The mystery of ScoMo’s injured finger remains unsolved, despite rigorous investigation by journalists on the prime minister’s campaign trail.
Welcome to week three of the federal election campaign, with Aussies set to head to the polls on May 21.
Read on for all the latest updates.
Nobody quite sums up a day on the hustings like our very own James Weir who is this week following the Prime Minister around the country.
In today's report, he visits a grocery store with the PM who is heckled by a mum after school drop-off. It's quite the read if that sounds like your thing.
The mystery of ScoMo’s injured finger remains unsolved, despite rigorous investigation by journalists on the prime minister’s campaign trail.
A red open wound was first spotted by reporters at a press conference the PM gave at a retirement village outside Geelong on Tuesday.
And today, he appeared at another retirement village in Adelaide with the wounded left thumb bandaged.
It raises perhaps the biggest question of the four week campaign: how did the prime minister injure his finger and is it related to the weekend’s chicken korma curry disaster?
Official requests for comment lodged by NewsWire’s Courtney Gould to the PM’s office have gone ignored.
And when asked point-blank for the backstory on the finger injury by news.com.au's James Weir during a walkabout in Adelaide this afternoon, the prime minister snubbed all inquiries.
More to come.
There was an ugly sight in Melbourne today as Anthony Albanese’s bus drove past a defaced poster for a Liberal member.
The bus was on its way to a cafe in Mount Waverley, when it passed the poster for Gladys Liu, the member Chisholm.
Over the Hong Kong-born member’s eyes, the letters CCP (Chinese Communist Party) had been scrawled and somebody had written “communist” across her forehead.
The Coalition has accused Labor of “sewer tactics” over what Josh Frydenberg described as a “racist” attack ad targeting Ms Liu.
But Labor frontbencher Penny Wong last week rubbished claims her party was vilifying Liu, saying there were “legitimate” questions over her conduct.
Ms Liu made headlines during the last election after she said she "cannot recall" whether she was a member of groups linked to the CCP.
She also refused to call Chinese President Xi Jinping "a dictator" in an awkward television interview in 2019.
Anthony Albanese was preparing to walk away from his coffee date in Melbourne when there were tense scenes with a TV cameraman from the media.
He had been chatting with locals, when he heard a woman talking to her husband about him on the phone.
She wasn't keen to be on TV, but Albo wanted to speak to her – leading to tense scenes with the surrounding media.
He told them that they need to "respect peoples' space" and that the woman he wanted to speak to didn't want to be filmed.
He then turned around to one of the cameramen and told him to move away, and the pair came face-to-face.
"You're not going to move away. All right then, I can't talk to her," said Mr Albanese as he began to turn away in annoyance.
The media pack then backed off and Mr Albanese went over to speak to the woman.
Anthony Albanese has now stopped for a coffee with locals at Mount Waverley in Melbourne.
Residents were shocked to see him with one woman yelling down the phone to her husband: "Anthony Albanese's here, come here baby!".
When asked by news.com.au what she thought of the Labor leader, she said she wasn't sure on him yet.
Mr Albanese sat down local Labor supporter Robert Morrey – who is the uncle of English soccer superstar Wayne Rooney – for a flat white and a chat.
Mr Morrey told news.com.au he thinks Albo has the ability to unite the left and right – which he believes important.
Anthony Albanese spoke about his struggles with Covid as joined the press bus "rabble" for the first time on the campaign trail.
After finishing a press conference at a TAFE in Melbourne he decided to ditch his private ride and jump on board with the press.
He forgot his mask and had to run back when he was greeted by a mass of cameras.
After saying he had been smashing hydralyte, he revealed that he had been struggling with ongoing fatigue from his Covid infection.
He said it was tough having to fly out to Perth for the Labor launch and then having to walk around Brisbane for the Labour Day rally the following day, but he was on the mend.
Asked why he hadn't joined the press bus before today he quipped that "you never invited me".
Labor Leader Anthony Albanese has taken aim at Prime Minister Scott Morrison over his claims that an overly powerful national anti-corruption commission could turn Australia into “some kind of public autocracy”.
Mr Morrison also branded the ICAC a "kangaroo court", with Mr Albanese addressing the comments on Wednesday.
"What he means is the reason why there is no national anticorruption commission is sitting all in his front bench or behind him. That's the fact of the matter," he said.
"You have had these extraordinary attacks on a legal process the likes of which no national leader I've seen, whether it's John Howard or Malcolm Turnbull or Tony Abbott, they have not seen anyone from either side of politics call a legal process, that Scott Morrison has repeatedly referred to as a kangaroo court.
"That's an extraordinary statement to make, which is why the outgoing, one of the outgoing ICAC commissioners has referred to that as buffoonery, the comments that have been made."
Mr Albanese praised NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet for standing up to the PM.
"I give Dominic Perrottet absolute credit for doing just that," the Labor Leader said.
Flames were roaring at Glen Waverley Victoria this morning where Anthony Albanese watched students make apple tarts.
Tanya Plibersek, a core member of his team who we haven't seen a lot of on the campaign so far also smiled on as students braised fruit at a TAFE college.
Mr Albanese was keen to ask why they were adding rum to the pan, as a sticky sweet smell filled the cooking classroom.
He also appeared keen to try one, but he resisted.
"I like a good pie but you don't drop 20kg eating pie," he quipped.
Labor campaign: Anthony Albanese and Tanya Plibersek at Holmesglen TAFE in the Melbourne seat of Chisholm discussing courses with students as they cook apple tarts. @westaustralian @sevenwestmedia #auspol pic.twitter.com/SM3BsO4UJd
— Caitlyn Rintoul (@caitlynrintoul) May 4, 2022
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has refused to confirm whether he agrees Queensland senator Amanda Stoker's anti-abortion views.
"Your Assistant Minister for Women, Amanda Stoker, was recently at an anti-abortion rally. Given we're having what's been described as a national domestic crisis in violence, where is that what your MPs are focusing on? And do you agree with her views on abortion?" a reporter asked.
Mr Morrison responded by saying there was "no change to policy" on the issue of abortion in Australia.
"I'm aware of the reports that are coming out of the United States, but that's in a different country," he said.
"In Australia there are no changes to those laws. So I don't see it, really, as an issue."
The reporter pressed the issue, asking: "But why is your assistant minister at an anti-abortion rally?"
"Well, it's a free country. It's a free country," Mr Morrison replied.
Today show host Karl Stefanovic has stunned viewers by jokingly declaring Anthony Albanese the new Prime Minister of Australia.
Channel Nine cut back to the show this morning following an ad break to find Stefanovic laughing with co-hosts Allison Langdon, Brooke Boney and Alex Cullen.
Stefanovic the kept the off-air joke going, turning to the camera and saying: "Welcome to 2024. The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is in big trouble this morning after interest rates went down for the first time".
"Did you fall asleep and miss two years, it feels like it?" Langdon asked the audience, before adding: "I stand by my comment. I feels like 2024".
A laughing Stefanovic then added: "May the fourth be with you. And also you with you, everyone".
A Liberal backbencher has made a surprising move after Peter Dutton’s controversial election pledge to roll back Indigenous flags.
A key poll is painting a grim picture for Anthony Albanese as Labor gears up for next year’s looming vote.
Jim Chalmers declined to directly answer whether a total of forecasted $122.1bn in deficits will increase in the mid-year budget update set to be released on Wednesday.