Federal election live updates: Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese campaign on day 17
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has issued a sassy comeback and touted his DJ skills after the Liberal Party released a diss track against him.
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Anthony Albanese has responded to a bizarre diss track released by the Liberal Party on Monday, stating aspects of the Opposition’s campaign were “beyond my comprehension”.
‘Leaving Labor’, the campaign’s first rap track, was released by the Opposition hours after officially launching its election campaign in Western Sydney on Sunday afternoon.
The track includes artwork reminiscent of rapper Drake, who famously lost his rap beef with Kendrick Lamar last year, and includes lines such as “Bring them prices down”.
“This is what we need, cause Albo’s gotta leave, Albo’s gotta leave.”
”I just want to buy some eggs and cheese, $100? You kidding me?...
“I just want to put food on the table.”
Asked about the track, Mr Albanese said at a press conference at a paper mill in Tasmania that it was “drawn to my attention”.
“The Liberal Party can explain their own campaign,” he said.
“For me, some of it may be beyond my comprehension, some of the things they’re doing in this campaign.”
Instead, Mr Albanese touted Australian music, including Sounds of Then (This is Australia)
by Ganggajang, which played at his campaign launch in Perth.
“I gotta say, there’s lots of really good Australian music around,” he said.
“We are a different country. I’m running as an Australian Prime Minister on Australian values.
“I leave it to others to say why they consistently just borrow cultures and ideas and policies from other places,” he added.
Mr Albanese, who is no stranger to a DJ deck, told reporters to check out his “sets” on his Spotify account, and kindly offered to jump on the bus with travelling media and play some for them from his phone.
Dutton dodges bank of mum and dad question
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has dodged questions about whether he will act as the bank of mum and dad after his son Harry spoke about his struggles with home ownership.
Mr Dutton has reportedly made $30 million worth of property transactions over the past 35 years.
However, his daughter and son joined the campaign trail on Sunday and Monday, speaking about their struggle to save for a house deposit as part of Mr Dutton’s campaign.
On Monday morning, Mr Dutton’s son Harry told reporters in the seat of Ryan that he and his sister had been “saving like crazy” to try and get into the property market.
Mr Dutton was pressed about whether he would join many Aussie parents in acting as ‘the bank of mum and dad’ to help their children get into a home.
“I don’t want to be accepting a situation where only mums and dads who can afford to keep their kids going have the capacity to buy homes,” he said.
“It’s just not acceptable. They’re putting off their retirement so that they can stay working for longer to try and get a bit of money to help their kids with a deposit or maybe the monthly repayments.
“Now, that’s what Mr. Albanese has created a huge mess.”
He was asked the question four times, and failed to answer on each occasion.
Dutton visits ninth petrol stop of his campaign
Another day on the Dutton campaign, another petrol station.
Dutton has taken the petrol parade to BP Bowen Hills in Brisbane’s north-east on Monday afternoon - where the price of unleaded is at $1.79 a litre.
This is now the ninth petrol station visit of Mr Dutton’s campaign with the Coalition drilling into voters its pledge to cut the cost of petrol.
Mr Dutton helped fill up the car of federal member Trevor Evans, who is hoping to claw back the seat of Brisbane after losing to the Greens last election.
It was a quick visit to the petrol station, with the weather less than favourable across Brisbane.
There was an awkward moment when Mr Dutton left the petrol station - before realising he had forgot his jacket in Mr Evans’ car.
The campaign press pack is now off the airport - with Mr Dutton’s Brisbane visit seemingly short lived.
Labor’s ‘low-emission’ lifeline to Australia’s first, and last, paper mill
Labor will splash up to $24m on Australia’s first, and last, papermill in Tasmania, in a bid to prepare the ageing factory for a low-emissions future,
Anthony Albanese will tour the Boyer Mill about 45 minutes northwest of Hobart on Monday, after touching down from Adelaide earlier that afternoon.
He will be joined by Finance Minister Katy Gallegher, Agriculture Minister Julie Collins, and Australian Manufacturer Workers Union state secretary, Jacob Batt.
The Prime Minister will also be joined by Labor’s Candidate for Lyons, Rebecca White, who will seek to hold onto the seat nabbed by Labor in 2022 by less than 1500 votes.
Mr Albanese is expected to announce $24m to help prepare the mill for a low-emissions future and secure its future, including $9m in upfront support over the next two years.
The funds are intended to assist in stabilising operations, including 310 local jobs and about 1000 indirect jobs. and to prepare investments to decarbonise and diversify production.
The jobs include those in the forestry sector.
“Boyer Paper Mill is an iconic part of Tasmania’s manufacturing story,” Mr Albanese said.
“It was Australia’s first ever newsprint mill built in the 1940s, and thousands of Tasmanians have worked here over that time.
“We want to see the Mill continue well into the future, and that is why we are committing up to $24m to help Boyer secure local jobs and supply chains and move forward with confidence towards a low-emissions future”.
“This is what our Future Made in Australia Plan is all about – supporting local Australian workers to make more things here.”
Boyer Paper Mill is the sole remaining Australian manufacturer of publication paper, which is supplied to publishers and commercial printers across the country.
Up to $15m will also go to help the mill deliver upgrades over the longer term, subject to assessment of its final proposals and consideration under relevant government programs.
Labor said electrification of the mill will significantly cut emissions at Tasmania’s fourth-largest industrial emitter, securing local manufacturing as the economy transitions to lower emissions.
Seven scores final leader’s debate
Channel Seven has bagged the final leader’s debate for the federal election with the showdown to air on April 27.
The debate, which will take place at Seven’s studios in Sydney, will air just six days out from polling day.
Seven’s Political Editor Mark Riley will moderate the debate between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, with Sunrise’s Natalie Barr to host the television event.
Seven Network Director of News and Current Affairs and Seven West Media Editor-in-Chief Anthony De Ceglie said the network was thrilled to host the final debate.
“This final debate comes at a critical moment — just six days out from polling day — and 7NEWS is proud to bring it live to viewers. For many, it will be the defining watch of the campaign and will play a big part in how they decide their vote,” he said.
“7NEWS is committed to delivering the most comprehensive and dynamic election coverage in the country, backed by sharp analysis and commentary from an unmatched team of political minds.”
Aussies with second jobs using food banks: Dutton
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton visited Foodbank Queensland HQ on Monday afternoon in the safe Green seat of Griffith, to announce a $19.5 million commitment towards the opening of a new distribution centre for the charity group.
Mr Dutton helped staff pack Foodbank hampers alongside his 20-year-old son Harry, LNP candidate for Ryan Maggie Forrest, LNP candidate for Brisbane Trevor Evans and Housing Shadow Minister Michael Sukkar.
“There are people going to food bank services… they are working hard, they are working a second job…their family is doing it tougher than ever,” Mr Dutton said.
“People really are doing it tough. Australians have lived through two years of household recession.”
Foodbank chief executive Jess Watkinson said the promised funding was “more than halfway” to the $35 million needed to open the new centre.
“Foodbank Queensland looks forward to working with all levels of government plus philanthropists and foundations to achieve this $35 million goal.”
‘Where are these people living?’: Dutton’s migration plan
Peter Dutton has also blamed a Labor-created “migration boom” for Australia’s current housing crisis.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday morning, Mr Dutton said he wanted house prices to “increase steadily” and to be the Prime Minister for “home ownership and housing accessibility”.
“I don’t want to see a situation where Labor crashes the economy and somebody who’s paid $750,000 for a house today is worth 600,000 in 18 months time under an Albanese government,” he said.
“That would be a disaster.
”People will be sitting on a house that is worth less than what their mortgage is, and that’s what happened, frankly, in the 80s and 90s, when Labor last presided over a recession.”
Asked about his plan for renters, Mr Dutton said he planned to reduce the number of international students coming into the country.
When pushed back on by a reporter, who questioned whether international students were truly pushing up the price of rents, Mr Dutton bit back.
“Of course they are. I mean, where are these people living?” he said.
“If people are coming here through the migration program, understandably they want a place to live, but I’m not going to see Australians displaced from housing.
“We reduce the number of people coming through the migration program, and we massively increase the supply of housing — that’s how we can help young Australians who are renting or those who are seeking to buy,” he said.
Dutton confident of keeping his seat
Peter Dutton has responded to recent polling that suggests he is in danger of losing his own seat of Dickson, saying he has never taken his electorate “for granted”.
Last week, news.com.au revealed new research commissioned by the Queensland Conservation Council that suggested voters were moving towards Labor, the Greens, and Independent candidates - drawing voters away from the Liberal leader.
Mr Dutton holds the seat by a margin of just 1.7 per cent and previously won the seat by just 3,500 votes, making it the most marginal federal seat in Queensland.
Mr Dutton was in the seat of Ryde on Monday morning at Upper Kedron - just a stones throw away from his home electorate.
Asked whether his location was an admission of his fears of losing his own seat, Mr Dutton said he was confident locals in his electorate would steer towards a Liberal vote.
”I’ve always worked hard, I’ve never taken it for granted. But the people of Dickson aren’t stupid,” he says.
”The polling I’ve seen puts us in a comfortable position. I’m happy with that.”
Harry Dutton joins the campaign trail
Peter Dutton brought his son out on the campaign trail on Monday morning.
Mr Dutton’s son Harry joined him on a construction site in the seat of Ryan, as he spoke to a young couple about the housing crisis.
The couple have struggled to get into the property market, with Mr Dutton spruiking his latest housing policies.
Harry is currently studying an apprenticeship in Carpentry.
“It’s great to be here with Harry,” Mr Dutton said.
“He’s probably happy to be not on the tools today.”
‘Proud of my heritage’: Chicken soup and marginal seats in Adelaide
Anthony Albanese has celebrated his Italian heritage in Adelaide on Monday with a $95,000 cash splash on beloved local institution Nonna’s Cucina.
With Nonna Rosa Matto at the helm, the Windsor Gardens restaurant serves Italian-style meals to elderly people, people with disabilities, and their carers, most of them with Italian heritage.
Helping the mostly volunteer-run service serve up veggies and a vegetable slice, with a massive pot of chicken soup on the broiler, Mr Albanese said: “I’m very proud of my heritage”.
Mr Albanese thanked Ms Rosa “for what you do each and every day, 500 meals going out to people, particularly from the Italo-Australian community, giving them fresh food, making sure that they also have that social interaction.
“Its so important, and that’s why my government will give $95,000 as a grant, because they need to upgrade some of the kitchen facilities here.
“I know that Adelaide has, like the rest of Australia, part of the Italo-Australian community that is a million strong have made such a contribution, and in their later years, it’s important that older Australians get given the respect and dignity that they deserve.
“People want to live in their home. They want to stay there. They want to be able to live in the community in which they’ve prospered for many, many years, such as around this electorate, and this facility here helps them do just that.”
Mr. Albanese was joined in serving up some meal packets by Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Sturt candidate Claire Clutterham.
Sturt is a marginal seat currently held by the Liberals, the party’s one metro South Australian seat.
In a statement, Ms Clutterham said “Nonna’s Cucina is more than just a cafe – it’s a community institution and a vital feature of South Australia’s Italian heritage, offering significant community support through the provision of affordable meals.
“This funding will help them put the finishing touches on their move to new facilities at Holden Hill.
“This is what a Labor Government is about – investing in communities and ensuring groups like Nonna’s Cucina can keep thriving and contributing.”
Nonna’s has been receiving support from the Commonwealth Government for more than two decades, including an additional $77,000 earlier this year as part of a $37 million cost of living funding boost to more than 500 aged care meals providers.
Dutton returns to Brisbane
Opposition leader Peter Dutton is out campaigning this morning in Upper Kedron, an up and coming suburb in Brisbane’s outer north-west.
The suburb is in the marginal seat of Ryan, which is currently held by the Greens with a margin of 2.6 per cent.
The area is currently undergoing several major housing development projects, with Mr Dutton set to sell his latest first-home policies to voters.
Architect Elizabeth Watson-Brown took the seat in 2022 after a historic 11.2 per cent swing against Liberal MP Julian Simmonds.
Before Ms Watson-Brown’s victory, the seat had been held by the Coalition at every general election since 1972.
Ms Watson-Brown made headlines earlier this year after refusing to put up an Australian flag in her office.
‘Isn’t theoretical’: Albo’s bold plan for housing
What’s the difference between the housing policies of Labor and the Liberals?
Anthony Albanese says its supply.
Both major parties used their official campaign launches on Sunday - the Prime Minister in Perth, Peter Dutton in Sydney - to spruik their plans to get young people into homes.
For Labor, its another $10bn to boost housing supply - 100,000 of which will be just for first homebuyers - while making five per cent deposits available to all first-time purchasers.
“What we are doing is also addressing supply,” Mr Albanese said of the 100,000 homes.
“That’s a critical difference between our policies.
“If you increase supply, you assist everyone because you have an impact on affordability.
Anthony Albanese denied allegations there was a “bi-partisan agreement” to see housing prices increase, but would not say whether he wanted them to go down when asked.
Instead, the Prime Minister levelled criticism at past Coalition governments.
“House cost historically in Australia… prices tend to rise,” he said.
“What we want to do is to make sure that people have accessibility for home ownership.
“We want to take away the disincentive, which is there where people just can’t get a deposit.”
The government has introduced a raft of measures its hopes will speed up housing supply to reach the ambitious target of 1.2 million new homes over five years from July 1, 2024.
Asked if Australians could have confidence in that target, Mr Albanese directed attention to the construction site behind him.
“They can see behind me. This is what it looks like.
“This isn’t theoretical. This is happening right now behind us.”
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas has led the country on the plans Labor hopes will increase access, including the introduction of five per cent deposits for first-time buyers.
“We need more homes in South Australia,” he said on Monday.
“And, we need them as quickly as we can possibly (get them).
“It’s exactly why every single lever that the state government has at its disposal to increase and accelerate housing supply we’re pulling.”
Housing Minister Clare O’Neil described Labor’s plan as bold and “ambitious”, and was about giving young people looking to buy “a shot without competition from investors”.
“The last thing you want is to catch a cold”: Plibersek defends PM’s frosty greeting
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has blamed Anthony Albanese’s terse exchange with her on health concerns.
The Prime Minister clasped the hands of other politicians when leaving the Labor campaign launch in Perth on Sunday, before reaching Ms Plibersek who held out her arms for a quick embrace and a peck on the cheek.
In an “awkward moment” Mr Albanese did not lean in for the hug, instead firmly grabbing both of Ms Plibersek’s hands and leaving the minister kissing the air.
Ms Plibersek said the incident was nothing more than Anthony Albanese protecting himself from a cold.
“Do you know what? I reckon we should still all be elbow bumping because during an election campaign, the last thing you want is to catch a cold from someone. So that’s on me. I should have done the elbow bump, I reckon,” she said on Sunrise on Monday morning.
Ms Plibersek insisted there is no animosity between the two Labor politicians despite the minister being noticeably absent from campaign events, bar one occurrence at Paddy’s Market.
PM claims Dutton could pull out of Paris climate accords
Anthony Albanese has claimed Peter Dutton might pull out of the Paris climate accords if he is elected next month, while spruiking Labor’s bid to co-host the COP31 climate conference.
The Opposition Leader claimed last month that Australia’s bid to host the international climate conference next year under a Labor government could cost taxpayers “tens of billions” of dollars.
The Prime Minister dismissed those comments on Monday, stating: “If Peter Dutton is elected, you can see him copying policies from other jurisdictions and pulling out of Paris”.
“We know a whole lot of their mob are still in climate denial,” he said.
They’ve been equivocal about it, but we will put forward our bid to host a climate change conference.”
The Prime Minister was speaking from a housing development in Adelaide, and said he couldn’t “think of anywhere better than Adelaide to host” the COP31 event next year.
“One of the things that a climate change conference will do is showcase this beautiful city of Adelaide to the entire world,” Mr Albanese said.
“When you look at the work that the Premier is doing in renewables, leading Australia as South Australia has for a long period of time, then I can’t think of anywhere.”
The South Australian government formally entered a bid to host the COP31 climate change conference in Adelaide late last year. The 2025 event will be held in Belem in Brazil’s lower Amazon.
‘Dumb and Dumber’: Treasurer denies vote buying
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has batted away suggestions the major parties are “recklessly buying votes” with big-ticket election promises during a clash with Today host Karl Stefanovic.
Stefanovic wasted no time getting stuck into both sides on Monday morning, saying it was like “watching Dumb and Dumber, you guys recklessly buying our votes”.
Mr Chalmers hit back at the suggestion, saying there was “a really important difference”.
“What we've shown as a Labor government is we’ve been able to maintain a focus on the cost of living,” he said.
“At the same time as we’ve got the budget in much better nick, and that’s meant that we could make room for the sorts of commitments that we have been making in a really responsible way.
“The budget’s more than $200bn stronger than when we came to office. We’ve got the Liberal debt down.
“We’ve delivered those two surpluses, and that’s meant we’ve been able to help with the cost of living. Ongoing tax relief, helping with medicines and energy, bill rebates and the like.”
On Sunday, the major parties announced expensive housing policies which economists say will pump more money into the housing market and raise prices.
Mr Chalmers argued the Coalition’s plan had no ongoing benefit.
“What Peter Dutton did yesterday was to borrow and burn another $10bn and still provide no ongoing cost of living help for people who are doing it tough.
“And then he’ll claw that back with permanently higher income taxes, lower wages and secret cuts to pay for his nuclear reactors.”
Key question next PM must answer
Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese went all out over the weekend, announcing major cost of living relief for millions of Australians.
On Saturday night, the Prime Minister pledged $10 billion to build 100,000 homes exclusively for first homebuyers, as well as access to a five per cent deposit, with the rest to be covered by the government.
Mr Dutton put forward a $10 billion plan of his own – a one-off tax cut of up to $1200 for workers earning under $144,000.
On Sunday, they switched places.
The centrepiece of Mr Albanese’s campaign launch in Perth was a new $1000 “instant” tax deduction for all workers earning over $18,200.
The policy is expected to cost $2.4 billion over the next three financial years.
Mr Dutton told Liberal Party faithful in Sydney he would be “the Prime Minister who restores the dream of home ownership”, and pledged a new tax scheme that would allow first homebuyers to deduct interest payments on the first $650,000 of a mortgage against their taxable income for up to five years for individuals with a taxable income of $175,000 or less – and joint applicants earning a combined income of $250,000 or less.
This is expected to cost the federal budget $1.25 billion over the forward estimates.
He also announced an elected Coalition government would allow Aussies to access up to $50,000 from their superannuation to buy their first home.
Not bad for a day’s work – but the costly promises leave one glaring question: How are they going to pay for it?
Mr Dutton on Sunday declared he would slash $100 billion in spending if elected, made up of undisclosed “ineffectual” measures brought in by the Labor government.
Labor has declared their success in driving down inherited debt has allowed them to spend on new measures, which Treasurer Jim Chalmers often refers to as “investments”.
The federal budget, released just days before Mr Albanese called the election, revealed a $27.6 billion deficit, expected to deepen to $42.1 billion in 2025-26, which can only add to the financial worries facing the next Prime Minister.
‘Loose as a bloody goose’: Lambie fires up
Independent senator Jacqui Lambie says Labor and the Coalition’s housing plans are “loose as a bloody goose”, with major tradie shortfalls casting doubt on the big building policies.
“I mean, you’ve got to be kidding me. How about you turn the first lot of soil on the first 50 or 60,000 homes that you’ve promised,” she told Today on Monday morning.
“These two leaders, both Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton, this morning, become as loose as a bloody goose,” Ms Lambie said, in the wake of the official Labor and Liberal Party campaign launch events on Sunday.
Ms Lambie joked she had all the details of the policy with her before holding up a blank piece of paper to the camera and laughing.
“The reason we have (registered training organisations) and the unions running them is because the TAFEs have been depleted year in, year out.
“Now, I’m not having a go at the unions for picking up that up, because nobody else bloody did.
“But quite frankly, I mean, I’ve got a TAFE down here that’s got Cold War equipment in it from the 1950s. You’ve got (buildings) full of asbestos and you’re training (in) them.
“How about you go to the root cause of the problem and you go to our TAFEs? I’ve got Australian TAFE who can’t even tell me what every one of their TAFEs is doing, what equipment they need. I mean, it’s an absolute mess.”
Appearing opposite Ms Lambie on Channel 9, Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said Labor’s fee-free TAFE was putting a dent in house-building shortfalls.
“I would say that our housing policy is … about increasing supply into the market,” Ms Rishworth said.
“Yes, our focus has been, … working with states and territories to get more land release to ensure that the infrastructure is in place so that houses can be connected to sewerage, things like that.
“This is what we’ve been doing this term, and we will continue to do it now. You can’t build a house overnight. It does take time, but our investment into supply is critical.”
Albo to campaign in Adelaide
Mr Albanese has a busy day ahead of him after officially kicking off Labor’s re-election campaign on Sunday, with a trip to a housing development alongside South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas.
He with also be joined by Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong, Housing Minister Clare O’Neil, and the federal members for Adelaide and Boothby, Steve Georganas and Louise Miller-Frost, in a visit to the development in the electorate of Adelaide.
Mr Albanese is expected to tour a soon-to-be residential street after announcing plans to splash a further $10bn on 100,000 new homes specifically for first homebuyers if Labor is re-elected in May.
A number of townhouses Mr Albanese will tour are specifically set aside by the state government for first homebuyers under its shares equity scheme - the same scheme the Labor government wants to introduce, allowing first homebuyers to purchase a property with just a five per cent deposit, as well as it’s Help To Buy Scheme coming into affect this year.
Mr Georganas secured 62 per cent of the vote in 2022 on a two-party preferred vote, following swings against the Liberals but towards the Greens on the primary vote.
The Liberals candidate this time around is Anne Grantham, who also stood for the role in 2022. She has worked “extensively in the medical technology business” for more than 30 years, and has “proudly owns and manages her own business focused on advancing healthcare in Australia”.
Paterson defends Coalition’s tax cut promise
Coalition frontbencher and campaign spokesperson James Paterson has defended the one-off nature of the party’s tax cut promise.
Mr Paterson said the “cost-of-living tax offset” was necessary, despite the opposition not supporting Labor’s budget tax cuts last month.
Those cuts would not take effect until mid-2026, but are additional to larger tax cuts made with immediate effect last year.
“The difference between what Labor is proposing and what we’re proposing is ours is timely, it is targeted, and it is meaningful. It’s not baked into the budget forever, costing billions and billions and billions over many years,” Mr Paterson said.
The Coalition is promising a one-off tax cut up to $1200 for workers earning under $144,000.
The pledge comes after the opposition lashed the small tax cut included in Labor’s federal budget last month, which would bring a $268 reduction in 2026-27 and $536 every year after that.
“We describe (ours) as a cost-of-living tax offset, and it’s desperately needed by many Australians because they’ve suffered so much from rising cost-of-living under the Labor Party’s watch, under the Prime Minister,” Mr Paterson said on Monday.
“A lot of Australians have racked up big credit card bills on Labor’s watch over the last three years, and they need help.”
Opposition treasury spokesman Angus Taylor described Labor’s tax cut as an “election bribe” immediately after the federal budget, saying categorically it was “not going to help address the financial stress” Australian families were under.
More to come
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Originally published as Federal election live updates: Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese campaign on day 17
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