Your noon Briefing: Clear choice: PM calls May 18 election

Your 2-minute digest of the day’s top stories and a long read for lunchtime.

Hello readers. ScoMo kicks off his May 18 election campaign and Will Swanton waves goodbye to the incomparable Winx.

Scott Morrison has called an election for May 18.

‘Vote for me, get me’

Scott Morrison kicks off his May 18 election campaign, promising “vote for me, get me; vote Labor, pay for a decade’’. Chris Kenny suggests the election was always set to be a willing contest rather than the Labor landslide so many commentators have tipped. Caroline Overington writes about the no-fuss start to the federal election campaign. Keep up with the latest in our live blog, PoliticsNow.

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MANLY DAILY/AAP. Zali Steggall poses during a photo shoot at Manly on Monday March 25. Zali Steggall is an independent candidate contesting the seat of Warringah against former Australian PM Tony Abbott. AAP IMAGE / Troy Snook)

Left ties exposed

Zali Steggall was linked with Labor lawyers as a young barrister but denies any ALP ­affiliations.

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CaptionScreengrabs supplied by FoxSports of the ball tampering incident Cameron Bancroft during day 3 of the 3rd Sunfoil Test match between South Africa and Australia at PPC Newlands on March 24, 2018 in Cape Town

‘Sandpapergate a whitewash’

“Sandpapergate” showed Australia believed they were “above the law”, says the Wisden editor. Peter Lalor reports.

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Jockey Hugh Bowman rides Winx for an exhibition gallop during The Championships Race Day at the Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Saturday, April 6, 2019. (AAP Image/Joel Carrett) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

The long read: Winx, and we’ll miss her

Lot 329 at the 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sales looked good but she was nothing special, writes Will Swanton.