Thankfully, it's Thursday

All the news that's fit to mint

All the news that's fit to mint

Former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam famously said that in politics "you’ve got to crash through or you have got to crash".

On Wednesday, Scott Morrison - with just 72-hours remaining in the campaign of his life - crashed...into a kid. (Luca, he's fine).

Scott Morrison attends training night at the Devonport Strikers Soccer Club. Picture: Jason Edwards

It was an accidental slip, not a hand of God moment.

The "Bulldozer's" little stumble while training with the Devonport Strikers Soccer Club in Tassie, in the marginal seat of Braddon (where he promised his government will upgrade the facilities if he's re-elected on Saturday) was perfectly timed to lead the news and is on nearly every paper's front page today.

It's even making international headlines for stealing from the playbook of the British PM.

Back home though, the Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese also incited Whitlam on Wednesday during his final speech of the campaign to the National Press Club.

He doubled down on how, if successful at the weekend, he'll be hot footing it to the Governor-General to be sworn in as PM alongside Penny Wong - his captain's pick for Foreign Minister.

This hypothetical coronation will be fast-tracked so they can head to Japan as Australia's representatives at the meeting of the Quad next Tuesday.

The last time a new PM did this was Whitlam in 1972.

Back then in the first two weeks of the Whitlam government, there was just a ministry of two. Whitlam was PM and had 13 ministries and his 2IC Lance Barnard, as well as being deputy prime minister, held down 14 portfolios. 

Whitlam and Barnard in 1972 - the OG Albo and Wong

During that time these two got their reformation skates on. Australia was on the way to equal pay for women, scrapping tax on the Pill, recognising China, dumping conscription, removing troops from Vietnam, imposing sanctions on apartheid South Africa and clearing the way for colour TV, to name just a few.

Two of them did all that in 10 working days. 

Talk about big "small government" energy.

Show us the money 

Today's the day the opposition will tell us how much its election promises will cost us. After that Albo, sensing a shift in suburbia and a shortening of the election betting odds, will head off on a two-day, five-state blitz of 20 marginal seats in a bid to convince the 14m or so people who are yet to cast their ballot that it's time for change.

Plan ahead on Saturday

He may want to give himself some extra time if he intends to vote along with the undecided and unorganised on Saturday.

The Australian Electoral Commission has not managed to employ enough staff for polling centres in some regional areas. 

Due to worker shortages in these Queensland electorates, if you're voting here you should give yourself extra time: Capricornia, Flynn, Kennedy and Leichhardt, along with Durack and O'Connor in WA, Ceduna, Maitland, Two Wells, Maslin Beach, Whyalla, Port Augusta and Port Pirie.

The AEC is alerting voters that recruitment difficulties may lead to a relatively small number of polling places being unable to open on election day.
- Plan your vote: pre-polling is open until Friday night
- Sign up now: visit https://t.co/Vyh4IJQYB9 pic.twitter.com/hQjf9K40r7

— AEC ✏️ (@AusElectoralCom) May 18, 2022

More data to digest

The wage growth increased by 0.7% in the March quarter, sparking concerns that if that trend continues to fall behind inflation our real incomes will shrink faster than a crash-dieting Kardashian.

Today fresh employment figures will be released. It's forecast to be good news for the government to brag about how more people are in work and a tricky topic for the opposition.

Albanese keeps banging on about increasing wages as well as the profits of business "without adding inflationary pressure" but the key element of that equation - how - hasn't been properly explained. Yet. But there's still two days to go...

Twiggy's side hustle

One person who probably doesn't need another gig is Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest. The multi-billionaire will return to running his mining company, Fortescue Metals Group, as a replacement for outgoing CEO Elizabeth Gaines.

Forrest, the founder of FMG whose most recent dividend saw about $950 million deposited into his ING Saver Account, will head up the day-to-day operations of the mining company that digs and ships iron ore out of WA, while also advancing his green dream of establishing a new global market for hydrogen, or "green hydrogen" as he calls it.

“Green hydrogen puts Harry Potter spells into the shade.”

Former CEO of the Fortescue Metals Group, Andrew Forrest explains from #COP26, how green hydrogen could be the fuel of the future.#KayBurley: https://t.co/kz7VwOaOEJ pic.twitter.com/QrmtOuU2GX

— Sky News (@SkyNews) November 10, 2021

This could soon be realised should the Morrison government win office again on Saturday.

The Coalition have promised his other company, Fortescue Future Industries, about $45m of taxpayer dollars that'll help him build the world’s largest "electrolyser manufacturing facility" in the northern Queensland city of Gladstone to kickstart the mining town's renewable revolution.

High school horror story

New research commissioned by Save the Children published today reveals that, on average, one student dropped out of every class in senior high schools around the country because of Covid.

About 4 % of 16 and 17-year-olds quit school, citing the impact of the virus.

The study, the most comprehensive analysis of the pandemic's impact on young Australians, also showed an alarming rise in rates of self-harm and suicide, mental illness and study stress. 

"The number of high school students using mental health services though Medicare [also] soared 16% in the first three months of the pandemic in 2020," the Kristy Thomas to our Karen Brewer, The Australian, reported. 

Lifeline - 13 11 14

Meanwhile...

Taylor Swift, like Miranda Kerr on Wednesday, has become an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts.

Swift's accolade is from New York University where she also delivered a rousing speech for its graduates overnight.

"Today, you leave New York University and then you go out into the world searching for what’s next. And so will I," she said to a packed Yankee Stadium. 

Savings, credit or your face?

If tap and go payments make you tired, hold tight as you may soon be able to pay for your morning coffee using just your face.

Mastercard is piloting new technology that lets you use your money maker to make payments.

The trial is being conducted in Brasil where customers just need to show their face or hand at the checkout.

The company launched a program for retailers to offer biometric payment methods, like facial recognition and fingerprint scanning. When you get to the til, users will be able to authenticate their payment by showing their face or the palm of their hand instead of tapping your Apple Wallet.