Federal election 2025 live updates: Albanese, Dutton campaign on day 24
Labor’s leader and deputy have both refused to answer a key question in the wake of reports Russia asked for access to a military airbase on Australia’s doorstep.
Federal Election
Don't miss out on the headlines from Federal Election. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The Albanese government has doubled down on its refusal to say whether it was told if Russia had asked Indonesia for access to an airbase, which could have seen military aircraft based on Australia’s doorstep.
In an at-times fiery interview with Sky News, Deputy Prime Minister and defence minister Richard Marles said he wouldn’t “get into it”, deflecting multiple questions on if the request was made at all.
The issue gained new life after senior Labor cabinet minister Murray Watt told Sky News Agenda on Sunday there was “no proposal from Russia to have a base anywhere in Indonesia in the way that Peter Dutton and his colleagues have been claiming”.
When grilled on the issue on Monday, Mr Marles declined multiple times to say if there had or had not been a proposal made by Russia to Indonesia, saying instead: “I’m not going to get into it.”
“Ultimately, it boils out at this. The question of whether there was a proposal to between Russia and Indonesia is a question of a conversation or an interaction between two other countries,” he said.
“Now what we know about that is not something I’m going to ventilate in the public domain, nor am I going to comment on it.
“What matters is the assurance that Indonesia has provided to us, which they did, with great speed when we reached out and that was to assure us that there was no prospect of Russian aircraft operating from their soil.”
Mr Marles appeared to have concern for the ramifications of speaking on the topic, declaring early in his interview: “We are going to be careful in the way in which we describe this, and that’s why I’m not going to get into what conversations happen between two other countries.”
His comments come hours after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese dodged questions of his own on the topic, choosing to instead reprimand Opposition Leader Peter Dutton for his comments shortly after reports of the request were made public.
Mr Albanese said on Monday morning that Indonesian officials had ruled out hosting a base, however the question on whether Russia even made the initial request – a detail yet to be confirmed – remains.
“The Indonesian foreign minister has not made a statement about these issues, declaring that there would be a base,” he said.
“The Indonesian defence minister has repudiated the idea of a base being established in West Papua as well.”
Dutton’s freeway plea before early voting opens
On Monday afternoon, Mr Dutton visited a patch of land next to the Calder Freeway in Melbourne’s northwest, announcing a new $300 million interchange.
This announcement is part of the Coalition’s $1.5 billion package for major roads.
“Build the overpass,” one motorist yelled from their window.
Mr Dutton made a final plea to voters before early voting opens on Tuesday.
“We can only do it with your support and your vote … it is time to get our country back on track,” Mr Dutton said.
‘Busy with work’: Dutton’s wild call on polls
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has slammed recent polls that say he is on track to lose the election, saying Aussies are “busy at work” and will turn to the Coalition when it comes time to vote.
Speaking at a press conference from Melbourne’s southeast on Monday morning, Mr Dutton said there was “no doubt” in his mind he could still win on May 3.
Mr Dutton’s popularity has continued to sink throughout his election campaign, and Australians will begin casting their ballots as early as tomorrow, when early voting services open.
“If you have a look into what happened in 2019. There weren’t too many people predicting a Coalition victory,” said Mr Dutton.
“I think there are a lot of people who are just busy with work, busy in their lives. Many Australians don’t even know there’s an election coming up.
“There is an enormous soft vote out there …. there is a lot of anger in the suburbs.”
The Australian’s latest Newspoll, released on Sunday, shows Labor’s primary vote had lifted one point to 34 per cent.
Labor continues to hold a 52-48 per cent lead in the two-party preferred vote.
Mr Dutton labelled himself the “underdog” and said the Prime Minister should not be feeling so comfortable.
“The Prime Minister thinks he’s won this election and he’s lining up for another three (years),” he said.
“But I think a lot of Australians will be thinking, ‘has Anthony Albanese really made my life easier?’”
Albo’s $2.6m pledge for Street Side Medics
A re-elected Labor government will inject $2.6m into a program offering free medical check ups and GP services to rough sleepers.
Mr Albanese wrapped up Monday with a visit to a mobile Street Side Medics van stationed in Catina Gardens, St Kilda, located in the seat of Macnamara.
The funding, to be delivered over four years, will allow to services to continue its operations and expand beyond its current 10 locations across NSW and Victoria.
“So much stems from the barriers that stand between homeless people and access to medical care,” said Mr Albanese.
“Barriers that span the spectrum of cost, to lack of awareness, to mistrust of the medical system.
“Street Side Medics erase those barriers.”
Mr Albanese’s visit to St Kilda follows a blitz of key seat visits.
While the Macnamara is held by Labor’s Josh Burns on 12.5 per cent, the electorate is believed to be in play due to fall out from the Middle East conflict, with Labor facing criticism from both Labor and Muslim communities.
As a recap, Mr Albanese was in Gilmore on NSW’s South Coast (held by Labor on 0.2 per cent) and Menzies which is held by Liberal MP Keith Wolahan but is now marginally Labor on 0.4 per cent.
Aussie kids targeted by gangs: Dutton
Peter Dutton has claimed “crime gangs” are “peddling drugs to kids” during a crime roundtable in Melbourne’s southeast.
The Opposition Leader joined the round table at Lyrebird Community Centre in Frankston on Monday afternoon, where he spoke about illicit tobacco gangs in the area.
The visit comes after the Coalition’s pledge for $750 million towards community safety if elected.
“It’s confronting when you hear stories about people having their business and homes broken into, in some cases multiple times,” Mr Dutton told the community members, saying he knew the issue well due to his experience as an ex-police officer.
The party leader said “motorbike gangs and crime groups” were “peddling drugs to kids who are breaking into homes to pay for the habit”.
The round table heard from Jay from StreetPeace, a not-for-profit, faith-based organisation for at-risk youth.
Jay said the organisation had seen 500 children in the last four years.
“A lot of them are from some pretty broke, dire situations,” he said.
“I do think that there’s a preventive approach.”
Dutton questioned on group missing from crime funding
Mr Dutton says will make an announcement on domestic violence after failing to include funding for victims in his $750 million “Operation Safer Communities” pledge.
The Opposition Leader said he wanted Monday’s pledge to “stand alone”, but that more would be announced in the space.
“The whole area of protecting women and children is incredibly important to me,” he said.
“What we know out of the research is that an estimated 37 per cent of women, aged 16 and over experience, sexual assault when they were a child.”
”That is a horrific statistic.”
Dutton slams pub’s two-up ban
Mr Dutton has urged North Bondi RSL to “reconsider” their decision to axe 2up on Anzac Day, saying the game was “a great part of our culture”.
The RSL came after a request from veteran members and aimed to keep the day family-friendly.
The club will still host its annual Dawn Service at Bondi Beach and open the venue from 9am.
“It should continue,” Mr Dutton said.
“It’s been a great part of our culture since Diggers have come back from war.”
Albo’s rock star welcome at yum cha lunch
It was all smiles and selfies when Anthony Albanese took some time out of the campaign trail to enjoy a succulent Chinese meal in Melbourne’s east.
Yum Cha classics like garlic prawns, fried rice, dumplings and spring rolls were on the lunch menu which was shared with members of the Asian Business Association of White Horse.
The lunch took place at Golden Lily in Box Hill, in the seat of Menzies – a blue ribbon Liberal seat held by Liberal MP Keith Wolahan.
Mr Wolahan suffered a 8.8 per cent swing against him in the 2022 elections, and following changing electoral boundaries, the seat is now nominally Labor on 0.4 per cent.
Menzies was one of several seats where the Coalition were punished by Chinese voters following anti-China rhetoric from the Morrison government.
Other seats included Reid, and Bennelong in Sydney, plus Chisholm in Melbourne.
Mr Albanese was joined by Foreign Minister Penny Wong, neighbouring Chisholm MP Carina Garland and Labor Menzies candidate Gabriel Ng.
Entering the restaurant, Mr Albanese was eagerly welcomed into the group, with members jostling to take photos with the Labor leader.
‘Where is he?’ Protester’s demand to Albo
Demonstrators from three separate protest groups have attempted to crash Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s fifth urgent care clinic visit of the election campaign.
The group converged outside the Bateman’s Bay urgent care clinic on Monday morning, with an anti-AUKUS demonstrator joined by two men protesting the closure of the Batemans Bay Hospital emergency department, as well as local woman Barbara Smith, who criticised the handling of community housing projects in the area.
Following the press conference, Ms Smith shared an impassioned plea to journalists on the state of public housing projects in the area, asking: “Where’s Albanese?”
“Where is he? What’s he gonna do?” she asked.
“We are over it. We want our homes fixed, we want the government to intervene.”
A second woman watching Ms Smith also shouted out “Where’s Albanese?” multiple times.
“Indigenous and non-Indigenous, when are they going to step up and fix the housing?”
About four other people also gathered to watch Ms Smith’s speech.
Two NSW police officers were seen observing the demonstration, however they did not approach or stop the speeches.
It’s unclear if the officers’ presence were related to the protesters.
In a protest against the tri-nation AUKUS security pact, a man holding up a painted “no AUKUS” sign in the shape of a missile said the deal was “stealing our wealth”.
“The submarines will never be delivered,” he said.
Dutton reaches bowser dozen
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton travelled to Melbourne on Monday morning – immediately hitting up the 12th petrol station of his campaign.
He filled up at Endeavour Carrum Downs in Melbourne’s south east in the seat of Dunkley – a safe Labor seat held by a 6.8 per cent margin.
It’s the first bowser Mr Dutton has visited since Easter Thursday, and his fifth visit to Melbourne of the campaign.
Victoria is proving a hugely important state for the Coalition after the loss of a number of seats in the 2022 election.
Mr Dutton spoke at the petrol station to a father – Phil – about the Coalition’s petrol excise.
Phil said the petrol policy was important for his two-car family – with his son a young tradie with a Ute.
“It will certainly go a long way,” Phil said.
PM dodges key Russia question
Mr Albanese has continued to dodge questions on whether Russia made a formal request to host a military base in Indonesia, one of Australia’s closest neighbours.
The questions follow comments from Labor senator Murray Watt, who told Sky on Sunday that there was “no proposal from Russia to have a base anywhere in Indonesia in the way that Peter Dutton and his colleagues have been claiming”.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Mr Albanese sidestepped multiple questions on the proposal, and instead used the opportunity to attack Peter Dutton for incorrectly saying the Indonesian Prime Minister had confirmed the reports, when he hadn’t.
After initially doubling down on his remarks, the Opposition Leader later admitted he had made a mistake.
“What has occurred here is that the alternative prime minister of Australia has verballed the president of one of our most important neighbours,” Mr Albanese said on Monday.
“That is the issue here, and the Coalition will try to raise a range of other issues. They raise issues about briefings – I’m waiting for them to ask for a briefing on who faked the moon landing.
“You just wonder how, if Peter Dutton is successful on the third of May, how he’ll deal with a meeting with the Indonesian President, how he’ll deal with our neighbours in the Pacific.”
Mr Albanese added that Indonesian officials had ruled out hosting a base, however the question on whether Russia even made the initial request – a detail yet to be confirmed – remains.
“The Indonesian foreign minister has not made a statement about these issues, declaring that there would be a base,” he said.
“The Indonesian defence minister has repudiated the idea of a base being established in West Papua as well.”
Albo backs in ultra-marginal seat of Gilmore
Anthony Albanese has started the final election fortnight with a morning visit to the Batemans Bay Urgent Care Clinic visit.
The centre sits in the very marginal NSW south coast seat of Gilmore, which is held by Labor’s Fiona Phillips on a razor-thin 0.2 per cent, and faces a challenge from former NSW state minister Andrew Constance.
He was also joined by Finance Minister Katy Gallagher and Ms Phillips.
Practice manager Katherine Fisher told the Prime Minister that the clinic was “very well used”.
“I used to manage the emergency department here, so when this first was opened, we saw a very significant decrease in our presentation during that,” she said.
Mr Albanese also thanked staff for “doing what they do,” and took selfies with the clinic GP Vivin Mathew and nurse Brenda Thompson after the brief chat.
Paterson backs call to bring back Pezzullo
Opposition spokesman for home affairs James Paterson has supported suggestions the Coalition may bring back former department secretary Mike Pezzullo – who was sensationally sacked in 2023 – if they win the election.
Former Home Affairs Department secretary Mike Pezzullo was sacked in 2023 after he was found to have breached the Australian Public Service’s code of conduct on at least 14 occasions, and was subsequently stripped of his Order of Australia honour.
Mr Paterson, who is also the Coalition’s campaign spokesman, told the ABC his view on reinstating Mr Pezzullo was “we can’t afford to keep people like that on the bench in dangerous times”, though said no personnel decisions had yet been made.
“What I would say about Michael Pezzullo is I think he’s someone who has given great service to our country, to governments of both persuasions over a long career in the public service and he has particular insights to add on the national security challenges facing our country and uncertain world,” Mr Paterson said.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton told The Age yesterday that Mr Pezzullo “should have a role to play in the future of this country” if the Coalition is elected.
Mr Paterson also spruiked the Coalition’s election promise of a $750m package to tackle criminal activity across the nation.
The plan, dubbed “Operation Safer Communities”, would implement a national drug strike team and a 12-month pilot of a National Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme.
“Australians have never felt less safe than they do now,” Mr Paterson said.
“It’s absolutely critical that we give police the resources they need at the federal level to work with their state counterparts, particularly to tackle crime which is across the state borders and which is transnational in nature.”
Albo, Dutton enter crucial election fortnight
Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton will head into a critical penultimate week of the election campaign, with the Coalition still struggling to make up lost ground.
A Newspoll conducted for The Australian released on Sunday revealed Labor remained ahead of the Opposition 52 to 48 per cent on a two-party-preferred basis.
Labor’s primary vote had also increased by one point to 34 per cent and was now at its highest since January this year, while the Coalition’s dropped by 0.7 per cent to 35 per cent.
For the Opposition Leader, the lacklustre polling comes ahead of Nine’s The Great Debate on Tuesday, with the clash coinciding with the beginning of pre-polling.
About a third of all voters are expected to vote ahead of the official May 3 poll, which is just 12 days away.
After a relaxed weekend of campaigning from both party leaders, Mr Dutton announced a $750m pledge to tackle crime, with the funding covering a 12-month pilot of a National Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme, plus boost drug screening and detection capabilities.
The package will also enforce national “post and boast” laws which criminalise sharing criminal activity of social media, with proposed penalties including a maximum two-year ban from social media.
While Labor did not make a significant announcement overnight, the Prime Minister announced on Saturday that a re-elected Labor government would protect penalty rates through legislation, with the policy affecting about 3 million workers across retail, admin and banking sectors.
This comes as the Fair Work Commission is currently considering a submission from business lobby groups to allow workers to trade in their penalty rates for a 25 per cent pay increase.
More to come
Originally published as Federal election 2025 live updates: Albanese, Dutton campaign on day 24
‘They don’t even know who the PM is’: Gen Z’s biggest election fear
There’s one surprising issue that young Aussies want spoken about at the election – and it could shape our country’s future.
Read more
Dutton says ‘forgotten Aussies’ will deliver him victory
Peter Dutton believes he can still win next weekend’s election by harnessing support from ‘forgotten Australians’ — voters who have done nothing but cannot get ahead.
Read more