Election 2022 live: Protesters confront Morrison and Wong in Alice Springs; both parties pressed to address the rise of China
After a run-in with greenies, Scott Morrison got a friendlier reception from an echidna before meeting a veteran on the eve of Anzac Day. Here’s what happened in the campaign today.
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Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been met by protesters as he touched down in the marginal Northern Territory seat of Lingiari, which Labor holds by 5.5 per cent.
Environmental activists demanded he “go home”, “raise the age” and “don’t frack the NT”, after earlier confronting two Labor frontbenchers when they arrived in Alice Springs.
Mr Morrison toured the town’s markets – the same place Labor’s Penny Wong and Mark Butler had been an hour earlier – and kept his cool as the protesters threatened to drown out his press conference.
The protesters were armed with a digitised sign counting up “taxpayer dollars thrown at fossil fuel companies since 2019”, and used a megaphone to tell the prime minister to “go home” and “protect our future”.
Mr Morrison unveiled a $14m plan to tackle youth crime in Alice Springs, which Labor says it will match. The investment – an election commitment out of an existing bucket of funds – will go towards improving CCTV and support for more support services.
The activists also chanted and waved signs such as “No fracking” and “Protect our heritage, our lands and our waters” when the Labor campaign arrived in Alice Springs for an Indigenous health announcement (details below) on day three of its week without Covid-stricken leader Anthony Albanese.
Labor’s climate and energy spokesman Chris Bowen today said coal mines would not be entirely exempt from a key part of the alternative government’s plan to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 – despite suggestions to the contrary from his assistant spokesman last week.
Senator Wong and Mr Butler, along with NT colleagues Marion Scrymgour and Warren Snowdon, visited Todd Mall to meet with local stallholders.
The Labor team received a mostly warm welcome from locals, with some fans getting selfies with the well-known Labor ministers.
“Oh my god it’s Penny Wong … why am I starstruck?,” one woman said.
Town crier Meredith Campbell ran over to the pair to welcome them to the market.
“Welcome Penny and Mark to Alice Springs,” she sang.
But it wasn’t a positive reception from everyone. Other locals were heard saying: “What Penny? What’s she going to do?”
Senator Wong didn’t address the activists, but instead mingled with several stallholders and purchased a muscle relaxant body butter and two hair ties.
She later gave an iron-clad guarantee that Labor would continue to turn back asylum-seeker boats if elected next month.
It comes after multiple Labor MPs, including future ministers in a Labor government, have publicly opposed turning back the boats.
Asked if she could guarantee the policy would remain in place despite the clear internal friction, Senator Wong said: “Yes I can. I can give that guarantee.”
‘RED LINE’ ON CHINA PACIFIC BASE
Scott Morrison has fended off questions about when he last spoke to his Solomon Islands counterpart, as concerns mount that Beijing could build a military base in Australia’s backyard.
Hours after Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce said he could go to jail for 15 years if he disclosed information about Mr Morrison’s conversations with Manesseh Sogavare, the Prime Minister dodged questions about the timing of his last call with the Solomons leader.
Mr Morrison remained adamant, however, that China would not encroach any further on the Pacific nation.
“He (Mr Sogavare) was very clear in his latest communication with me not that long ago that he has no intention of putting a naval base on the Solomon Islands, and so we have always upped the investment across the Pacific,” he said.
“The most important discussions I’ve had have been with other Pacific nations that share Australia’s view ... and they have been also directly communicating those views to the Solomon Islands government
“This is a shared concern ... I share the same red line that the US has when it comes to these issues.”
Labor dodged questions about their own foreign policy, as foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong continued the party’s assault on the Coalition over the Solomon Islands security deal with China.
Asked when she would unveil their alternate foreign policy, Senator Wong said now was not the time.
“With all due respect, I’m not going to make that announcement here today,” she said – but added that voters would see “more resources and more energy from a Labor government”.
Senator Wong acknowledged that the looming policy announcement needed to address the fact that China has changed to become “much more aggressive”.
“And so the question is, how does Australia respond? What we’ve got to do is secure our region, we have to shore up our region,” she said.
“So I can tell you what we wouldn’t have done, we wouldn’t have cut foreign aid and development assistance, which is important to development and national security, by almost $12bn which is what the Coalition has done.
“We wouldn’t have cut bilateral aid to the Solomon Islands by 28 per cent on average per year.
“We wouldn’t have mocked Pacific Island nations about water lapping at their doors, which is what Peter Dutton did standing next to Scott Morrison, and we wouldn’t have thumbed our nose at Pacific leaders when they told us in the Pacific Leaders Forum two years ago that climate change is their number one national security issue.
“Do I think this is easy? No, it’s not. It’s serious business, which is why it shouldn’t be the subject of shrill scare campaigns.”
Read more coverage of the debate on China and Solomon Islands further down this story.
PLEDGES ON VETERANS, INDIGENOUS HEALTH
A package of more than $519m to overhaul veteran services and repair a “decade of damage” will be implemented under a Labor government.
The program will see 10 new veteran hubs built and the Department of Veteran Affairs boosted in a bid to cut waiting times.
The announcement comes on the eve of Anzac Day, where it is expected Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s campaign and Labor’s team will converge in Darwin on Sunday.
It comes as Labor also unveiled a new health policy in a bid to boost Indigenous health services.
It involves training up 500 First Nations health workers, at a cost of $52.9m.
Labor has also committed to building 30 four-chair dialysis units in urban and remote locations across the country where the lifesaving service often does not exist, at a cost of $30m.
Labor acknowledged remote communities – particularly in the Northern Territory – don’t have the proper water supply to support dialysis centres.
To fix this the party has committed $15m to improve water security in those areas.
A further $12m will be spent to double federal funding for rheumatic heart disease eradication. The money for preventing, screening, and treatment will include $1.5m for portable echo-cardio machines and training to support vital screening efforts.
It’s understood the commitments “will be implemented through the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), communities and health experts”.
RACISM CLAIM OVER GLADYS LIU ATTACK AD
Scott Morrison has slammed a Labor attack ad targeting Chinese MP Gladys Liu as “sewer tactics”.
The advertisement accuses the member for Chisholm of spreading “fake news on Chinese messaging apps” and trying to “trick voters” by using Australian Electoral Commission colours on signage.
It also refers to Ms Liu and the Victorian Liberal Party giving back at least $300,000 from a fundraiser due to security concerns over the successful bidders.
“We need someone who represents Chisholm with hard work and integrity, not tricks,” the ALP-authorised ad states.
The Prime Minister was on Sunday asked if any parts of the ad were not true, but deflected to point the finger at Labor.
“They actually go after Gladys Liu because she’s Chinese,” Mr Morrison said. “She’s from Hong Kong and they’re engaged in what, I think, is a sewer tactic here.”
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg blasted it as a “racist attack ad” by the Labor Party, adding it had “no place in our community”.
But Labor Senator Penny Wong denied Ms Liu was not being attacked because of her ethnic heritage.
Ms Liu holds the marginal seat of Chisholm on knife-edge 0.5 per cent.
JOYCE: ‘I COULD GO TO JAIL IF I TELL YOU’
Barnaby Joyce said he can’t shed any light on the Prime Minister’s calls to the Solomon Islands – claiming if he comments he risks going to jail for 15 years.
Mr Morrison has been under pressure to explain why he did not speak with Solomons Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in the days leading up to the signing of a landmark deal with China.
Speaking on Sunday morning, the deputy PM was asked about reports the pair have only spoken once in recent months when he made the sensational claim.
“The Prime Minister has been in an intense process around this for a long period of time, not just with the Solomons but also with the Foreign Minister, Marise Payne,” Mr Joyce told ABC’s Insiders.
“(He) did pick up the phone. I cannot confirm how many phone calls were made.
“As Deputy Chair of the National Security Committee, it’s – it comes with 15 years in jail if you start declaring what happens.”
Host David Speers asked: “Is that a national security secret?”
“Yeah. I think in some instances it is,” Mr Joyce responded matter-of-factly.
As to whether he believed China would establish a naval base in Solomon Islands, Mr Joyce said he thought Beijing would push ahead despite Honiara’s assurances.
“The Solomons have said that they will not be allowing a Chinese naval base,” he said.
“I believe that if they say it, that it’s their policy. I believe that that is not what the Chinese want.”
‘CHINESE DON’T PLAY BY OUR RULES’
An extraordinary claim Australians should be prepared for a chemical weapon attack was not designed to scare people during an election campaign, Peter Dutton said.
The Defence Minister told News Corp a chemical weapon attack against a major city of an Australian ally is conceivable and warned China was seeking to turn Australia and Indo-Pacific nations into tributary states.
Speaking on Sunday morning, Mr Dutton denied the statement was made to fearmonger mid-election.
“I’m trying to give people a realistic understanding of what it is I’m seeing without divulging the sensitive nature of intelligence,” he said.
“We live in a very precarious time and we should be open and honest to the Australian people about that.”
As to why Australia couldn’t stop a security pact between the Solomon Islands and China from going ahead, Mr Dutton said the government could “never compete” with Beijing’s playbook.
“The Chinese don’t play by our rules,” he said but would not expand on suggestions officials had bribed the Solomon Islands government.
“China’s incredibly aggressive. The acts of foreign interference, the preparedness to pay bribes to get outcomes, to beat other countries to get deals. That’s the reality of modern China.”
JOYCE ANSWERS COAL QUERY – EVENTUALLY
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has sought to play down concerns the government’s investments in hydrogen meant it would give up on coal.
In a heated exchange with Insiders host David Speers, Mr Joyce was quizzed about whether the Coalition could provide coal-reliant towns like Gladstone with a transition plan.
“They have uncertainty because of this: they have the possible Prime Minister of Australia … unable to comprehend basic economic facts,” Mr Joyce began.
“You’re talking about Labor’s policy,” Mr Speers hit back. “My question is about your plan for this region.”
Mr Joyce said he was “getting to that” but instead continued to lash out at Labor’s plan for urgent care clinics.
“Do you have a plan for this region?” the host pushed again. “Yeah, we do. I’m getting to it,” Mr Joyce responded.
After asking for his plan four times, the Deputy Prime Minister finally relented, again linking Australia’s military might to the sale of coal.
“As long as they want to buy coal, we’re selling coal, because we have to come as strong as possible as quickly as possible,” Mr Joyce said.
“Here is the vital difference – is that we are standing by the jobs they got and investing billions in towards hydrogen but we’re not going to be saying to people the word ‘transition’ because that equals to unemployment. Transition to what? There is no other industry here.”
WONG TURNS CHINA BLOWTORCH ON PM
Labor’s foreign affairs spokesperson Penny Wong defended Labor deputy leader Richard Marles after Defence Minister Peter Dutton said it would be “untenable” for him to serve in Defence.
Mr Dutton branded Mr Marles’ decision to hand a 2019 speech to the Chinese embassy before he delivered it a “fatal mistake”.
“I would never run a speech through the Chinese embassy to get their approval,” he said.
“That’s what the deputy leader ... has done. And he has not apologised for it. It shows the culture within the Labor Party. It is not going to keep our country safe.”
But Senator Wong said giving the Chinese embassy a heads-up on the speech was the “right thing to do”.
“Richard gave a speech in China, in which he criticised the behaviour of the Communist Party in relation to both Hong Kong and the Uyghurs,” she said.
On the criticism Labor was ill-equipped to handle the threat of China, Senator Wong reminded the government the Solomon Islands agreement happened “on their watch”. Senator Wong said Mr Morrison was “incapable of fronting up and accepting responsibility”.
“We are no longer the first partner of choice for a Pacific island nation, and that is to the detriment of Australia’s position in our region,” she said.
Senator Wong added the government should instead be taking a leaf out of former foreign minister Julie Bishop’s book.
“She understood you had to keep demonstrating your engagement with these nations on issues they cared about rather than simply telling them what to do,” Senator Wong said.
“The fact is, under this government that insight and that diplomacy, as well as the development system, has been lacking.”
PM ATTENDS GREEK ORTHODOX MASS
Scott Morrison has burned the midnight oil to mark the end of his second week of the campaign, stepping out for mass with thousands of worshippers.
The Prime Minister sat pride-of-place on the altar in front of the packed Kogarah Greek Orthodox Church in Sydney, alongside his wife, Jenny, and Dr Lina Mendoni – the Culture and Sports Minister of the Hellenic Republic who is currently visiting Australia.
After the mass, Mr Morrison spoke to the crowd, first in Greek – which was met with chuckles and cheers from the crowd.
“At least he tried,” one man said.
“I have no idea what he said,” a man fluent in Greek quipped.
“Thank you for your great sense of community … you are lighting up this country tonight with your faith and your belief and your community,” Mr Morrison then said in English.
“Let us pray for peace ... in Ukraine (and) for our nation.”
At the same time, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg also attended a Greek Orthodox mass in North Balwyn in Melbourne.
Kalo Pascha to our wonderful Greek community!
— Josh Frydenberg (@JoshFrydenberg) April 23, 2022
Together with thousands of people, it was special to be a part of an Easter service at The Presentation Of Our Lady To The Temple Greek Orthodox Parish in North Balwyn. pic.twitter.com/RhbEQqIlux
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese was at home in isolation with Covid and his dog Toto.
Treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers said Mr Albanese was feeling “knocked around” by Covid-19 but was “broadly OK”. Mr Chalmers conceded having a leader forced into isolation has been “hard”.
Mr Chalmers, launching his re-election campaign for the safe seat of Rankin, told a roomful of Labor Party faithful that the last two years of the pandemic had “conditioned” them for Mr Albanese’s stint with the virus.
“I spoke to Anthony last night, I spoke with him this morning as well and he wanted me to convey to all of you his gratitude for all of the work you’re doing here,” he said.
“He wanted you to know that he’s feeling OK, he’s a little bit knocked around but is feeling broadly OK.”
Deputy leader Richard Marles and Labor campaign spokeswoman Katy Gallagher were also on hand at the Diggers’ RSL in Logan as part of Mr Chalmer’s re-election launch.
Labor elder Wayne Swan as well as two-thirds of federal Labor’s Queensland parliamentarians and a handful of state MPs were also in attendance.
Just minutes after Mr Chalmers’ speech, Mr Albanese tweeted a photo of him and his dog Toto – dressed in Albo 2022 merchandise – isolating at their Marrickville home.
“Working on my campaign launch speech with my iso companion, Toto,” he wrote.
The campaign launch will take place in Western Australia on May 1.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Liberal voters have turned out to hear the Prime Minister’s pitch to hold on to the key central coast seat of Robertson, and to win its neighbour – Dobell – back from the Labor Party.
In a speech dominated by the economy, with a brief mention of national security, Scott Morrison spent 30 minutes talking to blue voters.
“Vote Liberal, get lucky,” he said – which was met with chuckles.
“I’m talking about the economy!” he exclaimed.
Many of those in the crowd held signs saying “unemployment is four per cent”.
Mr Morrison used the signs to springboard off Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese’s gaffe regarding the unemployment rate to promote himself as the better Prime Minister.
“If you want to be Prime Minister, you have got to know the facts,” Mr Morrison told the crowd.
“Those facts matter, because they inform what you have to do and the very important decisions that you have to make.
“People might forget figures and that does happen, but if you don’t know what’s happening with unemployment in this country, then that is one of the most fundamental things.”
Mr Morrison failed to front up to questions from the travelling media pack on Saturday.
‘GIVE KIDS GUNS’: KATTER ON CHINA
Veteran MP Bob Katter said Australia should defend itself against an “aggressive” Chinese Communist Party regime, with every high school student trained on how to use a rifle.
The Queensland MP slammed the federal government for leaving Australia ill-equipped to defend itself, saying it had failed to develop arms, sovereign fuel security and missiles to protect itself from the perceived threat.
It comes after Australia slammed China’s new security pact with Solomon Islands as “deeply disappointing”, insisting it must never be used to establish a Chinese military base.
“We can’t compete in a buying war with China. It’s basically the biggest economy on earth and we are a little tiny country. We can’t compete and we don’t compete,” Mr Katter said.
“Look at Ukraine holding off Russia, one of the biggest armies in the world. It should be an inspiration to all of us.
“In four-and-a-half years you haven't built a rifle, a machine gun, you’ve stupidly built patrol boats that has only got machine gun on ’em.
“Jeez, that’ll terrify the Chinese, having that machine gun on those patrol boats. $60 million for a patrol boat that has a machine gun on it. It should have had 40 missiles on it.”
Mr Katter said all Australian high school students should be trained on how to use a rifle.
“Every boy and girl in high school should be trained how to use a rifle, and those rifles should be stored in school armouries,” the firebrand independent said.
“We have three days fuel supply. The government will argue it’s 30 days, but there will be kilometre-long queues at service stations if China embargoes our oil.”
Mr Katter said the crossbench in Canberra agreed on the need to tackle fuel sovereignty and security.
“The four-point plan includes Australian made ethanol, turning suburban waste into diesel (as is being done in Gladstone by Southern Oils), banning the export of Australia oil so that we refine it here, and Australian made electric vehicles for the cities,” he said.
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Originally published as Election 2022 live: Protesters confront Morrison and Wong in Alice Springs; both parties pressed to address the rise of China
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