Federal Election 2019: Campaign Day 18: Coalition to cap refugees, ALP in childcare pledge
Labor unable to explain how it will deliver $11k taxpayer-funded pay increases, as Howard calls its tax plan “economic madness”.
Hello and welcome to PoliticsNow, The Australian’s live coverage of Day 18 on the federal election campaign trail. Scott Morrison is in Sydney, where he has announced a cap on refugees, while Bill Shorten has used a Melbourne rally to promise $6.4bn in subsidised childcare and dental treatment.
4.55pm: Libs’ Palmer deal ‘least worst of a bad bunch’
A senior Liberal has defended the party’s preference deal with controversial billionaire Clive Palmer’s party, as Labor kept up the pressure on the government saying it’s “a question of values and morals”.
Labor Leader Bill Shorten insists there is no way his party could have done a preferences deal with the maverick businessman who is still to pay millions of dollars owed to workers at one of the liquidated Queensland Nickel mines.
Trade Minister and Liberal campaign spokesman Simon Birmingham said preference deals were part of the political process because of the preferential voting system.
“Yes, sometimes it feels like you are allocating to the least worst out of the whole bad bunch of alternatives,” he told reportersin Adelaide on Sunday. “We do not endorse the policies of any other political party. We urge people to support the Liberal and National parties first and foremost.”
AAP
3.45pm: Coalition warns of $387b in Labor taxes
The Coalition government has urged voters to look at the “facts” ofLabor’s tax figures amid claims they are running the dirtiest campaign in 20 years. Coalition campaign spokesman Simon Birminghamsaid Australians face “$387 billion in higher taxes” under a Labor government.
It follows an explosive claim from Opposition Deputy Leader Tanya Plibersek on Sunday morning that Scott Morrison is runninga campaign “full of lies about Labor’s policies”.
She also said it’s the “dirtiest and most negative” campaign she has seen in 20 years.
Mr Birmingham told reporters the Labor Party is attempting to “create smear or distractions on the side”.
“The simple choice for Australians at this election is do they want to pay $387 billion in higher taxes?” “These are factsclearly in Labor party policy, even if Bill Shorten evades actually talking about [them]”.
Labor on Sunday unveiled a plan to deliver free dental care to three million pensioners and seniors, while also promisinga $4 billion childcare package. Mr Shorten says 887,000 families will see childcare fees lowered by up to $2,100 per child.
Mr Birmingham, however, warned these promises come with higher taxes. “With the Labor party there are so often promises tospend, spend, spend, but the consequence is Australians pay higher tax,” he said.
“It’s a tax, tax, tax equation from Labor.”
AAP
Greg Brown 2.15pm: Labor can’t explain 20 per cent payrises
Labor does not know how its taxpayer-funded 20 per cent pay increase to childcare workers will be delivered.
Opposition early childhood education spokeswoman Amanda Rishworth said a future Shorten government would consult with the sector on the best way workers can receive an average pay increase of $11,300.
“We will work with the sector and with the educators to work on a mechanism to deliver it. We have said the quantum of 20 per cent over eight years and we will work with the detail and the staging with the sector after that,” Ms Rishworth said.
“We want to have a consultative process about how we do it. We are not going to come on high about how we are going to do it. We want to work with the sector to deliver it over eight years.”
“We have said the commonwealth would fully fund this pay increase.”
When asked if childcare workers could receive a cash top up from the government, Ms Rishworth said: “I’m not going to go through hypotheticals. As I said, the people that we want to work with is the centres, the peak bodies, the educators and their representatives on how best we can deliver this.”
Opposition employment spokesman Brendan O’Connor said it was critical workers in the low-paid sector receive a pay rise.
“We will negotiate with the sector. All stakeholders will be involved in making sure we implement this,” Mr O’Connor said.
“But it is critical that if we are going to take preschool eduction seriously in this country, if we are going to attract and retain dedicated staff, then we need to remunerate them properly.”
.@billshortenmp on Labor's $4 billion childcare plan: if we see child care centres unfairly raising prices we will use the power of the Parliament to freeze fee increases and enact price control
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) April 28, 2019
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Primrose Riordan 2.10pm: Shorten’s plans ‘economic madness’
Former Prime Minister John Howard has hit out at Bill Shorten, arguing his tax raises are “economic madness” and accusing him of fostering “envy and division”.
Mr Howard and newly re-elected NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian introduced Scott Morrison at a campaign rally focused on Western Sydney in the multicultural marginal seat of Reid, which was used to talk up the Coalition’s immigration and population policies.
Mr Howard said Labor had created a “new dictionary” which classified more Australians as the “big end of town” which was fostering class warfare.
“Anyone who is in the gun sights of Bill Shorten’s tax rises are the big end of town,’ he said.
Mr Howard said Labor changes to negative gearing – which stop people using the tax loophole in the future on new homes - did not make sense when the housing market is softening.
“The only real asset you have is your family home,” he said.
Mr Morrison stood on the stage like a mid-west American preacher, and spoke about his family to a crowd of Liberal supporters.
“I love her but the whole country is falling in love with her,” he said of his wife Jenny.
Launching the policy which looks to cap permanent migration and limit the humanitarian intake in Western Sydney is interesting considering its large migrant population.
“If you believe in immigration being a key part of Australia’s future, which I do, and my party does, then you have to make sure you have an immigration program which is sustainable, which has integrity, which focuses on people being able to come and get jobs and become part of the community,” Mr Morrison said.
“That is the overwhelming story of the Australian immigration experience. Run it’s too hot, you put that all that risk.”
Mr Howard has previously said he regretted some of his remarks on immigration. Mr Howard famously suggested in 1988 that Asian migration should be reduced.
.@ScottMorrisonMP on the election campaign: There is a lot at stake.Our future depends on building our economy to help build your future
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) April 28, 2019
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John Ferguson 2.07pm: Banks poised to preference Labor
Liberal turncoat Julia Banks is poised to preference Labor ahead of the Liberal Party in the Victorian seat of Flinders, adding more pressure on frontbencher Greg Hunt.
Ms Banks has not responded to The Australian but it has been expected she would preference Labor ahead of the Coalition in an attempt to blow up Mr Hunt.
Liberals in the Mornington Peninsula have been alarmed by the strong presence of GetUp in the district and Labor’s enthusiasm for the seat.
Ms Banks’s position will be formally made clear on Monday but it has been mooted privately for several days.
The move would lead to an even bigger backlash against Ms Banks from the Liberal Party after she quit the seat of Chisholm to contest Flinders, held by Mr Hunt with a margin of 7 per cent.
The Weekend Australian reported that Mr Hunt was under increasing pressure in Flinders.
A senior Liberal said today the party expected him to hold the seat.
ends
Alice Workman 1.40pm: Minister takes aim at Julia Banks
Trade Minister Simon Birmingham has taken aim at his former Liberal colleague turned independent candidate Julia Banks over reports she plans to preference Labor ahead of the Coalition.
“You really have to wonder about the various positions of Julia Banks, who was until not that long ago urging people to vote Liberal and is now suggesting she will preference Labor,” Mr Birmingham said. “That is up to her to explain and to justify, but I think it shows a gross inconsistency on her behalf.”
Labor sources say Ms Banks will preference Labor candidate Joshua Sinclar on her how-to-vote cards ahead of Liberal Health Minister Greg Hunt, who holds the seat on a margin of 7 per cent.
When asked what this says about Mr Hunt, Mr Birmingham replied: “I think it says far more about Julia Banks and the fact that she walked away from her principle, walked away from what she believed in and walked away from the electorate she was running for at the last election.”
Ms Banks defected to the crossbench last year after Malcolm Turnbull was removed as prime minister, saying she was bullied and there was a culture of intimidation and gender bias. She refused to name the Coalition MPs she said were bullying her.
Mr Birmingham refused to answer questions about the Liberals plan to preference Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party.
1.15pm: Anti-Adani protester rushes stage
An anti- Adani coal mine protestor has been dragged away after climbing on stage and trying to disrupt Opposition Leader Bill Shorten’s speech during a campaign rally in Melbourne.
The woman, holding a ‘Don’t Frack Our Future’ sign, was quickly removed.
Greg Brown 12.13pm: Labor pledges free dental care, wage increase
Bill Shorten has unveiled plans to give free dental care to pensioners and increase the wages of childcare workers by more than $11,000 at a policy heavy speech at a campaign rally in Melbourne.
The Opposition Leader also declared he was prepared to legislate price controls on the childcare sector if providers increased fees because of Labor’s $4 billion subsidy increase.
Mr Shorten said Labor would spend $2.4 billion on a “pensioner dental plan” giving more than three million older Australians access to $1000 worth of services each year.
It will be available to anyone on an aged pension or who has access to a commonwealth seniors card.
“One-in-two older Australians has gum disease. The experts tell us that this, and decay, and missing or broken teeth, carry conditions consequences for your general health too,” Mr Shorten said at a rally of 500 volunteers at the Box Hill Town Hall.
“All of us know these things undermine your quality of life, your self-confidence, your basic dignity. For pensioners and seniors, that’s true also for problems with your denture work as well.
“If you cannot get your teeth fixed, you are deprived of the simple joys; it stops you going out for a nice meal. It can make you self-conscious even among family and close friends.
“You will not have to delay treatment because you can’t afford the care. It will be covered by your Medicare card.”
Mr Shorten also announced Labor would bolster the wages of childcare workers through a direct government payment.
The policy will cost $537 million over four years.
“Labor will deliver a professional pay rise for early educators of Australia,” Mr Shorten said.
“Over next 8 years we will increase the average wage if our under paid early educators by $11,300 on top of the award rate. A 20 per cent pay rise.
“This is an investment in pay equity for a female dominate industry.”
Earlier today, Labor Bill Shorten announced a $4bn childcare package, making childcare free for more than 300,000 families and cheaper for nearly a million.
.@billshortenmp on Labor's $4 billion childcare plan: It's time we rewarded mums for participating in the economy, instead of penalising families.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) April 28, 2019
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Greg Brown 11.55am: Wong’s doorknock plea
Labor has sent out text messages to its members asking them to knock on 30 doors and tell people why they want Bill Shorten to become prime minister.
Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong told about 500 volunteers in Melbourne’s Box Hill they were the heart of Labor’s campaign.
“What we are asking you to do is knock on 30 doors in your neighbourhood or to make 30 calls,” Senator Wong said at a rally in Melbourne’s Box Hill this morning.
“Make a commitment to volunteer this week and the next three weeks.
“We don’t want another three years of the same.
“In three weeks we have got the chance to make this country a better and fairer place.”
11.45am: Labor plays down Clive Palmer approach
Labor Leader Bill Shorten insists there is no way his party could have done a preferences deal with maverick Clive Palmer without him signing off on it, something he would never entertain while the billionaire owes money to his former workers.
The Liberal Party has defended a preference deal it has struck with Mr Palmer ahead of the May 18 election but it has also come to light that Labor made informal approaches to the mining magnate and his United Australia Party.
“Let’s be really clear here. There is no way that you can do a preference deal without me signing off on it,” Mr Shorten told the Nine Network on Sunday.
He said there was one question that has not been satisfactorily answered by Prime Minister Scott Morrison when giving preferences to Mr Palmer and his Nationals Coalition partner giving their preferences to One Nation.
“What have they promised Pauline Hanson and Clive Palmer?” Mr Shorten asked.
Deputy Labor Leader Tanya Plibersek played down Labor’s approach to Mr Palmer.
“Look, I don’t think a couple of SMSs is what you’d call a formal negotiation,” she told ABC television.
“Bill’s made it very clear that we would never have had a formal arrangement with Clive Palmer while he owes his workers $70 million.”
She noted Mr Palmer told his own candidates he would probably spend $70 million promoting himself on the side ofevery bus and billboard around Australia. Taxpayers were forced to stump up $70 million owed to Queensland Nickel workers, a company owned by Mr Palmer that went into liquidation.
Government minister Alan Tudge said if Mr Palmer does owe people money he should pay them.
“That’s his business,” he told Sky News.
AAP
Greg Brown 11.15am: Faithful wait for Shorten
Hundreds of Labor faithful have packed into a town hall in Melbourne’s Box Hill, awaiting the arrival of Bill Shorten.
The Opposition Leader will speak at the event full of Labor volunteers as he uses a $4 billion childcare package to reset from a shaky start to the campaign.
The rally is in the marginal electorate of Chisholm and will feature Labor’s candidate for the seat, Jennifer Yang.
Labor believes it is on track to pick up Chisholm, which was held by Liberal turncoat Julia Banks.
Me Shorten will fly to Perth tonight and prepare the first leaders debate, to be held tomorrow evening.
Alice Workman 9.40pm: Coalition support jumps
Another day, another round of polling.
The latest YouGov Galaxy poll taken for News Corp shows the Coalition’s primary vote has jumped two points to 37 per cent since March.
Labor’s primary vote remains steady at 37 per cent and the Greens dropped one point to 9. One Nation has plunged from 8 per cent to 4. The United Australia Party also remains at 4.
The Coalition’s also seen a one point bounce in the two-party preferred vote, 48 per cent to Labor’s 52.
The poll also shows voters aren’t impressed by either leader.
Sixty per cent of voters were “not impressed” with Bill Shorten, with just 31 per cent impressed.
Scott Morrison didn’t impress 54 per cent of voters with his campaigning over the first two weeks, while 38 per cent thought he had done well.
Clive Palmer had the highest disapproval rating with 69 per cent of voters not impressed with the United Australia Party leader.
The YouGov Galaxy poll found the cost of living (58 per cent) was the biggest issue that could swing how people voted, followed by health spending (38 per cent), tax (35 per cent) and trust (31 per cent).
Alice Workman 9.30am: Shorten mum on policy funding
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has refused to say how much money a Labor government plans to raise in taxes to fund its policies.
“We will release the figures before the election is concluded but we also make clear we think we need to wind back what we give to negative gearing,” Mr Shorten told Nine.
“Suffice to say we have done the maths and we can pay for the promises we are making. Once we have revealed all of the promises, then we will reveal the costing to back it up.”
Mr Shorten did confirm that Australians earning more than $180,000 a year will pay more tax under a Labor government.
“For the 3 per cent of tax earners, we need a budget repair levy until 2022, 2023, you are right there. But the point is if we are going to have a proper tax system in the country, we have to start looking after income earners instead of taxing capital lightly.”
When asked about whether Labor tried to secure a preference deal with Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party, Mr Shorten said there may have been conversations but he did not sign off on a deal.
“No we are not doing that and let’s be really clear here - there is no way that you can do a preference deal without me signing off on it,” he said.”
“Labor would not do a deal with a person who still owes the tax payer nearly $70 million [and] owers workers an additional $7 million dollars. That’s a deal breaker for us.”
Alice Workman 8.45am: Minister coy on Palmer payback
Cities Minister Alan Tudge has refused to say whether United Australia Party leader Clive Palmer should be forced to repay $70 million in taxpayer funds paid to sacked Townsville Queensland Nickel workers.
In an exchange with Sky News host David Speers, Mr Tudge said that Mr Palmer should pay any outstanding wages to his former staff.
But Mr Tudge was coy about the controversial billionaire, refusing to criticise him.
The Coalition is expected to announce a preference deal with the United Australia Party later today.
Here’s the exchange:
SPEERS: Clive Palmer, do you think he should repay his workers entitlements?
TUDGE: If he owes money to people he should pay it but, that’s, that’s his business … well if he does he should pay it.
SPEERS: Are you doubting whether he does?
TUDGE: I don’t know the full facts in relation to that David. What I know is that, and this will no doubt come to the preference issue here, is that we want people to vote for the Liberal party or the National party as their number one priority, that’s what we want people to do. If you want to see Scott Morrison, not Bill Shorten, you have to vote for the Liberal party or the National party.
SPEERS: I’m sure you do, but you have strong views on other parties - what about Clive Palmer. Should he also repay taxpayers the nearly $70 million we all forked out to pay those workers entitlements?
TUDGE: David, we do have strong views on other parties, um, our party is the only party that will properly manage the economy, keep Australia safe, it is the only party that will reduce people’s taxes, it’s the only party that will continue to have record funding in all those key services, and boost the defence forces and the like. That’s why we are saying vote for the Liberal or the National party with your first preference.
SPEERS: And you’ll give Clive Palmer a free pass then for the rest of the campaign?
TUDGE: Um, we want people to vote for the Liberal or the National party, and the contest David
SPEERS: Ok
TUDGE: The contest is really between who you want to be in government. That’s where the contest is.
SPEERS: Or who you want to be in the Senate too.
TUDGE: There’s only two choices here in terms of who will form government. It’s either Liberal party with Scott Morrison, the Liberal National party with Scott Morrison as prime minister or it’s Bill Shorten as prime minister.
SPEERS: Or who you want in the Senate too. There is a Senate election.
TUDGE: And in the Senate please vote for the Liberal or the National parties as well.
Primrose Riordan 8.30am: PM reveals surprise fitness regime
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said he swims about a kilometre almost every day in an interview on ABC’s Australia All Over program this morning.
He also made a subtle dig at Opposition Leader Bill Shorten - known for his enthusiastic take up of jogging - by saying that politicians should exercise out of the public eye.
Mr Morrison said he had been swimming while on the campaign and said it was a good way to meet people and said he often swam while his daughters were doing swimming squad training.
The comments are surprising as apart from two Instagram posts Mr Morrison has not previously advertised this fitness regime.
Mr Morrison also said he was worried by surveys which said a significant number of school children believed farming damaged the environment.
Mr Morrison said farmers were the best environmentalists as he talked up the Coalition’s proposal to increase the number of school excursions to farms and the number of “mini farms” in city schools.
Primrose Riordan 6.20am: Coalition vows refugee cap
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has pledged to cap the refugee program to 18,750 people a year for the next term of government if the Coalition is elected in May.
The move is yet another attempt by the Coalition to differentiate itself from Labor over immigration, after announcing a permanent migration level cap of 160,000.
Mr Morrison will use today’s announcement to attack Labor’s migration policies including their plan to lift Australia’s annual humanitarian intake of refugees to 27,000 by 2025-26 and increase the number of privately sponsored refugees to 5000 by the same year.
“Labor’s immigration bill is going to go through the roof,” he said according to a statement provided to The Australian.
Mr Morrison will attend a rally in Sydney, alongside former Prime Minister John Howard and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, to make the announcement.
“We’re capping and freezing our immigration growth so our government’s record $100 billion congestion busting program for roads and rail can catch up and take the pressure off our cities,” he said.
“We’re reducing the cap on our migration intake and capping the numbers of people we let in under our humanitarian program that’s one of the most generous in the world.”
Australia for a long time has had a non-discriminatory refugee program, but Mr Morrison said the Coalition wants to make changes to its make up to eventually have 60 per cent of incoming refugees as women and to have 40 per cent settled in regional Australia.
Business groups have fiercely opposed the Coalition’s immigration policies, arguing it will hit the economy.
Further, the number of temporary migrants to Australia has boomed amid a government crackdown on the permanent intake.
With the increase in student visas, the net overseas migration figure — which estimates the number of people coming in and out of Australia and staying for more than 12 months — has expanded.
The last budget relied on an assumption of 234,600 temporary and permanent migrants in Australia in 2018, and 231,400 in 2019.
This budget revealed the overall “net overseas migration” figure blew out to 259,600 people in 2018, with an expected 271,700 people coming to Australia this year.
Mr Morrison will also talk up $167.5 million worth of infrastructure projects today, the vast majority of that funding will be spent on commuter carparks as outlined in the April budget.
The carparks would be in the marginal seat of Lindsay, the seat of Hume and Immigration Minister David Coleman’s seat of Banks.
In Emma Husar’s former seat of Lindsay the Coalition would spend $63.5 million to upgrade Dunheved Road in Penrith.
Today’s rally will take place at Homebush in the marginal seat of Reid. The Liberal Party is running child psychologist Fiona Martin while the Labor candidate is Sam Crosby.
Mr Howard, who has been very active in the campaign, was in Penrith on Friday to support Liberal candidate Melissa McIntosh.
Greg Brown 6.15am: Labor’s $4bn for free childcare
Bill Shorten is set to put childcare at the centre of his agenda as he unveils a $4 billion package, giving more than 300,000 families free childcare.
The Opposition Leader will promote his plan in Melbourne today to increase subsidies for 887,000 families, reducing the average childcare bill by more than $2,100.
Labor says every family earning a combined income of up to $174,000 will be better off under its policy.
“Labor can pay for cheaper child care for working families because unlike Scott Morrison and the Liberals, we aren’t giving bigger handouts to the top end of town,” Mr Shorten said in a statement.
Couples earning up to $69,527 will receive free childcare, giving 372,000 families an average saving of $1400.
Couples earning between $69,528 and $100,000 will receive tapered subsides of between 100 per cent and 85 per cent.
This subsidy will taper to 60 per cent for families earning up to $174,527.
Under the Coalition’s policy, couples earning between $69,528 and $174,527 receive a tapered subsidy of between 85 per cent and 50 per cent.
Labor will also ask the competition watchdog to investigate excessive fee increases and unscrupulous providers.
The findings will be made publicly available.
6.25am: Dutton’s wife reveals threats
The wife of Liberal frontbencher Peter Dutton has spoken out in his defence as she revealed her family has received death threats.
Kirilly Dutton said the home affairs minister is “a really good father” and not a monster, and that emails with photoshopped pictures of Mr Dutton being killed or hurt have been sent to childcare centres she owns, among other material.
“Anybody whoknows him well gets quite riled up about the things people say about him, because they say, ‘that’s not him’,” Mrs Dutton told The Sunday Mail. “You’ve got to bear in mind he’s the Minister for Home Affairs. It’s not a light and bubbly subject.”
The 48-year-old former detective Mr Dutton has personal protection and federal police guard the family property around theclock because of threats from organised criminals, bikies and activists, it was revealed.
Mrs Dutton said the email attacks on her family were “demented and perverted”. “They are personal attacks, death threats,threats of injury, threatening our children by name. It makes me angry and really upsets me,” she said.
Mr Dutton is fightingto hold onto the seat of Dickson on Brisbane’s northern outskirts, which he has held for 18 years, as the May 18 federal election looms.
AAP
6.20am: Nats pump up water project
The Nationals leader is heading north to pump $10 million into a north Queensland dam.
Michael McCormack’s “wombat trail” will travel to Cairns on Sunday to announce money to make the Lakeland Irrigation Area Project shovel ready.
“The Liberals and Nationals government want to build dams. We know that unlocking the potential of ourregional communities goes hand-in-hand with water security,” he said.
The Nationals are facing a tough fight across regional Australia to retain seats.
In Queensland the party’s six MPs will put One Nation ahead of Labor and the Greens on how-to-vote cards.
AAP
Yesterday’s blog, Day 17, is here.
Top British officials touch down to touch base on AUKUS
AUKUS will be the focus of talks between UK and Australian ministers including British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Defence Secretary John Healey, in Sydney on Friday.
ACTU to knock some consensus into bosses despite unity pledge
The ACTU has launched an extraordinary attack on bosses and blamed ‘poor management’ for sluggish productivity, as employers unite ahead of the economic reform roundtable.