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Federal election 2019: Campaign Day 27: Wages key as interest rates on hold

A pick-up in wages growth kept interest rates on hold ahead of the election.

Primrose Riordan and Ewin Hannan
A 25 year old protester egged Scott Morrison at a CWA event.
A 25 year old protester egged Scott Morrison at a CWA event.
25 min read
3:55PMMay 07, 2019.
Updated 9:35AMMay 10, 2019

Hello and welcome to PoliticsNow, The Australian’s live coverage of Day 27 of the federal election campaign. The Prime Minister expected in Albury-Wodonga, near the seats of Farrer and Indi. Sussan Ley’s very safe seat of Farrer — which the Liberals hold on a 20.5 per cent margin — is under threat from a challenge from an Independent, Albury mayor Kevin Mack.

A pick-up in wages growth kept interest rates on hold ahead of the election, and the RBA predicts there may be more.

A female protester has tried to egg Scott Morrison at a CWA event — but missed.

Labor elder Stephen Conroy has said the Coalition will need to lower their losses to two seats in Victoria to be re-elected.

Rachel Baxendale 7.03pm Labor’s “blueshirts” accusation

Labor has accused a current and a former state Liberal MP of a “redshirts”-style rort, but the Liberals say they have no case to answer.

Graham Watt, who lost his state seat of Burwood in November, is listed on the Victorian parliamentary directory as an electorate officer for the Member for Hastings, Neale Burgess.

Mr Watt has been handing out how-to-vote cards at an early voting centre in the eastern suburban marginal seat of Chisholm since pre-poll opened more than a week ago.

A new early voting centre opens today. If you are unable to vote on Election Day, Saturday 18 May, you can vote at Holy...

Posted by Gladys Liu - Liberal for Chisholm on Sunday, 5 May 2019

Asked whether Mr Watt had taken leave from what would be a taxpayer-funded job in order to campaign, Mr Burgess said Mr Watt had been registered to work in his office after losing his seat last year, but had never taken up the position.

“He hasn’t worked a day for me. He hasn’t been paid a cent,” Mr Burgess told The Australian.

Victoria Police in February decided against laying criminal charges against 16 current Andrews Labor government MPs involved in the $388,000 “redshirts” rorts-for-votes scandal.

Their fraud squad investigation was launched last year after Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass found 21 Labor MPs, including six ministers, had misused taxpayer dollars to partially fund “redshirt” campaign staff during the 2014 election.

Rosie Lewis 4.10pm: Egg woman charged

The 24-year-old woman who allegedly attempted to egg Scott Morrison has been charged with common assault and possession of cannabis.

She was granted strict conditional bail and is due to appear at Albury Local Court on May 27.

“A woman has been charged after allegedly striking the Prime Minister with an egg at an event in Albury earlier today,” NSW Police said.

“The Prime Minister was attending an event at Albury Entertainment Centre, when a woman approached him from behind and allegedly struck him with an egg to the back of his head about 11am. The Prime Minister’s security team quickly detained the woman, and in the act of restraining her, a 70-year-old woman was knocked to the ground. No injuries were reported.

“The 24-year-old woman was arrested and taken to the Albury police station. During a search of the woman, police located cannabis.”

Primrose Riordan 4pm: Price defends record on emissions, extinction

The Australian government did not send representatives to a UN Biodiversity Conference held in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh last year due to security concerns.

The Australian government has been criticised for not participating in negotiations over the UN Convention on Biological Diversity after an intergovernmental panel of scientists linked to the convention released a report overnight which found one million of the world’s species are now under threat of extinction.

The report, which references 15,000 scientific and government sources, warns that the destruction of biodiversity and ecosystem services has reached levels that threaten human wellbeing.

A government source said since the Department of Foreign Affairs advised travellers to “reconsider” their need to travel to Egypt, the government decided not send a delegation from Australia to attend the meeting.

The environment department’s counsellor based in Paris, attended the session where the bombshell UN biodiversity report was released, however.

Ms Nicole Thomas, the Department of Environment and Energy’s Energy and Environment Counsellor based in Paris, has attended the meeting held at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.

Environment Minister Melissa Price, who has been otherwise absent from the campaign trail, defended the government record on preventing extinctions on Tuesday in light of the report.

“The Coalition is committed to meeting its international emissions targets and to investing in the protection of our native species and their habitats,” she said in a statement.

“The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services report highlights the importance of Coalition strategies such as the $2 billion Climate Solutions Fund which invests in sustainable farming practices, the reforestation of degraded land, salinity reduction, and promotes biodiversity by increasing habitat areas, and the $1 billion National Landcare Program, which includes a range of measures to protect Australia’s biodiversity and to support sustainable natural resource management.”

The Morrison government formally acknowledged the extinction of a tiny island rodent, the Bramble Cay melomy, in February and Mr Morrison admitted Australia’s emissions have been rising on Monday night.

Labor environment spokesman Tony Burke said the party is “alarmed” by the report.

“It is now clear Australia remains the extinction capital of the world,” he said.

“Scott Morrison has virtually vacated the international arena when it comes to environmental initiatives and programs.”

Ewin Hannan 3.50pm: Reserve Bank predicts further wages lift

Reserve Bank Governor Philip Lowe has predicted a further gradual lift in wages after finding strong employment growth over the past year has led to some pick up in wages growth.

In a statement today announcing a hold on interest rates, Mr Lowe said while there had been a significant increase in employment, there had been “little further progress in reducing unemployment over the past six months”.

He said the unemployment rate was expected to remain at about five per cent over the next year before declining to 4.75 per cent in 2021.

“The strong employment growth over the past year or so has led to some pick-up in wages growth, which is a welcome development,’’ he said.

“Some further lift in wages growth is expected, although this is likely to be a gradual process.”

Primrose Riordan 3.10pm: PM backs Sussan Ley

Scott Morrison has denied Farrer MP Sussan Ley is in trouble in her seat despite facing a serious challenge in her electorate from independent Kevin Mack and community anger over water issues.

“No, Sussan Ley has been a highly effective and well-known and hardworking local member of parliament,” he said.

Mr Morrison emphasised that Ms Ley was “outspoken” and had the “ear of the Prime Minister”.

“She knows how to raise issues,” he said.

Primrose Riordan 3.05pm: Reserve Bank ‘always pleased to see jobs growth’: PM

Scott Morrison has been asked if he is relieved after the Reserve Bank kept interest rates on hold.

“I completely respect the Reserve Bank governor and their decision,” he said.

“When I was Treasurer, I would meet with the senior bank officials every month and get regular briefings so I have a good insight into their thinking and what they’re looking at.”

“They are always pleased to see jobs growth and infrastructure investment and a fiscal policy that is responsible and keeps the budget in surplus and doesn’t create unnecessary risks for the economy.”

Primrose Riordan 2.55pm: Learn to disagree better: PM

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has linked the attempted egging today with the vegan protesters who have trespassed on farms and “militant” behaviour by unions.

“We have to learn to disagree better and there has been an ugly side to some of those protests,” he said.

“But the point is we have got farmers today who have to put up with really ugly protests by those who want to come and invade their homes and they are dealing with that all the time.”

“We have got small business owners and employees in this country who are dealt with those who want to stand over them for militant unions and that’s why we want to keep the Australian construction commission.”

“We don’t put up with intimidation in whatever form it takes and whether it is the silly acts from someone who should know better that we saw today or a campaign against hardworking Australians doing the right thing every day.”

Meanwhile, the Country Women’s Association’s NSW President has said she was “disappointed” by the egging protest this morning.

“We want to make clear it was not a CWA member,” Annette Turner, State President of the Country Women’s Association of NSW, said.

“We do not condone this form of protest and are unhappy this individual used our conference as a platform to air their grievances. The member who was knocked over during the incident is shaken, but she is okay”.

“Delegates were pleased to welcome Mr Morrison and his wife, Jenny, to the event, as we welcome senior political leaders who wish to address the issues of greatest interest and concern to the communities our members represent.”

Primrose Riordan 1.50pm: Wong calls out WeChat ‘news’

Labor foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong has called on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to rule of Liberal Party involvement in fake news about Labor circulating on Chinese language social media platform WeChat.

Some users who have previously identified as Liberal Party supporters have reportedly been spreading fake social media posts about Labor’s policy on migration.

“There are deeply concerning reports about fake news, malicious content being spread on WeChat,” Senator Wong said.

“It is incumbent upon Scott Morrison to rule out any Liberal Party involvement in the malicious false content that is circulating on WeChat.

“We had foreign interference laws which passed our parliament not that long ago. And we did that because we want to ensure there is no interference in Australia’s election, that our democracy remains sovereign.”

“Well, the Prime Minister needs to make sure that his party does the right thing.”

Primrose Riordan 1.37pm: Shorten determined to pass policies

Bill Shorten has said he is determined to get his policies through parliament if elected despite The Australian revealing today how hostile the Senate could be toward his signature tax changes fuelling his social spending programs.

“I’m not so quick as you might (be) to dismiss the concept of mandates,” Mr Shorten said.

“I think even our harshest critics would say we are putting our policies out there first.”

“So I do believe we will have a mandate and I’m a very determined person.”

Mr Shorten urged voters not to pick minor parties at the ballot box.

“What I would say first of all to Australians is let’s not have three more years of minorities parties controlling the Senate.”

“I say to Australians if you are sick of the last six years … if you are sick of the chaos, if you’re not excited by the idea that you voted for Tony Abbott and got Malcolm Turnbull, you voted for Malcolm Turnbull and you got Scott Morrison and you vote for Scott Morrison and you get Clive Palmer and Pauline Hanson calling the shots, beyond that, vote for Labor at the next election.”

Meanwhile, Mr Shorten says he did not mean to insult anyone when he said last night on the ABC’s Q&A that it was a “dumb” question to ask for costings for his party’s proposed baseline and credit scheme to combat climate change.

“I didn’t mean offence to anyone in the matter but let’s be blunt, the idea that you can have a debate about the cost of taking action on climate change without taking into account the cost of inaction on climate change — it’s only looking at half the problem,” Mr Shorten said.

Primrose Riordan 1.19pm: RBA ‘in wicked situation’

Bill Shorten said the Reserve Bank is in a “wicked situation” ahead of the interest rate decision to be announced this afternoon.

“The Reserve Bank of Australia is independent. And they need to make that decision free of any pressure from anyone in politics,” Mr Shorten said.

“I mean, it is a bit of a wicked situation for them, isn’t it? On the one hand, everyone knows the economy is wallowing in mediocrity but on the other hand it is 10 or 11 days before an election so everything will be viewed through that pressure.”

“We are at 0 per cent inflation and Aussies are doing two jobs to make ends meet. This economy is not firing on all cylinders and it is a problem for Australia.”

Primrose Riordan 1.15pm: Shortens’ gift to royal baby

Bill Shorten has said he and his wife Chloe will be sending the new royal baby a children’s book by Indigenous artist and author Bronwyn Bancroft.

“I just should record Chloe and my family’s congratulations to the Sussexes on the arrival of a little baby boy,” he said. “As I have wisely done, I have consulted with Chloe and we’ll send a little present.”

He also denounced the young female protester who attempted to egg the Prime Minister this morning.

“This is appalling and disgraceful behaviour. In Australia we have violence-free elections,” he said.

“People are allowed to protest peacefully but anything approaching violence is unacceptable. If this protester think she will get sympathy or support from me she couldn’t be more wrong.”

1.00pm: Abbott targeted with faeces

The book left on the doorstep of Tony Abbott's Manly office overnight.
The book left on the doorstep of Tony Abbott's Manly office overnight.

NSW Police officers have collected a poo hidden inside a book that was dumped outside Tony Abbott’s Sydney electorate office.

The faeces was placed inside a hollowed out book that had the word “Unpopular” written on the cover. Detectives are investigating after the item was left outside Mr Abbott’s Manly office on Tuesday morning, a police spokesman said. “Police attended and the item has been collected,” he said. The former prime minister’s office has been contacted for comment. Police also appealed for information late last week after posters featuring Mr Abbott appeared in his Warringah electorate with expletives written across his forehead. — AAP

Richard Ferguson 12.45pm: Shorten heads to Corangamite

Bill Shorten is spending the day in the ultramarginal Victorian seat of Corangamite. He has started off at Deakin University’s School of Medicine where he has had a look at some fake medical dummies. The Opposition Leader is pushing a message of “Coalition cuts” on regional hospitals and will also make some local announcements. Mr Shorten will front the cameras soon and he is expected to address the attempted egging of Scott Morrison.

Rachel Baxendale 12.25pm: Parties fight it out in Goldstein

Both major parties are desperately calling for help from supporters in the Melbourne electorate of Goldstein, in a sign both sides see a close contest in the affluent bayside seat, currently held by Liberal backbencher Tim Wilson on what should be a safe margin of 12.7 per cent.

A letter sent to members of Wilson’s fundraising group, the Bayside Forum, contains the subject line: “Breaking: PM Shorten celebrates shock ALP Goldstein win … but you can stop it!”

“Our cause faces a huge hurdle come the federal election,” writes forum executive director Collen Harkin in the letter.

She cites Trades Hall polling released in March which showed Labor ahead 52-48 two-party-preferred in the once blue ribbon seat.

“Their polling has them winning every seat in metropolitan Melbourne. Kooyong, Higgins, Goldstein — all are on a knife’s edge,” Ms Harkin writes.

“At the state election Labor nearly took Brighton with a candidate no one had heard of, with no money and no campaign.

“Trades Hall are now boasting they’re going to order their paid up union thugs onto our streets.

“If you want to stop them, there is no room for complacency.”

The letter urges the Liberal faithful to volunteer for the campaign, donate cash, and attend a candidates’ forum which was held at Brighton Town Hall on May 1.

Labor candidate Daniel Pollock’s campaign has seized on the letter, sending a letter to its own supporters saying the Bayside Forum letter proves what they’ve “been thinking for months”.

“Goldstein is in play and the Liberal Party knows it. Now we have proof,” the letter says, calling for volunteers at pre-poll, on election day and for campaigning at train stations.

Primrose Riordan 12.10pm: Woman in custody

NSW Police media have confirmed the egg did strike the PM and that one woman was in custody following the incident.

“A 25 year old woman is in custody following an incident involving the Prime Minister in Albury,” a police spokesman said.

“Officers from the Murray River police unit placed the woman under arrest after she allegedly threw an egg at the Prime Minister during a Country Woman’s Association event.”

“The egg appears to have struck the Prime Minister on the head.”

“The Prime Minister’s security team quickly restrained the woman … in the act of detaining her another woman was knocked over.”

“No injuries have been reported, inquiries continue.”

Ewin Hannan 12.05pm: McManus slams PM over egg

ACTU secretary Sally McManus hit back at Scott Morrison for linking the attempted egger to union conduct.

How dare you accuse us of this and make the association,’’ she tweeted. “You seem to have no respect for the truth or any concern about running down your fellow Australians, We would never support such behaviour.”

Primrose Riordan 12.00pm: Our egging history

In May 2013 a schoolboy threw a vegemite sandwich at former Labor Prime Minister Julia Gillard at a Queensland school which sparked a copycat attack at a Canberra school later in the month.

Students threw eggs, apples and tomatoes at former Liberal leader John Hewson in 1993 two days before the March election that year and Dr Hewson managed to catch one of the eggs. “Those cricketers have nothing on me!” he said.

In 1981 Malcolm Fraser had an egg thrown at him in the House of representatives, but it missed him by a metre.

Greg Brown 11.50am: PM links egger to union acts

Scott Morrison said he was concerned about the older lady who was knocked off her feet and attempted to link the protester to actions of unions.

“My concern about today’s incident in Albury was for the older lady who was knocked off her feet. I helped her up and gave her a hug. Our farmers have to put up with these same idiots who are invading their farms and their homes,” the Prime Minister tweeted.

“We will stand up to thuggery whether it’s these cowardly activists who have no respect for anyone, or militant unionists standing over small businesses and their employees on work sites.”

Greg Brown 11.35am: Woman knocked off her feet

Scott Morrison helps the woman who was knocked down. Picture: Alex Coppel.
Scott Morrison helps the woman who was knocked down. Picture: Alex Coppel.

Witnesses say a woman was knocked off her feet because of the commotion.

Ambulance workers were called to the scene and checked her blood pressure but she was not injured.

The egg thrower denied pushing over an elderly lady.

“I didn’t knock over an old lady so that is the first lie that is spun out of it,” she said. However she said she didn’t mean to cause the other woman to fall over.

“It was not my intention I am sorry for that,” she said.

The egg was found on the ground uncracked.

The egger is apprehended after throwing her egg. Picture: Alex Coppel.
The egger is apprehended after throwing her egg. Picture: Alex Coppel.
The protester said she thought throwing the egg was a harmless thing to do. Picture: Alex Coppel.
The protester said she thought throwing the egg was a harmless thing to do. Picture: Alex Coppel.

Greg Brown 11.20am: Egger tells of motive

The moment just before Scott Morrison was egged.
The moment just before Scott Morrison was egged.

Scott Morrison has been the victim of an attempted egging by a young woman protesting the Coalition’s offshore detention policies at a Country Women’s Association event in Albury.

The protester was a woman wearing a beanie and she tried to throw an egg at the prime minister but it did not break on his head.

When approached by media, the woman confessed to attempting to egg the Prime Minister.

She was with a friend and had no security accompanying her.

“I don’t want to give a report, no thank you. I’ve got to go to work. No comment,” she said

She denied it was an aggressive act.

“It was the most harmless thing you can do,” she said.

The woman attempted to avoid media by walking into a local police station. She had not been arrested.

When pressed on why she egged the Prime Minister, she said the action “speaks for itself”.

“Have you seen his video to Manus Island?”

Primrose Riordan 11.10am: Protester tries to egg PM

A protester has attempted to egg Scott Morrison at a Country Women’s Association event. The protester, a woman, tried to throw an egg at the Prime Minister but it did not break on his head.

She was approached by the media without any security around her. She had not been arrested.

The protester said that Mr Morrison “deserves it”, blaming Coalition policies on Manus Island for her behaviour before voluntarily walking into the police station, carrying a carton of eggs.

Primrose Riordan 10.50am: Howard backs Abbott in video

Tony Abbott has released an endorsement video featuring former prime minister John Howard as he fight to hold onto his previously safe seat of Warringah on the northern beaches of Sydney. Mr Howard highlights Mr Abbott’s record as health minister as well as his opposition to Labor’s policy to get rid of cash refund for excess franking credit.

“Mr Shorten wants to hit them with new unfair taxes and there’s only one candidate in the Warringah electorate and that’s Tony Abbott who will fight tooth and nail to prevent this huge tax impost on many hardworking Australians,” Mr Howard says in the video.

Primrose Riordan 10.35am: Trump’s ‘tactical brinkmanship’

Trade Minister Simon Birmingham has said US President Donald Trump is engaging in “tactical brinkmanship” by threatening to slap tariffs on China amid fragile trade talks between the two superpowers.

“There’s commonly a degree of perhaps tactical brinkmanship that you see as part of some of these considerations,” he told Sky News.

“We have been pleased that the further elevation in tariffs that have been proposed earlier on have been deferred to enable discussions to occur and we’ve welcomed these discussion, we would encourage them to continue.”

Senator Birmingham said Australia only agreed with some “elements” of US complaints about China on trade.

“We have elements on which we concur with some of the US arguments or concerns they have elaborated on china in terms of the way in which you make sure that intellectual property is protected, the way in which you ensure that technology is protected, and to ensure that trade considerations are done by the common rule book.”

“We urge both United States and China to play by World Trade Organisation rules — they’ve served us well for decades to allow trade to grow around the globe.”

Primrose Riordan 10.20am: Albo: we’ve got consistency

Anthony Albanese has said Bill Shorten’s leadership style will inoculate the party from the leadership crises both parties have experienced.

“Bill will lead a cabinet government, that’s a good thing, we’ve seen on the other side of politics absolute chaos, and division, three prime ministers, three deputy prime ministers,” he told Sky News.

“We’ve had consistency on our side, I think that’s a big strength the fact we’ve had one leader.”

Mr Albanese also backed in security agencies after Paul Keating’s call to clear them out.

The Labor frontbencher criticised the state of the debate about China in Australia, however, saying it was more akin to a spy movie.

“We need to acknowledge there are issue with China with the nature of the government that is not a democratically elected government, they don’t have elections. That therefore reflects in the nature of the regime,” he said.

“But I do find some of the commentary on China rather almost naive. Like the suggestion that someone who has had contact with people in the Chinese Communist Party is in China, who does business in China is no more shocking than someone having contact with the Liberal Party or the Labor Party here because they don’t have a separation of state and party there.”

“The party is effectively the state, so every Australian business person for example who has established business in China and there are enormous opportunities they’re an important trading partner for us will have had contact with people by definition that are associated with the Communist Party of China and sometimes that’s reported in a way that is perhaps more suited to a fictional spy movie.”

Primrose Riordan 10.10am: ‘How PM can win’

Labor elder Stephen Conroy has said the Coalition will need to lower their losses to two seats in Victoria to be re-elected.

“(Scott Morrison’s) whole strategy is about trying to minimise the losses in Victoria, a state which liked Malcolm Turnbull,” he told Sky News.

“At risk (is) up to six seats, (he’s) wanting to keep that down to two or three.”

“(But) if the Liberals can hold losses in Victoria to two seats then they believe they have a chance to hold on. “

Mr Conroy said the Liberals and Mr Morrison had run a good campaign.

“He’s run a good campaign, if he was leading in the polls you’d have say he was running a great campaign. He needs to take a risk, he needs to crash through here in Melbourne.”

Mr Conroy said from the Liberal party campaign it appeared the party was not hopeful in Dunkley and La Trobe.

“If you look at Morrison’s movements he drove down to flinders to do a campaign event for Greg hunt and he drove through Dunkley he didn’t stop for a campaign event in Dunkley so far so they clearly don’t think they can hold Dunkley.”

“And you’ve seen not a lot of activity out in the Chisholm area because their sitting member’s deserted it and their Liberal candidate’s got a very colourful reputation.”

“So they’re concerned they’ve lost Chisholm. and they’re trying to pump up the tyres in Corangamite and they’ve got La Trobe … and Labor didn’t win La Trobe in the Rudd-slide. They didn’t win Latrobe till 2010.”

Mr Morrison, however, has not yet made any public campaign visits to Flinders so far on the campaign.

Greg Brown 10.05am: PM faces challenge with CWA

Scott Morrison is set to deliver a speech at a meeting of the Country Women’s Association in the NSW town of Albury.

The speech will come as the CWA today endorsed calls Newstart to be raised, which the Coalition opposes.

CWA President Tanya Cameron said in increasing the welfare payment will strengthen regional communities.

“Rural and regional communities have been hit hard with drought and floods, with many of these areas experiencing high rates of unemployment,” Ms Cameron said in a statement this morning.

“People in rural and regional Australia often struggle to find adequate employment, especially single parents, people who have been made redundant or people who have been without paid work for a long period because they’ve been caring for a loved one.

“It is impossible to live on $40 a day in rural and regional Australia. You cannot run a car, pay the rent and buy groceries with such little money.

“Raising the rate of Newstart and other allowances will help people focus on their futures rather than be totally consumed with their current situation of financial crisis.”

Troy Bramston 9.55am: How your vote is manipulated

Illustration: Johannes Leak
Illustration: Johannes Leak

The digital disruption that has wrought dramatic economic and social change is also revolutionising politics. This has been developing for more than a decade, but this election marks a phase that is exploiting divisions, coarsening political dialogue and dumbing down the choice for voters.

The media is yet to fully grapple with these changes. So are the voters. While we see politicians in shopping centres, knocking on doors, using social media, interviewed by newspapers and on television and radio, and advertising to mass audiences, there is much more going on that many of us are not aware of.

More than before, this election is being fought online. It is highly targeted and sophisticated but without the usual scrutiny by the media, nor is it policed with regulation and protocols that have regard for truth in advertising and privacy concerns, let alone civility.

To red the article in full, click here.

Primrose Riordan 9.00am: Pre-poll voting too early?

Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese has said a future government might need to reconsider whether Australians should be able to start voting so far out from the election debate amid a debate about the merits of pre-poll.

So far 915,000 people have already cast their vote according to the Australian Electoral Commission.

“That needs to be looked at,” he told Sky News. “Pre poll voting is very valuable but three weeks is a long time.”

Primrose Riordan 8.50am: Sussexes ‘will be wonderful parents’

Bill Shorten has tweeted his ”delight:" to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the birth of their baby boy. “They are a lovely couple and will make wonderful parents,” he tweeted.

Primrose Riordan 8.45am: Labor Senators ‘in tax change talks’

Labor campaign spokesman Jim Chalmers has said it was possible Labor Senators had already had discussions about getting their tax changes through the parliament if the party is elected.

“I haven’t, it’s entirely possible that the Senate colleagues have,” Mr Chalmers said.

The three unaligned minor parties — Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party, One Nation and Centre Alliance — have told The Australian they were prepared to block at least two of Labor’s major revenue measures, their negative gearing policy or the scrapping of refunds for excess tax credits on Australian shares.

Mr Chalmers said he was not surprised by comments from One Nation and Clive Palmer that they would not support their policies.

“It remains to be seen what the discussions that we’ll have with the Senate colleagues whether or not they’ll bear fruit. We play the card we’re dealt in the Senate that’s how it always has been.”

“It’s no surprise that Clive Palmer and One Nation want to side with the Liberals again that’s how they go about things. And Clive Palmer himself would be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the tax cuts for the top end of town … so that’s not a massive surprise.”

Primrose Riordan 8.25am: ‘People trade principles’

Australian Conservative Senator Cory Bernardi has suggested any future crossbench Senator could be bought off in order for Labor to get through their policy and tax agenda.

“I do see pathways because I’ve seen people in the Senate ditch their longest held principles at the slightest whiff of political advantage,” he told the ABC.

“We’ve seen people change their mind for tax cuts, against tax cuts, then for them and against them again.”

“We see people trade off their principles to get some sort of boondoggle of their own up … Labor are pretty astute negotiators.”

Greg Brown 7.50am: Mobile blackspots on PM agenda

Scott Morrison is headed to the regions today as he pushes plans to eliminate mobile blackspots over one million square kilometres.

The Prime Minister will fly in to the regional Victorian seat of Indi, one of the few seats the government could pick up in the election.

The seat is held by outgoing independent MP Cathy McGowan on a margin of 5.5 per cent.

Mr Morrison will then travel across the border to the NSW electorate of Farrer, held by assistant minister Sussan Ley on a margin of more than 20 per cent.

Ms Ley is facing a spirited challenge from Albury mayor Kevin Mack, who is capitalising on growing anger over the Murray Darling Basin Plan given a lack of water in the region.

Mr Mack, who is backed by the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party, wants the basin plan rewritten to allow more water for NSW and Victorian irrigators.

Primrose Riordan 7.40am: ‘New day, new Shorten wage shift’

Bill Shorten has been accused by the Coalition of shifting Labor’s position again on wage rises for aged care workers.

Mr Shorten has pledged a $10 billion wage supplement to childcare workers but last week Labor workplace relations spokesman Brendan O’Connor said there were “no plans” to extend the idea to other industries arguing early education was an “exceptional” case.

Then last night Mr Shorten told ABC’s Q&A: “We’re thinking about what to do in aged care too”.

“The fact that we look after early childhood educators now does not mean that we won’t work to help aged care workforce in the future.”

Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham said it was a new position.

“Each day it’s another new position from Bill Shorten on what is already a $10 billion promise, for which he says he’ll work out the details after the election.

Primrose Riordan 7.30am: PM congratulates Sussexes

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has congratulated the Duchess and Duke of Sussex on their new baby.

“Huge congratulations to Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, on the birth of their baby boy today. Becoming a parent is one of the greatest joys of life!” he said.

What’s making news:

A hostile Senate would threaten Bill Shorten’s big-­spending agenda by blocking a raft of Labor tax increases, raising the prospect of a $90 billion budget hole if the ALP was elected.

Bill Shorten has been forced to ­repudiate Paul Keating publicly after the former Labor prime minister called for a “clean-out” of the nation’s spy agencies.

Bill Shorten, facing falling personal polling numbers, called upon his arch-rival, and the party’s most popular would-be leader, to help win over voters in Sydney’s west.

New ABC managing director David Anderson has warned that cuts to staff and services are ­“inevitable” under Coalition budget measures that would strip $84 million from the broadcaster over the next three years.

Scott Morrison has been secretly handed a $500,000 campaign gift from the Cormack Foundation but the Victorian Liberal Party faces a $1.8 million annual hit to its ­finances.

GetUp says its volunteers made 33,000 phone calls to voters in the Victorian electorate of Flinders last weekend, offering an insight into the extent of the campaign Health Minister Greg Hunt faces from left-wing third parties in his Mornington Peninsula seat.

Columnist Andrew Bolt has accused Richard Di Natale of wanting to have him banned, criticising the Greens leader’s call to introduce media legislation to stamp out alleged “hate speech”.

A Greens candidate in a marginal inner-Melbourne seat has been branded a hypocrite by both Labor and Liberal politicians over her controversial start-up delivery business, amid growing outrage that she and her partner are using their political careers to promote their personal venture.

The leaders will face off at a debate at the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday after Labor agreed to a US presidential-style event.

Merivale billionaire Justin Hemmes hosted a $3300-a-head cocktail reception for Prime Minister Scott Morrison last night at his historic Vaucluse residence The Hermitage. There was a second event after the cocktail party — a private dinner with Morrison and much of his ministry, including Michaelia Cash, Marise Payne and YouTube star Mitch Fifield. Margin Call hears 30 guests paid $13,500 to attend.

Paul Kelly writes: In last night’s Treasurers’ debate, the missing element was a serious growth strategy to get Australia back on a 3 per cent growth trajectory, thereby delivering sustained increases in living standards.

Greg Sheridan writes: Paul Keating’s wild and dangerous remarks about our national security agencies represent the sad decline of a once great foreign policy prime minister. It is perhaps Keating’s first Clive Palmer moment.

Read related topics:Bill ShortenScott Morrison

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/federal-election-2019-campaign-day-27/news-story/2f3b5c18091470f2b8e9d990b9f1cacb