a re-elected coalition government. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has promised to pass legislation to make trespassing protesters face up to one year in jail if he wins the May 18 election.
The new penalties, to be legislated in the first parliamentary week, would be given the same priority as measures to stop and control foreign fighters returning to Australia.
The announcement comes after a series of farm invasions aimed at highlighting cruelty in the agriculture sector.
“It’s disgusting. It’s appalling,” the prime minister told reporters on a farm in Eumungerie, north of Dubbo in NSW, on Saturday.
“It’s just not acceptable that people’s properties, their livelihoods, their homes would be targeted as part of a deliberate campaign to bring their livelihood down.
“This is just deplorable.” Mr Morrison cited research that showed 40 per cent of school children believed farming damages the environment.
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“This is a lie that is being told to our kids and we have to correct it,” he said.
The government has been examining ways to crack down on an online map of farmers’ addresses and contact details, which it says encourages activists to invade properties.
The group behind the map, Aussie Farms, is adamant the information is already available publicly and agriculture should be more transparent about animal welfare.
Agriculture Minister David Littleproud described the activists as “un- Australian”, warning the disconnect between the city and the bush needed to be fixed.
“If the prime minister and I and 100 of my best mates stormed a house in Sydney with our phones, I’m sure the police would be there with handcuffs to take us to the clink,” he said.
“These farming families deserve the same support.”
PM DEFENDS CLIVE PALMER DEAL AS LABOR FUMES
The Prime Minister has defended the Liberal Party’s preference deal with Clive Palmer’s political party with claims “the choices get pretty thin” beyond the Nationals.
Scott Morrison and the Liberals have come under fire for the fourth day for a reported preference deal that would have the United Australia Party preferenced second and third in seats throughout Australia.
Mr Palmer is facing criminal charges related to his business dealings and still owes Townsville workers millions of dollars after his nickel refinery closed several years ago.
Mr Morrison, speaking this morning in Eumungerie in regional NSW, where he helped shear a sheep, defended the agreement that will all but ensure Mr Palmer is elected to the senate.
“The truth is, Labor and the Greens present a far bigger threat to Australia’s economy and people’s jobs than the UAP does. That’s just a simple fact,” Mr Morrison said.
“If the question here is about workers, well, workers are going to be better off under a Liberal National government than they would under a Bill Shorten Labor Greens government.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Nationals leader Michael McCormack said only journalists cared about preferences.
“The fact is, I don’t get asked too often about preferences - only by journalists,” he said.
“The average punter in the street I say one, vote Liberal or National, and then number every box.”
Asked if workers should be paid, he said: “Of course workers should be paid. What a silly question.”
Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese launched a fiery attack on the PM as he took centre stage in Tasmania where he is with leader Bill Shorten.
Labor lashed out at the Coalition’s preference deal, warning Australia is at risk of having a “Morrison-Palmer-Hanson” government.
Mr Albanese said the preference deal was a recipe for chaos, accusing Prime Minister Scott Morrison of “sucking up to a tosser”.
“He chose the tosser, he chose Clive Palmer,” Mr Albanese said.
“We don’t want them in the next Parliament.
“They won’t get into Parliament unless they get the excess from the LNP vote in Queensland.”
Mr Albanese said fringe parties, like Mr Parlmer’s United Australia Party, were dangerous and reckless, predicting they would be at the heart of a Morrison Government.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten would not say today if Labor had approached Mr Palmer to strike a preference deal, despite yesterday insisting there had been no formal negotiations with the minor party.
“Whether or not there were conversations, I would not sign off on any deal with Mr Palmer until he resolves the issue of the tens of millions of dollars that he owes taxpayers and workers,” he said.
“I think that Mr Morrison has got to come clean on what he promised Mr Palmer.
“Are we really to believe that when you do a deal with Mr Palmer he just gives you something for free.”
Mr Shorten said there would be “no deals” between Labor and UAP.
PM’s VOW FOR NEW FOREIGN FIGHTER LAWS
Mr Morrison has set up an election battle with Bill Shorten on national security, vowing to make stalled foreign fighter laws a priority if re-elected.
The Weekend Australian reports that Mr Morrison would make it one of his first priorities if his party is returned to power.
“This is something that must pass in the first week of parliament,” Mr Morrison told The Weekend Australian. “If we are elected we want to see it passed in that first week … It must be.”
Despite the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security recommending that the temporary exclusion orders laws be passed in the final week of parliament, nothing has been done.
Mr Morrison said that Mr Shorten “should be ashamed of himself” for holding up the legislation.
Under Mr Morrison’s plan, individuals would be prevented from returning to Australia for up to two years unless they were issued with a permit putting conditions on their re-entry.
Labor has denied that it stalled on passing the legislation, saying the Liberals dragged their feet on putting it to a vote.
Opposition legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus said the government was to blame because there were insufficient sitting days.
“The bill lapsed at dissolution because the government never brought the bill to a vote in the lower house,” Mr Dreyfus said.
PM TO HELP FARMERS WITH DROUGHT
The Prime Minister has visited a drought-affected farm outside Dubbo and shorn a sheep for the second time in 35 years.
Scott Morrison tried his hand at shearing a sheep at the urging of onlookers. Afterwards, he sorted through fleece.
The crowd at the Eumungerie property, in the huge NSW electorate of Parkes, applauded Mr Morrison’s efforts.
“I think you should stick with these guys though,” he said.
“I’ll stick with my job, and they can do theirs.”
Later, Mr Morrison reflected on the last time he sheared a sheep - 35 years ago at his uncle’s property in Conclurry in Queensland.
Parkes is held by the Nationals on 15 per cent.
Mr Morrison visited the 1500 acre property with Nationals Michael McComarck, Mark Coulton and David Littleproud to announce farm funding.
The NSW town falls within the Parkes electorate, which has been held by incumbent National MP Mark Coulton since 2007.
Mr Coulton received 58 per cent of first preference votes across Parkes in 2016 and holds the seat by 15.1 per cent.
SHORTEN IN TASSIE TO SAVE SEATS
Bill Shorten is in Tasmania for the first time today as the Labor leader tries to sandbag two marginal seats.
The Opposition Leader announced a massive tourism cash splash for the state, promising to spend $120 million on key projects if Labor is successful on May 18.
The investment would include $50 million to support the expansion of the Museum of Old and New Art as well as $10 million to fast track visitor infrastructure projects at Freycinet National Park.
Labor holds two marginal seats in the Apple Isle, including the seat of Braddon, which incumbent MP Justine Keay won with a margin of 2.3 per cent at least year’s byelection.
The Coalition is campaigning hard to win the electorate, with Mr Morrison already paying a visit during the campaign.
Labor are also fighting to retain the rural electorate of Lyon, which Brian Mitchell also holds with a 2.3 per cent margin.
ANTI-ADANI CONVOY RIDES INTO HORNET’S NEST
A protest convoy aimed at stopping the Adani’s Bowen Basin got “a very, very hostile reception” from hundreds of counter-protesters as it rolled into the coal-rich Queensland region.
The convoy of about 400 mine opponents, led by Bob Brown, went to the mining town of Clermont on Saturday as the former Australian Greens leader urges coal advocates to “use your God-given intelligence” to stop the “worsening climate emergency due to the burning of fossil fuels”.
He said politicians Matt Canavan, George Christensen, Malcolm Roberts, Clive Palmer, as well as Katter’s Australia Party, have joined his pro-coal cause. “It’s nothing personal but (the anti-Adani activists) are hypocrites,” Mr Applegate told AAP.
“How do they think steel gets made, or their electric trains run - it doesn’t come from solar panels or wind farms.” Mr Applegate said visitors would also struggle to find a beer after Clermont’s three pubs agreed not to serve them.
“I think these protesters will be left in no doubt they’ve walked into a hornet’s nest in this country,” state shadow mining minister Dale Last said on Saturday.
“I know the residents in Clermont are very angry that this group’s coming out here to tell them what they should and shouldn’t be doing.
“They’re going to get a very, very hostile reception, I can assure you of that.”
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