Federal election 2019: Day 37 of the campaign

Bill Shorten was in his hometown for a beer at one of Bob Hawke’s favourite watering holes, as John Howard said Tony Abbott was right to say Hawke had a "Liberal head and a Labor heart".

Bill Shorten has arrived in his hometown for a beer at one of Bob Hawke’s favourite watering holes.

 

The Opposition Leader joined former Victorian premier Steve Bracks at Melbourne’s John Curtin Hotel across the road from Trades Hall. 

They each enjoyed a can of Hawke’s Pale Ale. 

It comes as John Howard said Tony Abbott was right to say Hawke had a "Liberal head and a Labor heart", while also appearing to take a jab at China's president in his own tribute to the former PM.

"Certainly we should remind ourselves again – in 2019 – that China, if anything, is even more authoritarian under Xi Jinping than it was then,” Mr Howard said while reflecting on Hawke’s decision to grant asylum to Chinese students.

He praised Hawke for the move, saying it had an “enormous impact on Australia”.

"I thought it indicated that he felt very strongly about what had occurred in Tiananmen Square and, of course, it did represent the brutal suppression by the Chinese authorities of many people in that country who reached out for freedom…”

Mr Howard's comments come days after Paul Keating urged Bill Shorten to sack intelligence chiefs to improve relations with China. 

Meanwhile as Mr Abbott refused to back down on his tribute following widespread controversy over his choice of words, Mr Howard threw support behind his comments.

While Mr Howard spoke in Sydney, Mr Shorten spoke to reporters outside the Opera House.

He said Mr Hawke had two goals before he died, to see his stepson get married and a Labor election victory. 

Mr Hawke's death comes as new polling shows the federal election race has tightened. A YouGov Galaxy poll has shown the PM has had an election bounce but Labor is still ahead. 

RECAP DAY 37 OF THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL BELOW:

Updates

7:33 pm May 17, 2019 Highlight

Beazley pays tribute to Hawke

Shoba Rao

This is part of Kim Beazley's statement about Bob Hawke.

"It is difficult to express my deep sorrow at his passing. It is not a surprise. As I saw him over the last six months he clearly did not fear his death and said he would welcome passing, fearing the burden he was placing on his family. We craved every minute his remaining gave us and I know his family felt that as well.

"People ask me what drove him. The answer was a deep love of all of us. He loved his fellow Australians. More than that he respected them. His default position for disagreement was reconciliation. He was totally aware of class, cultural, ethnic and racial differences. But his view was dominated by the value he saw in all of us. His egalitarian view saw him want us all to be able to prosper and all to feel comfortable with their fellow Australians."

Picture: Kym Smith

"He and his Ministers made modern Australia. Many governments globally sought to drive growth by deregulation. Only his was closely mindful of the impact of the process on our people. He knew Australian firms would be challenged and to cope needed to lift their profit share. Wages needed to be frozen for a while. To counter its impact, reform included a ‘social wage’. Heavy middle class tax cuts. Universal health care. Superannuation for all employees. Rapidly expanding educational opportunity. A variety of social benefits. The reforms in the next 20 years doubled wages."

"Having built the House he wanted it liveable. That drove environmental policy with major initiatives around the country. He wanted Australia to be exemplary and a major player in global politics. That drove regional organisation, arms control initiatives, an end to apartheid, peace prospects in Cambodia. He pushed the boundaries of independent initiative set by the frozen architecture of the Cold War. He understood the US was critical to security and freedom. He was for the West but he wanted more. Probably Australia has never stood as high as it did in the last decade of the Cold War."

You can read more here:

https://www.govhouse.wa.gov.au/vale-bob-hawke-9th-december-1929-16th-may-2019/

6:54 pm May 17, 2019

PM takes last-minute interview

Shoba Rao

The PM takes a moment at Bomaderry Bowling Club, Nowra, for a last-minute radio interview.

Picture: Gary Ramage

1:44 pm February 8, 2025

Scott Morrison has made an 11th hour dash to the knife edge seat of Gilmore, NSW, as polling shows Labor is in the box seat to pick up the south coast electorate. 

The prime minister dropped into the Bomaderry Bowling Club in Nowra to shake hands with voters in the hope of swaying a few votes to Liberal candidate Warren Mundine.

He then went to visit Liberal campaign volunteers to thank them for their hard work before he headed off to a mystery location where he will spend the night to kick off campaigning bright and early.

– Sheradyn Holderhead

6:04 pm May 17, 2019

PM makes last minute dash to Gilmore

Maria Bervanakis

Scott Morrison has made an 11th hour dash to the knife edge seat of Gilmore, NSW, as polling shows Labor is in the box seat to pick up the south coast electorate. 

The prime minister dropped into the Bomaderry Bowling Club in Nowra to shake hands with voters in the hope of swaying a few votes to Liberal candidate Warren Mundine.

He then went to visit Liberal campaign volunteers to thank them for their hard work before he headed off to a mystery location where he will spend the night to kick off campaigning bright and early.

– Sheradyn Holderhead

5:09 pm May 17, 2019

A beer for Bob: Cheers to that

Maria Bervanakis

Labor Leader Bill Shorten, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and former Victorian premier Steve Bracks united at the John Curtin Hotel in Melbourne to honour Bob Hawke who passed away yesterday.

The trio downed a can of Hawke's Patio Pale Beer at the legendary former PM's favourite Melbourne watering hole, opposite Trades Hall.

Photographer: Kym Smith

4:32 pm May 17, 2019 Highlight

PN reveals he rented out his first home

Maria Bervanakis

Scott Morrison has revealed he and wife Jenny, pictured above, had rented out their first home when they were young to help move into their second property.

It came at a retirees forum in Gladstone, Queensland, where he sharpened his attack on Bill Shorten’s plan to limit negative gearing to new builds.

The prime minister told retirees that not only would the policy push down their property values it also posed a threat to their children and grandchildren’s financial security.

Local Brian England told Mr Morrison that he and his wife had bought their first home at 19 before saving enough to buy a second at 22 which set him up to retire “without having to ever knock on Centrelink’s doors”.

That prompted the PM to share his own experience as an investor.

“We bought our first home it was a very small little flat, it was what we could afford and when we were able to buy a slightly bigger place we held on to the flat for a little while, I think it was about 12 months, but that helped us actually just close that gap a little bit more of the debt and be able to get into our next home,” Mr Morrison said.

“It was an existing property that we had so it wasn’t a new one.”

Mr Morrison said he knew many people who had used property investment in the same way “to help build up their own retirement incomes”.

“So why are these Australians, particularly these young ones, going to be denied the opportunity to do that the previous generation have,” he said.

“I think it’s really harsh on those who bought their home and their values will be undermined but I also think it’s really harsh on those who haven’t yet had the opportunity to do that.

“That (property investment) is a very useful and practical and smart way to help Australians get ahead.”

– reporter Sheradyn Holderhead, photographer Gary Ramage

1:44 pm February 8, 2025

Asked what the LNP would do to ensure there was sustainable power for central Queensland in the long term, Scott Morrison spruiked the government’s recent announcement to fund a feasibility study for new generators in the region.

“Here in central Queensland, in northern Queensland we also need to know that the heavy industries that we have got that there is the base load power capabilities to support those industries and jobs into the future,” the prime minister said.

“That’s why we … commissioned a project that will give us advice of the types of sustainable power generation that will be needed to support those industries into the decades to come and that includes the assessment of a coal fired power station up here, it includes gas, it includes other forms of reliable power generation.”

But Mr Morrison didn’t back away from supporting renewable energy lauded the fact that there had been record investment into new solar, wind and hydro.

“We’re taking action on climate change I certainly agree with that but that doesn’t mean you have to also sacrifice your kids’ economic future,” he said.

– reporter Sheradyn Holderhead

1:44 pm February 8, 2025

Scott Morrison is the LNP’s secret weapon in central Queensland with Gladstone locals declaring the prime minister’s no nonsense style will save local MP Ken O’Dowd. 

Mr Morrison stopped in at the Oaks Grand pub to take questions from a group of about 40 retirees voting in the marginal seat of Flynn which Labor had been hoping to snare from the government.

LNP members Pam and Laurie Schneider said Mr Morrison was “here to save Ken”.

“It’s the way he speaks to people, he understands us and what matters,” Mrs Schneider said.

They also listed his commitment to reliable power and sensible action on climate change as vote winners which were the key issues brought up at the forum.

– reporter Sheradyn Holderhead, photographer Gary Ramage

4:17 pm May 17, 2019

PM spruiks sustainable power plans

Maria Bervanakis

Asked what the LNP would do to ensure there was sustainable power for central Queensland in the long term, Scott Morrison spruiked the government’s recent announcement to fund a feasibility study for new generators in the region.

“Here in central Queensland, in northern Queensland we also need to know that the heavy industries that we have got that there is the base load power capabilities to support those industries and jobs into the future,” the prime minister said.

“That’s why we … commissioned a project that will give us advice of the types of sustainable power generation that will be needed to support those industries into the decades to come and that includes the assessment of a coal fired power station up here, it includes gas, it includes other forms of reliable power generation.”

But Mr Morrison didn’t back away from supporting renewable energy lauded the fact that there had been record investment into new solar, wind and hydro.

“We’re taking action on climate change I certainly agree with that but that doesn’t mean you have to also sacrifice your kids’ economic future,” he said.

– reporter Sheradyn Holderhead

4:15 pm May 17, 2019 Highlight

ScoMo understands us: Flynn retirees

Maria Bervanakis

Scott Morrison is the LNP’s secret weapon in central Queensland with Gladstone locals declaring the prime minister’s no nonsense style will save local MP Ken O’Dowd. 

Mr Morrison stopped in at the Oaks Grand pub to take questions from a group of about 40 retirees voting in the marginal seat of Flynn which Labor had been hoping to snare from the government.

LNP members Pam and Laurie Schneider said Mr Morrison was “here to save Ken”.

“It’s the way he speaks to people, he understands us and what matters,” Mrs Schneider said.

They also listed his commitment to reliable power and sensible action on climate change as vote winners which were the key issues brought up at the forum.

– reporter Sheradyn Holderhead, photographer Gary Ramage