‘Temu Trump’ sledges fly as PM plans ‘quick and dirty’ federal election on May 3

Wild sledges flowed during the last parliamentary sitting before Australians head to the polls, with the Speaker needing to intervene.

Peter Dutton has challenged the government to cut fuel excise now in a fiery parliamentary clash as the Prime Minister prepares to dissolve Parliament and call the election.

Wild sledges have flown during the last parliamentary sitting before Australians head to the polls with Peter Dutton slammed as a “Temu Trump” prompting the Speaker Milton Dick to intervene.

The battle lines have now been drawn with the Coalition announcing it will deliver cheaper petrol from this year and the Albanese Government promising a permanent tax cut - but it’s only worth $5 a week next year.

The Liberals have confirmed they will repeal the tax cuts if elected and the Labor Party has confirmed they won’t match the fuel excise cut.

Earlier, the Prime Minister’s own department mistakenly announced it was in caretaker mode because an election was underway, before deleting the social media post and apologising in an embarrassing blunder.

Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton was labelled ‘Temu Trump’. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

But the Liberal leader has stared down the PM amid speculation he will try to drown out his budget in reply speech tonight by travelling to see the Governor-General as early as Friday morning challenging him to offer cost of living relief right away.

“The Prime Minister has caused a lot of pain to Australian families over the last three years,’’ Mr Dutton said.

“Will the Prime Minister join with me in cutting the price of petrol and diesel to save tradies, pensioners and families up to $28 a week instead of his 70 cent a day tax cut which doesn’t even come in for 15 months?

In response, Mr Albanese slammed the Coalition’s plan as a “temporary one-year decrease” as Parliament descended into a screaming match.

“The Morrison leftovers have adopted the policy of the Morrison Government,’’ Mr Albanese said.

“In the budget in 2022, they brought in a temporary measure and then it disappeared. And then it disappeared. That’s what I’m asked about.

It was the last parliamentary sitting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expected to call an election on Friday. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“Those opposite .they’re out there having voted against tax cuts for every taxpayer yesterday.”

“They are the first opposition to ever say, “If you elect us to Government, we will increase the taxes for every single taxpayer.”

“Every single taxpayer” will pay more tax if they’re elected at the election in May.”

During question time, the little-known Greens MP Stephen Bates asked why the Prime Minister wanted to invite US president Donald Trump to Australia.

“My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, why would you invite Donald Trump to Australia when you have a Temu Trump sitting right next to you!,’’ he said.

But the Speaker of the House ruled the question out of order.

“Australia has a long standing relationship with the United States, it’s been an important ally since the Second World War,’’ Mr Albanese responded.

“President Trump was elected by the American people last October. We respect democratic outcomes in Australia. It’s something that I’m very proud of, that we have orderly transitions of power, and we had that between when Mr Morrison lost the election.”

Earlier, Jim Chalmers said the government will not match the Coalition’s fuel excise pledge and has refused to concede the Coalition plan would save the average taxpayer $750 for one year only.

“The Coalition doesn’t have any plans to help people with the cost of living in an enduring way and what it means is the economic policy that they will take to the election is higher taxes for every taxpayer, secret cuts to pay for nuclear reactors and no ongoing help with the cost of living,” the Treasurer told Sky News.

Blunder as election accidentally announced

Anthony Albanese is poised to call the election on Friday stealing a march on Peter Dutton as prepares to offer voters a $750 fuel excise cut.

The Prime Minister is understood to be finalising plans to call the election as early as Friday to overshadow Peter Dutton’s budget in reply speech.

Labor sources said strategists are planning a 5-week “quick and dirty” election campaign confirming the Prime Minister has no appetite to drag it out into a 6-week election campaign.

That option is regarded as too expensive and exhausting for voters who are set to be bombarded with election ads from this weekend.

In an embarrassing blunder on Thursday the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet also accidentally announced the election.

The Department was forced to apologise after mistakenly announcing the government has entered caretaker mode.

“The government is now operating in accordance with caretaker conventions pending the outcome of the 2025 federal election,” the deleted post said

It comes as Jim Chalmers has accused the Coalition of a “brain explosion” after it vowed to repeal Labor’s $17.1 billion tax cut warning it will mean workers lose up to $500 a year in favour of a temporary cut to fuel excise.

The decision means that voters now face a clear choice between a one-off fuel excise which will save motorists $750 from this year or the Labor Party’s tax cuts that don’t start until July, 2026.

The Labor Party has seized on revelations this morning that if elected the Liberal Party will repeal the tax legislation and scrap the top-up tax cuts offering most workers an additional $5 a week and $10 a year thereafter.

Combined with previous tax cuts that Peter Dutton will not repeal, the top ups take the tax cuts for average workers to around $50 a week.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers. Picture: Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty Images

“This is a proper brain explosion from the Coalition,” the Treasurer said. “This is a proper brain snap. It beggars belief that when Australians are under cost of living pressure their main policy is to increase income taxes on every Australian taxpayer.”

Dr Chalmers said this decision would “haunt them every single day of the election campaign”.

“We will not let them squirm off this hook,” he said. “This means that if Peter Dutton wins the election every Australian taxpayer will be worse off.

“It means that their election platform is higher taxes for workers, secret cuts and no ongoing help with the cost of living.”

But Mr Dutton has backed the big call warning voters will have to wait for a tiny extra tax cut under Labor but will get cost of living relief faster under the Liberals.

The top up combined with previous tax cuts delivers around $2,000 a year for average wage earners but the Liberals are not suggesting they will repeal these tax cuts.

“It’s an either-or option – we can’t pretend that we’ve got endless amounts of money,” the Opposition Leader told Channel 9.

Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. Picture: NewsWire/ Nadir Kinani

“And we took a decision that giving the fuel tax cut now to families straight away is a better option than providing 70 cents a day in 15 months’ time.”

“For the local cafe, if they’ve got a delivery driver or for a local tradie who might have three or four apprentices working for him or her, then they’ve got the opportunity to have a really positive impact on their budget,” he said.

“We think that is a better option than the election bribe that the government has put out there.

“I don’t know that you’ll ever see a tax cut from a re-elected Albanese government because I’d be surprised if they continue with it themselves.”

Dutton to repeal new income tax cuts

This morning it was revealed Mr Dutton will repeal new income tax cuts offering workers $268 next year to pay for his promise to temporarily halve fuel excise.

Overnight, the Albanese Government rushed through its $5 a week tax cut legislation that the Coalition opposes.

As the Prime Minister prepares to call the election within days, the Coalition has now confirmed for the first time that it will repeal $17 billion in new income tax cuts announced in the budget.

And the Prime Minister has confirmed he won’t match the $6 billion fuel excise promise setting up clear battle lines for the election.

Opposition treasury spokesman Angus Taylor broke the news on the fate of the new tax cuts on ABC radio.

Asked, “Does this mean you would, if you win, repeal the tax cuts that were passed yesterday,” Mr Taylor said that was the case.

“Yes. This will replace what Labor is doing which we think is inappropriate under the circumstances that we’ve laid out in recent … in the last 24 hours,” he said.

“But to be clear, you would repeal it? ,” host Sabra Lane asked.

“We absolutely would repeal it,” he replied.

Liberal leader Peter Dutton will pledge to temporarily halve fuel excise if he is elected Prime Minister in a promise he says could save a two-car family up to $1500.

News.com.au revealed the big move overnight that would deliver a 25 cent cut to fuel excise for 12 months.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. Picture: Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty Images

It will cost $6 billion in revenue foregone in a single year. That’s around half of the value of the Treasurer’s tax cuts over four years.

It would mean for petrol and diesel, excise rates will be reduced from 50.8 cents to 25.4 cents per litre.

“The Coalition is committed to supporting families and businesses and alleviating the cost-of-living pressure that everyone, right across the country, is feeling right now,’’ Mr Dutton told news.com.au.

“If elected, we will halve fuel excise for 12 months.

“And if elected, we will deliver this cost-of-living relief immediately – whereas people have to wait fifteen months for Labor’s 70 cents a day tax tweak.

“This cost-of-living relief will make a real difference to families and small businesses – everyone from tradies, to mums and dads, to older Australians, and to transport delivery workers.”

Anthony Albanese has also confirmed this morning that he won’t match Peter Dutton’s pledge to temporarily slash fuel excise warning it will “disappear” in a year.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton will use tonight’s budget in reply speech to halve fuel excise for a 12 month period.

“There offer is for one year and then it disappears,” Mr Albanese said.

He then seized on the Liberals threat to repeal the tax cuts.

“This morning Angus Taylor made the extraordinary statement they will repeal it,” he said.

“So under Peter Dutton voters will earn less and be taxed more

“What it’s about is structural change. What we’ve done has now passed Parliament.

“The Coalition has said they will repeal it.”