Federal Election live: Scott Morrison urges voters to realise Mark McGowan is different to Anthony Albanese
Scott Morrison has issued a warning to Aussie voters that Anthony Albanese and Mark McGowan are “chalk and cheese”.
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Scott Morrison has defended his visit to Western Australia, telling 6PR’s Drive host Oliver Peterson it was about “making sure Western Australians have a clear understanding about their choice”.
Mr Morrison urged people to be wary of voting for Labor at the Federal election based on the performance of WA’s Premier and WA Labor leader Mark McGowan.
“I can tell you Anthony Albanese is not Mark McGowan,” he said.
“Mark McGowan and Labor at a state level is completely different to Anthony Albanese as Labor leader at a federal level.
“Mark McGowan and I worked together to try and streamline approvals for getting new mining investments up and running.
“Anthony Albanese worked against us. They are chalk and cheese.”
Mr Morrison was pressed on Liberal’s popularity, given independent Curtin MP Celia Hammond has used photos of her and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg in advertising materials.
“A vote for an independent is a vote for chaos in Parliament,” Mr Morrison.
“These are uncertain times, there is a lot of pressure on our economy and the last three years have been the toughest any government has has to face since the Second World War and the Great Depression.
“One of the things that has helped us plough through is because we had a majority in the Parliament and we’ve been able to avoid the circus that we’ve seen in previous parliaments where, with the independents, it was a deal a day just trying to keep the government running.
“That is the last thing Australia needs right now.”
Mr Morrison appealed to voters in Ms Hammond’s electorate not to vote for her. “Don’t hand over the parliament to the uncertainty, instability and chaos of independents who don’t know which way they’ll go,” he said.
“To keep a Liberal-National Government in place is the certainty and stability we need for the country.”
Mr Morrison remained strong in his stance that he would not make deals with independent candidates.
“It is important that people understand the choice that is to be made – one that provides a stable and certain government,” he said.
“By voting for Liberal-Nationals and the Liberals here in Western Australia, people can secure that.”
Mr Morrison said it was important for his government to continue the economic progess it had made, despite the challenges of the pandemic.
“Now we need to keep that going,” he said.
“Voting for independents and voting Labor means a choice between a government that you know – you might not agree with everything we’ve done – but when you look at the big decisions that were made to keep the economy strong.”
Mr Morrison said without economic growth “you can’t pay for Medicare, you can’t pay for National Disability Insurance Scheme, you can’t pay for the investments we need to make into newer technologies”.
“At the end of the day, this election is a choice ... between a Government that has got the runs on the board getting us through this pandemic, particularly when it comes to the economy and a strong plan to keep our mining and resources industry and all our key industries going forward, and a Labor Party people just don’t know,” he said.
“A leader of the Labor Party doesn’t understand the economy. People know Labor can’t manage money.”
Mr Morrison was expected to return to WA before election day on May 21.
CAMPAIGN BECOMES MORE HEATED
The federal election campaign has exploded into accusations of lies and name calling with Labor branding the government a “bin fire of lies” and the prime minister demanding Anthony Albanese “come clean” on the “disgusting” claim the Coalition would force pensioners onto cashless debit cards.
At a fiery Anthony Albanese press conference in Brisbane, where the opposition leader announced more details of Labor’s “Powering Australia” plan to overhaul the nation’s electricity sector, shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers accused a senior Coalition MP of adding “fuel to the bin fire of lies” he says the Morrison government “tells about renewable energy”.
Mr Chalmers hit back after Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor criticised Labor’s promised $78bn transformation of the energy grid.
“Angus Taylor has been forced into another absolutely humiliating admission today that the numbers he cooked up and put in the papers are complete and utter rubbish,” Mr Chalmers told reporters.
“These are dodgy numbers from a dodgy minister in a dodgy government.
“These are numbers from a minister you can’t take seriously, in a government you can’t take seriously on climate change.”
Mr Albanese also took aim at the Coalition while speaking at Brisbane electric vehicle charging manufacturer Tritium.
“What we have opposed today with some thought bubbles out there, so called costings which we haven’t seen, again raising a scare campaign about action on climate change that flies in the face of reality,” he said.
“That scare campaign is based upon a view somehow that renewables aren’t the cheapest form of new energy.
“I wonder whether Dave Sharma and Josh Frydenberg and Trent Zimmermann and all those people who suddenly discovered that yes they support net zero by 2050, agree that somehow renewables are going to lead to higher costs which is what the basic assumption of this so-called attack is based upon.”
Soon after, at his own press conference, Mr Morrison referred to the shadow treasurer as ‘Sneaky Jim’ while responding to Labor’s claims pensioners would be forced on to cashless welfare cards.
“It’s just simply not true,” Mr Morrison said.
“If he wants to talk about trust and integrity, that he should show some today, and the Labor Party should stop frightening pensioners.
“It is and out and out disgusting lie.”
Mr Albanese denied the party has launched a scare campaign after peddling incorrect information about the cashless debit card to pensioners.
He said if the Coalition wanted to “really rule it out” then it would support Labor’s policy to abolish it.
“Here’s what she (Anne Ruston) said in 2020, during this term of this parliament, this minister said this; ‘we’re seeking to put all income management onto the universal platform which is the cashless debit card,” he said.
Mr Albanese then again sidestepped a question so treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers could answer.
Mr Chalmers claimed the government had talked about expanding the scheme to pensioners – something the Coalition has ruled out.
Asked how this wasn’t a scare campaign, given Labor had been accused of scaring old people, Mr Albanese said it was based upon the government’s policy.
ALBANESE, MORRISON WON’T DO DEAL WITH INDEPENDENTS
Anthony Albanese and Scott Morrison have slammed the door shut to striking a deal with independents, a move which could haunt them as they battle to become the next PM.
All polling indicates the May 21 vote will be a tight contest and that could result in the major parties needing the support of independents to govern.
But the Labor leader was emphatic in his rejection of such a deal on Tuesday.
“There will be no deal with the independents and crossbenchers. I’m seeking to form a government in my own right,” he told Brisbane’s 4BC.
“I’m the only person running for prime minister who can form a government in their own right.”
The words could come back to haunt Mr Albanese after a recent Newspoll showed primary votes indicate a hung parliament is a likely option.
Mr Morrison also ruled out striking a deal with independents in order to form government, despite declining to comment on it just a day earlier.
“I won’t be doing any deals with independents,” he told reporters in Perth.
Asked if he would prefer to be in opposition over a minority government, Mr Morrison danced around the question.
“Well, that is the choice that Australians have to make,” he said.
“Do they want a Liberal National government that has taken Australia through one of the most difficult times this country has seen since the Second World War and the Great Depression who has a clear economic plan … Or a Labor Opposition supported by the Greens whose views change from one day to the next.”
Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce was also asked several times on Tuesday if he would be willing to negotiate with the teal independents.
But he declined, insisting he would “not go down a hypothetical path” on the issue.
The Coalition is under pressure in several blue ribbon seats across the country from challengers with links to the Climate 200 movement.
Greater action on climate change and a federal anti-corruption commission are key sticking points for the so-called teal independents.
But the Energy Minister has ruled out a cut to Australia’s coal and gas industry to stay in power.
“We have been very clear on our policies in this area,” Angus Taylor told 4BC.
“We will not be cutting off those major projects in order to reduce our emissions.”
DEVES CONTROVERSY CONTINUES
Mr Morrison is continuing to stand by controversial Warringah candidate Katherine Deves.
The Prime Minister says while Ms Deves “regrets” the comments she made in the past about transgender Australians, she is a “strong campaigner” on a “very important issue”.
He refused to comment on whether the government should implement stronger vetting processes to keep candidates’ controversial past from threatening to derail future campaigns.
Mr Morrison said he was committed to standing up for his team members, and did not care to play into allegations of factional fractures.
“We will make sure that she won’t be silenced,” he said.
Mr Albanese questioned why Mr Morrison was standing so firmly by Ms Deves despite the threat it posed to the moderate vote.
“This is just another (instance) of the chaos and division that is there within the Liberal Party, and I make this point. Scott Morrison’s last captain’s pick before the last election was a fellow called Craig Kelly. Craig Kelly. And Craig Kelly is now – is now continuing to run as an Independent,” Mr Albanese said.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has remained tightlipped on whether Ms Deves should be disendorsed.
Mr Frydenberg said her comments were “insensitive”, but noted she had apologised.
“They were inappropriate and they were unacceptable. There’s no mistaking that I feel very strongly about that,” he said during a visit to Torquay.
Mr Frydenberg said Ms Deves had raised issues around safety of girls, fairness in sport, and legitimate competition, which were “legitimate issues”.
‘NONSENSE’: ALBO REJECTS RUDD PLAN
A plan to install Kevin Rudd as Australia’s next ambassador to Washington has been rubbished by Mr Albanese.
The Labor leader has reportedly floated the plan to senior colleagues but on Tuesday morning claimed the report was “nonsense”.
“Complete nonsense,” he told morning radio.
“Yesterday it was Kevin Rudd wasn’t going to be on the campaign, he’d gone missing in action … Seriously, (the media) needs to get over the obsession.”
Mr Albanese said he assumed the former Prime Minister would pop up at some point during the six-week long campaign across the country, but failed to say where or when.
“We have no plans at this time (but) I’d always be happy to be seen with Kevin Rudd, Paul Keating or Julia Gillard,” he said.
Mr Albanese will continue his tour through south east Queensland on Tuesday, where he will meet with veterans and tour local manufacturing.
He said he was not at all worried by the latest NewsPoll which revealed his approval rating had slumped to 37 per cent.
“I don’t worry about day to day polls … Polls will come and go during the campaign,” he said.
“We know this is a mountain to climb for Labor to win from opposition … (but) what I have is a plan for a better future. This government don’t have a plan for today.”
Mr Albanese lashed the Commonwealth, accusing them of carrying out a “scare campaign” against Labor.
“One of the things that the Coalition, the LNP, are expert at, is scare campaigns,” he said.
“And we saw that last time round.”
But Mr Albanese was forced to defend questions about his own party using similar tactics to claim Scott Morrison was intending to roll out cashless cards for pensioners.
Both leaders will meet on Wednesday night for the debate, which Mr Albanese says he will use as a “reset”.
MAJOR PARTY SUPPORT SUFFERS IN NEW POLLING
Mr Albanese took a bruising hit to his personal satisfaction ratings, according to the latest Newspoll.
Newspoll, published in The Australian, suggested net satisfaction with Mr Albanese’s performance falling to a record low of minus 14 per cent.
Meanwhile, Scott Morrison’s net satisfaction has improved but still sits in the negatives at minus nine.
It is the worst result for an opposition leader since Bill Shorten in May 2019.
While Labor maintains a lead over the Coalition on a two party preferred basis – 53 to 47 – primary votes for the two majors have slumped.
It’s a major indication Australia could be heading towards a hung parliament, meaning whoever wins the election may need the support of independents to govern.
Australia’s last hung parliament was in 2010 when Julia Gillard negotiated a supply and confidence arrangement with the crossbench despite Labor winning one fewer seat than the Coalition.
Labor’s primary vote has dropped to 36 per cent, falling one point from the previous poll and down from 41 per cent just a few weeks ago.
However, the Coalition also took a hit, declining to 35 per cent.
The combined popular support for both parties is the lowest on record for an election campaign, and at its lowest level in five years.
SCOMO SPLASHES CASH IN WA
Mr Morrison has slammed Mr Albanese as having “a plan for Kevin Rudd but not a plan for WA” as he promoted his own announcements for the region’s economy.
Mr Morrison has announced the locations for hydrogen hubs and new critical minerals grants in an address to Liberal party’s loyal constituents at the Western Australian Chamber of Commerce.
The PM also attempted to woo the education sector with a $50m commitment for Curtin Uni for critical mineral supply chains and to create 1300 jobs.
Two new hydrogen hubs will be created in the Pilbara and Kwinana in Perth and will receive $140m cash splash as well $6m to investigate two new development projects in Western Australia.
The project is expected to create more than 3600 jobs, with a further $67m committed to developing two carbon capture and storage hubs and the appraisal of a third potential storage site in WA.
The Prime Minister is hoping to hold on to the coalition’s 10 seats in the west, while trying to pick up any of the five Labor currently hold.
Labor also have their sights set on Coalition-held Pearce, Swan and Hasluck, and believe they are in with a chance if they ride on the coat-tails of the state’s overwhelming support for Labor Premier Mark McGowan.
But senior WA Liberals say most constituents know that on May 22, Mr McGowan will still be their Premier – and they want Scott Morrison to be their Prime Minister.
In his bid to appease the minerals sector Mr Morrison said that if he is re-elected, almost $8m will be invested into two strategically critical projects in the critical minerals sector.
“Securing Western Australia’s economy is absolutely critical to locking in a stronger future for Australia and my government will continue to back the resource, mining, mineral and energy sector in WA by creating more jobs and cutting red tape,” he said.
Mr Morrison finished his day in Perth at a WA Liberal campaign launch, sharing the stage with all the party members standing for the 15 state seats.
Mr Morrison was welcomed to the stage by senator Michaelia Cash, who warmed up the crowd by getting them to chant: “It won’t be easy under Albanese”.
Addressing a sea of Liberal supporters donning blue, Mr Morrison spruiked his government’s strong economic policy and his commitment to Western Australia.
Given this wraps up the Prime Minister’s third visit to the state since the borders reopened, Mr Morrison shared stories of people he had met throughout the state and who his government had helped.
“What I wanted to share with you today is the why,” Mr Morrison said.
“And the best way that I think I can explain to you the why is through the stories of Western Australians that I’ve had the great fortune to meet particularly just over the last few weeks.”
RUDD TO WASHINGTON DC?
A plan to install Kevin Rudd as Australia’s next ambassador to Washington has received lukewarm support from Bill Shorten.
Mr Albanese has remained a supporter of the former prime minister, who he served as deputy to, and the pair have campaigned together as recently as February.
Speaking with Nine, former Labor leader Bill Shorten conceded Australia “could do worse” but was far from glowing in his response to the plan.
“Mr Rudd is an distinguished representative and spokesperson, we could do worse in Washington than Mr Rudd,” he said on Tuesday morning.
“I don’t know if what’s written in the paper is true but he has certainly taken a strong interest in global affairs.
“He is certainly qualified for the job.”
Mr Rudd began his career as a diplomat and has served as the chairman of US think tank the International Peace Institute, based in New York.
If he were to be appointed under a Labor government, his immediate boss in Canberra would be Penny Wong, assuming she continues in the foreign affairs portfolio.
Australia’s current ambassador is former Liberal senator Arthur Sinodinos, who was appointed by Scott Morrison to succeed Joe Hockey.
Asked about the possibility of Mr Albanese shipping him off to the US, Mr Shorten laughed it off.
“Would you be interested in the job?” Today host Alison Langdon asked before adding, “Maybe Labor wants your (leadership) ambitions far, far away?”
“No,” he laughed
“I’m running in this election … I’m interested in the NDIS”.
ANTI-TRANS CANDIDATE A RISK: KEAN
An anti-trans candidate hand-picked by Scott Morrison must be dumped or inner-city electorates will be at risk, NSW Treasurer Matt Kean has said.
Katherine Deves said she is not going anywhere after a string of media reports revived several inflammatory comments she made on social media – including one where she likened her views to standing up against the Holocaust.
Speaking to the ABC on Tuesday, Mr Kean sounded the alarm on the future of Liberal in Wentworth and North Sydney if Ms Deves is not dumped by the Thursday deadline.
“I am very worried,” he said.
“I think (this debate) does (hurt their chances). I don’t think having candidates that want to spruik the politics of division is in the interests of the party or in the interests of those particular candidates.”
Mr Kean said he wanted to see vetting processes beefed up in the future but denied installing Ms Deves was part of a strategy to appeal to conservative voters.
“I believe that the vetting processes let down the party here,” he said.
“This is a person who hasn’t been a long-term member of the Liberal Party. We didn’t go through a proper preselection process.
“We need to have strong systems and processes to make sure that we can properly vet candidates before they get into the system, let alone embarrass the party in the middle of an election campaign.”
He labelled Ms Deves views as “absolutely disgraceful” and accused her of “outright bigotry”.
“She compared transgender people being removed from their homes to the Stolen Generation, one of the darkest chapters in Australian history,” he said.
“She also said that half of all male trans people are sex offenders. I mean, that’s just outright bigotry.”
It comes as Angus Taylor added his name to the growing list of government frontbenchers who have thrown their support behind Ms Deves.
“I won’t be joining the pile on … I mean I think Katherine is a fantastic candidate,” he told Nine radio.
“She’s making a very important point about women’s sport and I wholeheartedly support her.”
He joins Michael Sukkar, Jane Hume and the Prime Minister who have refused to distance themselves from the embattled candidate.
PRIME MINISTER SHRUGS OFF GAFFE
Scott Morrison has brushed off his JobSeeker gaffe, conceding he didn’t even realise he had made the error until later on.
At a press conference in Perth on Monday, the Prime Minister wrongly stated the payment was $46 a week, instead of $46 a day.
“I should have said, day, not week. And, to be honest, I didn’t even notice I said that until later and neither did the journalist pick it up at the time,” Mr Morrison told Nova.
But he insisted his slip up wasn’t nearly as bad as Mr Albanese’s brain fade on the unemployment rate.
“If he gets a figure wrong, he gets a figure wrong,” the Prime Minister said.
“But if you don’t know what the unemployment rate is, I mean, that’s pretty fundamental to running the economy.”
MORRISON’S TAX PLAN
Mr Morrison will emphatically rule out a mining tax, changes to the carbon tax and any “adverse” changes to the fuel tax credit arrangements in an address to Western Australia’s Commerce Chamber on Tuesday.
Mr Morrison will deliver his “comprehensive resources plan” in a speech to the chamber which will include backing iron ore, gold, gas and coal, and investing in critical minerals.
“While the economic consequences of Russia’s war of aggression are still playing out, sanctions applied to Russia are affecting commodity supply chains, and further sanctions are in prospect,” he is expected to say.
“Commodity market dislocation and supply chain stresses have pushed up inflation around the world. Australia is not immune from these pressures.
“That’s why if the Coalition is returned at the forthcoming election, I can assure you there will be no mining tax. There will be no carbon tax. And there will be no adverse changes to fuel tax credit arrangements.”
Mr Morrison’s speech will push a “strong plan to develop and diversify” the mining and resources sector to create “high skill, high-wage jobs” and lower emissions.
“We will continue to back your industry through: stable tax arrangements, improved regulatory settings, cutting red and green tape, and policies that seek out new opportunities – from exploration through to downstream processing and market access agreements,” he is expected to say.
The Prime Minister will outline an ambitious plan for the Pilbara region of WA which includes port upgrades to increase export capacity, low emission metals, manufacturing and iron ore production and upgrades to the region’s power grid and road infrastructure.
$38.1M FOR NATURAL DISASTER HELP UNDER LABOR
Thousands more volunteers would be on the ground to help Australians rebuild following natural disasters under a funding pledge by federal Labor.
Disaster Relief Australia, which is a veteran-led organisation, will receive $38.1m over three years to expand the program should Labor win the upcoming election.
The organisation has been working since 2016 to provide relief to communities following natural disasters, with hundreds of veteran volunteers having been deployed across the country and world.
The funding would allow another 5200 volunteer veterans to be added to the organisation’s ranks – a total of 6700 people who could provide more than 13,600 days each year.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese said Australia had watched Prime Minister Scott Morrison refuse to take responsibility and “go missing in action when natural disasters have struck.”
“Now, as communities recover from devastating floods, Scott Morrison has politicised flood recovery, caring more about who flood victims voted for than what help they need,” he said.
“An Albanese Labor Government will put Australians first.
“We will increase support for organisations like the DRA assisting on the ground and never use recovery funding as a political football.”
RECAP DAY 8 OF THE CAMPAIGN
Scott Morrison went for the jugular on day eight of the election campaign, shifting the focus to border security — the very issue that has dogged his rival.
The Prime Minister announced a $124 million project to strengthen Australia’s navy capabilities and border force protection, during a visit to Perth, just days after Anthony Albanese struggled to clarify Labor’s asylum seeker policies.
Mr Morrison took aim at Labor’s 2008 abolishment of temporary protection visas, and said it was “disappointing” Mr Albanese had not learned from his party’s past, as he announced the government would buy two new border patrol boats.
“When I was the shadow minister for immigration, we were dealing in this country with an even worse border protection crisis … we were seeing 1200 people that we know who perished,” Mr Morrison said.
“And for two years, we worked to put in place a policy that we knew would not come overnight. It took 10 years.
“We set out very clearly that the way to fix this problem is to have that three strand cord of temporary protection of offshore process and turning back boats where it was safe to do so.”
Mr Albanese was twice forced to clarify his party’s position on border protection, including temporary protection visas, and offshore processing after a plagued first week on the hustings.
But the prime minister wasn’t without his own gaffe, telling reporters on Tuesday Jobseeker payments were $46 per week instead of the true figure of $46 per day.
Shadow minister for housing Jason Clare pounced, posting on social media: “Today Scott Morrison got the Jobseeker rate wrong. Not by a little – he was out by $276 a week.”
Mr Morrison conceded the slip-up, but refused to answer whether he was out of touch with Australians on the scheme.
“I misspoke,” he said of his error.
“(The rate is) $46 a day.”
Mr Morrison spent Easter Monday campaigning in Fremantle, Cowan and Pearce, three West Australian seats critical to the Coalition’s re-election chances.
On Monday protesters dressed as cavemen in reference to comments he made last year on the state’s border closure greeted him at a Bunnings store, where he came to spruik his government’s pledge to expand the first homeowner scheme.
He then promised $1.6m to a BMX club in the Pearce electorate, held by former attorney general Christian Porter since 2013.
Somewhat controversially, Mr Morrison left the door open to a deal with the independents if there was a hung parliament.
He told voters not to “risk” a future of “chaos and uncertainty” in parliament.
“We intend to win majority government at the election,” he said.
“I am anticipating the Liberals will be returned because they are doing a great job on the ground in those seats.”
Despite not ruling out a deal, Mr Morrison slammed the teal independents because they were only “running against Liberal members”.
“Contracting out your decision to an independent candidate who doesn’t know which way they are going to jump, I don’t think that’s a vote for stability and certainty.”
Meanwhile, in a move not helpful to Labor’s boat policy recovery, sitting Perth MP Patrick Gorman was unable to say what would happen to asylum seekers who could not resettle. He also insisted the party didn’t support temporary protection visas.
When asked what would happen to the “legacy cohort” of asylum seekers who hadn’t been able to resettle, he said: “we can’t fix all of the challenges that will be left for Labor if we were fortunate to win the election but on this question of temporary protection visas, we don’t see that that’s the solution going forward.”
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