Federal Election 2022: Anthony Albanese and Jenny Morrison attend Good Friday service
Anthony Albanese and Jenny Morrison were all smiles when they were seen chatting while attending Good Friday service at the same Sydney church.
It’s been a brutal first week of campaigning, but there were no signs of any animosity on Good Friday when Labor leader Anthony Albanese attended a service at St Charbel’s Monastery in Punchbowl alongside Scott Morrison’s wife Jenny.
The pair were all smiles as they warmly shook hands before the service, despite the PM’s repeated attacks on Mr Albanese since the election campaign officially kicked off.
Wearing his signature blue suit, Mr Albanese delivered a reading from the Acts of the Apostles, followed soon after by another reading by Mrs Morrison, who wore a church-appropriate black mid-length dress with heels.
The service was attended by around 5000 worshippers, including the PM’s daughters Lily and Abbey.
The Abdallah family – who tragically lost three of their six children in a crash that stunned Australia two years ago – also joined the service.
Danny Abdallah, his wife Leila and their surviving children Liana, Michael and Alex and their newborn daughter Selina, were among the worshippers at the church this morning.
Former Prime Minister Tony Abbot was also spotted at the monastery, which is located in the safe Labor seat of Watson, which is held by Tony Burke.
Mr Morrison spent his morning at an Easter Friday service at Syndal Baptist Church, in the marginal Victorian electorate Chisholm.
He briefly spoke to reporters after the service to give an update on the four members of his security detail that were injured in a car crash yesterday.
One of the officers is expected to be discharged today and the others are still being cared for but are “doing well”.
Mr Morrison and Mr Albanese have agreed to a truce over Easter, just four days into the election campaign.
After a rollercoaster week, both parties have agreed to suspend major election campaign activities for Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
This means over the weekend Mr Morrison and Mr Albanese will likely be limiting radio and television advertising along with public appearances – so we won’t be hearing too much from either parties over the next couple of days.
The truce is the same as the one agreed to during the 2019 election trail between Mr Morrison and Bill Shorten. It is also expected to include Anzac Day on April 25 as well.
On Easter Sunday in 2019, the Prime Minister attended his church, the Pentecostal Horizon Church, in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire, while Labor Leader Bill Shorten attended an Easter service at a church in Brisbane.
The truce follows a wild first week on the election campaign for both Mr Morrison and Mr Albanese, with press conference gaffes, protesters and a shocking car crash.
Morrison Government commits $2 million to Good Friday Appeal
Scott Morrison swung by the Royal Children’s Hospital’s Good Friday Appeal in Melbourne today, meeting with workers who were manning the phones.
The government has committed $2 million to the appeal, which helps support Victorian children as they face the toughest of health battles.
“Our youngest Australians deserve all the support and care we can give them when they’re in need,” the Prime Minister said.
“This $2 million pledge is a first from the federal government, because we want to support the generous and significant commitment from the community, and help encourage even more people to get involved.
“This isn’t just about backing the doctors, nurses and carers who make such a difference. It’s about supporting the services that help these patients’ families too.”
Since 1931, the appeal has raised nearly $400 million dollars.
PM’s security detail rushed to hospital after car accident
On Thursday afternoon, Scott Morrison’s security detail was involved in a two-vehicle accident near Elizabeth Town, Tasmania, with four police officers taken to hospital.
The security car came off the road and rolled several times.
Mr Morrison was not involved in the accident.
“Earlier this afternoon two of my protective detail, along with two Tasmanian police officers were involved in a terrible car accident, while they were supporting my visit to Northern Tasmania,” the Prime Minister said in a statement yesterday.
“I am relieved they have all been safely transferred to hospital where they are receiving care.
“Our police do an amazing job in keeping us all safe. I am incredibly grateful to all the police who look after me and my family.
“We have all got to know each other over the years. They are selfless, professional and incredibly generous. I hope to hear further good news about their condition.
“Jen and I also send our thanks, love and best wishes to them and their families.”
Tasmania Police are investigating the crash, with initial inquiries indicating a Mitsubishi Triton collided with the rear of the unmarked police vehicle while attempting to merge.
“Four police officers (a man and a woman from AFP, and two men from Tasmania Police) received non-life-threatening injuries, after their vehicle rolled down an embankment,” Tasmania Police said in a statement.
Albo’s rocky first week after presser gaffe
Anthony Albanese has had a tough first week on the election trail, after his first press conference went south when he was unable to recall key unemployment and cash rate figures.
The Labor Leader initially dodged a question about the official cash rate, saying he did not want to play a game of “20 questions” before moving to the next reporter.
He refused to answer the same crucial question three times, and avoided questions about both Tasmania’s and the national unemployment rate before having to concede he didn’t have the answers.
That afternoon Mr Albanese admitted that he had “made a mistake” and in the following days repeatedly stated he had “fessed up” to his error and was only human.
Mr Albanese then had to face another controversy on Wednesday, when he enraged journalists by walking out of a press conference after just eight minutes.
Only a handful of reporters were able to grill Mr Albanese, despite his previous insistence that he was “not Scott Morrison” and that he would answer every question thrown his way.
Mr Albanese’s staff were confronted by angry reporters, who claimed he had broken a commitment to answer all inquiries.
His departure came amid questioning over the policy’s costings and Labor’s dumping of a review of the Jobseeker rate.
“You still haven’t answered those Jobseeker questions,” one reporter yelled out to a retreating Mr Albanese.
“So you’re not taking those questions now Mr Albanese?” another asked.
However, on day four of the campaign, Mr Albanese seemed to be determined to regain control of his campaign, appearing more relaxed, poised and refocused during his press conference in NSW’s Hunter Region.
ScoMo grilled over ‘broken’ integrity commission promise
Scott Morrison was faced with tough questions on day four of the election campaign, after much of the week had been focused on his opponents cash rate stuff-up.
During his press conference on Thursday, the Prime Minister was grilled on his failed promise to establish a Commonwealth Integrity Commission, with reporters questioning how he can expect Australians to trust him.
“If you cannot deliver on what you promised, how can Australians trust what you say now?” he was asked.
Mr Morrison instead chose to list the things his government has achieved during his time as PM but was quickly directed back to the original question.
“You are asking Australians to trust you and you haven’t delivered on a promise about trust, about integrity,” a reporter asked, before the PM cut in saying he “disagreed”.
“It is a broken promise, isn’t it?” the reporter said.
“No, it is not,” Mr Morrison responded.
The reporter replied: “You promised you would establish one in the last term and you haven’t, that is a broken promise.”
Mr Morrison then blamed the situation on Labor, saying his government’s “detailed legislation” has not been supported by the Opposition.
The press pack clearly weren’t satisfied with the PM’s answered, with the continued grilled leading Mr Morrison to fire back at reporters for not letting him finish speaking.
A reporter asked him if establishing an integrity commission would be a priority for his government if he won the election and asked how voters can trust the PM on the commitments he is making this time around.
Morrison: “What was the first part of the question?”
Reporter: “Are you committing to an integrity commission -”
Morrison: “You asked me about priorities and I will talk about what my priorities are: Jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs and jobs.”
Reporter: “Is that a no to the integrity commission?”
Morrison: “That is what my priorities are. I haven’t finished my answer. I uttered five words and that was ‘jobs’.”
The PM then added that national security was also a priority and the integrity commission was also an important matter.
“Our proposal is there, it is clear, it is detailed. It has been well thought through and it is there to be supported,” Mr Morrison said.
Crack in Dutton’s controversial flag call
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End-of-year poll paints grim picture for Albo
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Chalmers skirts key budget deficit question
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.