Election 2022 live: Grace Tame turns on Anthony Albanese after Alan Jones interview; Morrison issues battle cry over defence
Grace Tame hasn’t held back after Anthony Albanese’s interview with Alan Jones, who demanded to know if Labor was planning a carbon tax.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has tried to shift the election focus to national security, touring a NSW defence company and announcing an $8bn upgrade of Australia’s military helicopter fleet.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese has been savaged by former Australian of the Year, Grace Tame, for agreeing to an interview with broadcaster Alan Jones. Earlier, he was swamped by kids as he returned to his old high school in Sydney before flying to Adelaide to announce a $400m expansion of Flinders Medical Centre.
Voting begins today in the federal election, with more than 500 pre-poll booths to stay open until May 20.
Labor goes into the week buoyed by positive results in the latest Newspoll but last night’s second leaders debate was aggressive and shouty – and outrated by Lego Masters.
We’ll bring you all the key developments from the campaign trail here.
SKY NEWS LIVE
Watch Sky News’ live coverage of the campaign here.
‘YEAH NAH’: GRACE TAME SLAMS ALBO
Grace Tame has slammed Anthony Albanese’s decision to do an interview with media personality Alan Jones.
The Labor leader tweeted that he had done a prerecorded interview with Jones on Monday afternoon.
“Good to chat with Alan Jones today in his new Sydney studios,” he wrote, beside a photo of the pair shaking hands.
Jones left Sky News in November 2021 and has now launched his own digital television show, named after him, which went live four nights a week last Monday.
In a preview of the interview, which will air at 8pm, Jones grills Mr Albanese over his climate policy.
“Isn’t that a carbon tax?” Jones asks in the teaser.
But former Australian of the Year Ms Tame wasn’t impressed with Mr Albanese’s decision to speak with the conservative broadcaster.
“Yeah nah, this is where you could’ve just frowned and walked off,” she wrote in reply to Mr Albanese’s tweet.
“Or better yet, not done it.
“There are plenty of other ways to broaden your messaging without enabling known agents of sexism and abuse.
“None of us is obliged to speak to bigots.
“The optics of this aren’t good.”
When Jones was contacted about Ms Tame’s comments he issued the statement: “No problem at all, Grace Tame is entitled to her opinion”.
The powerful media personality was forced to apologise when he suggested that Scott Morrison should shove a sock down the throat of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern while he still worked for 2GB in August 2019.
The 81-year-old wrote an apology letter to Ms Ardern and admitted that he had “made a mistake”.
“In this game you’ve got to choose your words carefully and I didn’t do that,” he said at the time.
Jones has been an outspoken supporter of Israel Folau’s right to free speech, after the former Wallabies star was sacked by Rugby Australia in 2019 after he wrote on social media that “hell awaits” gay people.
‘IS THAT A CARBON TAX?”
“How is your policy different from the government’s policy, both of you talk about net zero by 2050. But you’re talking about significant reductions by 2030... How do you get to that?” he asked.
Mr Albanese said that his first goal was to fix transmission, and make sure that renewables could plug into the grid.
“If you plug it into the grid and make sure you fix transmission, that makes an enormous difference,” he said.
“Let me get to the guts of this though, because you’ve got to reduce carbon emissions by 2050, you’re talking about cutting them by 43 per cent from 2005 (by 2030),” Jones cut in.
He then asked Mr Albanese about his policy to require 215 of the nation’s heaviest polluters to lower their emissions.
“If they emit more than 100,000 tonnes what happens?” he asked.
“Won’t those companies have to buy permits?”
Mr Albanese said that it was the same mechanism that was established by the Abbott government.
Jones pressed him on whether the companies would have to buy carbon credits under Labor.
“Well, that will be a decision that they make on how they deal with the mechanism that was put in place by the Abbott government,” Mr Albanese said.
“But I’ll make this point - more than two thirds of those 215 companies have a commitment already for net zero by 2050.”
“Isn’t that a carbon tax?” Jones later asked.
“No it’s not Alan,” Mr Albanese responded.
Ms Tame’s criticism of the Labor leader is unusual.
Last month she was moved to tears when hearing about how Mr Albanese was raised by a single mother.
Ms Tame carried out an interview with Mr Albanese for InStyle Australia.
“She was going to have got the news that my father had died and then lost the baby and I was going to be adopted out,” he told Ms Tame.
“Because in 1963, when I was born, it was acceptable to be a widow but it wasn’t acceptable to be an unmarried mother.”
He shared his late mother’s struggle with rheumatoid arthritis.
“She always respected everyone and I grew up with the confidence of having a mum who lived a lot of her aspirations through me. She couldn’t work. And so she’s the most important role model in my life and she’s very much still part of who I am today.”
On Australia Day the pair posed for a selfie together.
“With our legendary Australian of the Year, Grace Tame. She’s using her voice to stand up for survivors of child sexual abuse everywhere. Her strength makes Australia stronger,” Mr Albanese posted on Twitter.
It followed the furore in which Ms Tame gave Prime Minister Scott Morrison side-eye while standing for a photo with him at an Australia Day event.
MILITARY CHOPPER OVERHAUL
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has redoubled his efforts to make May 21 a “khaki election”, using his post-debate press conference for a major defence announcement.
Speaking at Sikorsky Australia’s manufacturing site in Nowra, on New South Wales’ south coast, Mr Morrison inspected a MH-60R Seahawk helicopter.
It is in the marginal seat of Gilmore, with former NSW transport minister Andrew Constance hoping to win it back from Labor.
Mr Morrison committed $8bn to build 13 of the new helicopters along with 29 new Apache gunships. They will replace the existing troubled fleets of Tiger and Taipan helicopters.
The Prime Minister sat in the cockpit of the Seahawk before touring the facility to see where parts are made.
Mr Morrison said Australia’s national security “doesn’t happen by accident” and attacked his rivals over the issue.
“We know that when Labor was last in power they cut defence funding. They also didn’t know how to manage money,” he said.
“If you can’t manage money and you can’t manage a strong economy then you cannot invest in the important defence capabilities that this country needs.”
The Nowra facility employs about 190 people, and the Coalition believes the additional helicopters for the Romeo Seahawk fleet will secure long-term employment opportunities in the region.
Mr Morrison also hit out at Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese over last night’s debate.
He said the Labor leader could not guarantee wage rises when pressed.
“There’s no magic wand to increase wages,” Mr Morrison said. “Voting for the Labor Party at this election doesn’t automatically make your wages go up.”
He also took another swipe at his opponent over energy prices, claiming that Labor’s plan would build transmission networks too early and drive up costs.
And on housing, he said Labor’s Help to Buy scheme was actually a “forced to sell scheme” because it would make people pay the money back if their income rose over their threshold of $120,000 for couples.
“He wouldn’t tell you that last night, and he was very shifty about it, but that is what their policy does,” Mr Morrison said.
“Once you go over that $120,000, you’ve got to give the money back to the government”, adding that meant either taking out another mortgage or selling the property.
DIFFERENT WELCOME FOR PM
After once saying the Prime Minister got the “welcome he probably deserved” from hostile bushfire-hit communities on NSW’s south coast, hopeful Liberal MP Andrew Constance has changed tack to say the community was “united in recovery”
Mr Morrison and Mr Constance on Monday visited Nowra Golf Club to spruik the Coalitions agenda.
The former NSW Transport Minister is running for the seat of Gilmore at the election.
He made headlines in January 2020 when he said Prime Minister got the “welcome he probably deserved” after being heckled by residents of Cobargo devastated by summer fires.
But in welcoming Mr Morrison to Nowra, Mr Constance was more upbeat about the bushfire response.
“It’s not easy being in regional Australia, as we all know,” he said
“But if we’re positive about it, and we can drive our community and our wellness together, we can get some incredible things done.
“I know having seen the strength of our community, particularly through Black summer, where we really united in survival, united in recovery, and wanting to maintain that momentum is absolutely fantastic.
“To have the PM here today was for a special reason.
“We are the Seahawk capital of Australia here in Shoalhaven so the PM’s thrown in another dozen our way.
“That translates to another 90 jobs.”
Mr Constance also said the Coalition would “turbocharge” the campaign over the next two weeks.
“Just wait and see,” he said.
Speaking at the event, Mr Morrison said his government was different because it allowed the community to find solutions to tough problems.
“I don’t see the solution in the government.
“I see the government empowering (and supporting solutions that come out of communities.”
Pointing to his JobKeeper scheme, the Prime Minister said the government had banked on the strength of communities and their resilience to bounce back if supported through the pandemic.
AUSTRALIA ‘AWARE’ OF NEW CHINESE PLAN
Mr Morrison said Australia was aware of China’s plans in the Pacific after the leaking of another deal with Solomon Islands.
The Australian newspaper reported a memorandum of understanding would allow Beijing to build wharves, shipyards and submarine cables in Solomon Islands.
The MOU has sparked concerns the developments could be used by the Chinese military as Beijing looks to further strengthen its ties with the Pacific island nation and expand its presence in the region.
Asked on Monday about the report and if Australian officials had been aware this particular agreement was being negotiated, Mr Morrison didn’t answer directly.
“We’re very aware of what the Chinese government’s ambitions are in the Pacific, whether it be in relation to facilities such as that or naval bases or other presence of their military in the Pacific,” he told reporters in Shoalhaven.
“They’re doing this all around the world. I don’t think there’s any great secret about that.”
Mr Morrison also wouldn’t be drawn on whether the new deal was a sign of a further erosion of trust between Australia and Solomon Islands.
He instead talked up his government’s efforts in the Pacific including the fact that Australia’ still had its federal police stationed in Honiara.
“The first call when these things happen in our region, from any of our Pacific family, is to Australia,” he said.
Reports of secret deals that would enable China to establish fishing and mining infrastructure in the Solomon Islands are proof Scott Morrison’s “red line” rhetoric is not working, Labor foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong said.
Senator Penny Wong said she could not verify the report, but its contents are concerning.
“But what I would say is, if this is true, it demonstrates the seriousness of what has occurred on Mr Morrison’s watch,” she said.
“It also demonstrates that the sort of tough words he was talking about or trying to use about red lines don’t appear, if the reports are correct, to be the way forward, don’t appear to have much effect.
“What we have to do is to work with the whole Pacific.”
She said the reports were “a very serious problem” and Labor’s foreign policies would aim to ensure Australia is the partner of choice in the Pacific.
Mr Morrison has said Australia and the US shared the same “red line” in their opposition to China establishing a military base in the Solomons.
But he has not specified what consequences there will be if the “red line” is crossed.
Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce raised China when commenting on Sunday night’s heated debate between Mr Morrison and Mr Albanese, saying Australians were blessed to live in a country where there could be lively discussion, comparing the democratic system to its antithesis in China.
The Deputy Prime Minister said while he acknowledged that the debate had been at-times rowdy, that was an attempt by both men to get their point across in the leadup to “an obviously tight contest”.
“That’s what happens. it just goes to show what a vibrant democracy we have,” he said. “You’ll never see this debate in China... If you’re on the other side of the debate there you’ll probably end up in jail or worse.
“And in Australia aren’t we lucky... And long may that be the case.”
ALBANESE: ‘MORE TO SAY’ ON HEALTH SOON
Mr Albanese has sidestepped questions about whether a Labor government would increase the share of Commonwealth health funding despite rocketing debt levels.
Standing up alongside South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas, who is fresh off the back of a resounding election victory, Mr Albanese announced a joint state-federal $400m upgrade to the Flinders Medical Centre.
Asked whether he would commit to increasing the Commonwealth’s share of health funding, Mr Albanese said “we will have some more to say on health during this campaign”.
“Well, we’ve made a number of announcements during this campaign, including urgent care clinics that will take pressure off emergency departments, including capital funding that we’ve announced here, including issues such as hearing for young people,” he said.
“(Also) Telehealth in terms of mental health issues for people in regional communities.”
OUTRATED BY LEGO MASTERS
The data is in, and for some reason the spectacle of two middle-aged men in suits shouting at each other wasn’t a ratings blockbuster.
The Great Debate rated fifth overall on Sunday night, behind the Seven and Nine news services, The Voice and Lego Masters. It had a combined audience in the five capital cities of 641,000 people.
Interestingly, more Sydneysiders watched the debate than either The Voice or Lego Masters, but in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth the reality TV juggernauts reigned supreme.
ALBO’S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION
Mr Albanese was met with a rock star reception during a visit to his former high school in Sydney.
Mr Albanese and Labor education spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek visited St Mary’s Cathedral College to talk about the party’s education policies
On arrival, he was swamped by students who cheered and flocked to snap a selfie with the old scholar.
He told them “study hard and support South (Sydney)” before meeting with younger students inside a classroom.
Mr Albanese said his time at the school had shaped him.
“It’s a part of who I am – values that I learnt at this school, the values of social justice and commitment to each other,” he said.
He vowed “not to do what Scott Morrison has done” when it comes to legislating on religious discrimination.
The Opposition Leader says his party has been “very clear” that there needs to be action to protect people of faith from discrimination on the basis of religion, but it must not come at the detriment of LGBTIQ+ children.
“If we form government, we will consult widely on the legislation,” Mr Albanese said. “We don’t want to do what Scott Morrison has done, which is divide the nation by introducing this type of legislation.”
Mr Albanese’s comments come after the Prime Minister doubled down on support for a bill he failed to get through parliament earlier this year.
Mr Morrison has said if the Coalition wins the election, he will try again to introduce the failed religious discrimination bill but without protections for gay and transgender students.
Responding to the combative nature of Sunday night’s leaders debate, Mr Albanese said Mr Morrison “was left with just smears, scares and a smirk” while “asking for another three years”.
He seized upon a moment in the debate when Mr Morrison replied “it depends” when asked whether all workers deserved to earn minimum wage.
But Mr Albanese said he couldn’t guarantee that wages would lift if Labor wins the election.
“One of the things I will do is to convene a full employment summit … we will work with businesses and unions to enterprise bargaining but we will change the Act so secure work is an objective,” Mr Albanese said.
“We will make gender pay equity an objective as well. Our clear objective is to lift up living standards.”
‘YOU CAN’T STAND EACH OTHER’
Barnaby Joyce and Tanya Plibersek traded blows on Monday morning as they were asked to weigh in on the second leader’s debate.
In taking aim at each other’s party and policy, the Deputy Prime Minister and Labor’s education spokesperson spoke over Sunrise host Natalie Barr during a tense interview.
Mr Joyce said he and Scott Morrison worked “very well together”, and questioned how Mr Albanese could attempt to use it as a political wedge when there was apparent party division in Labor, including with Ms Plibersek.
“I’m 450km away from the seat of Cook. Tanya Plibersek is 10cm away from the seat of Grayndler, right next door, and you can’t see Tanya and Albo at the same coffee shop,” Mr Joyce said. “They can’t stand each other.”
Ms Plibersek attempted to interrupt and told Mr Joyce she would be appearing alongside Mr Albanese later today.
“Well I’m going to the (party) launch with the Prime Minister, which is something you are unable to do,” Mr Joyce hit back, making reference to Ms Plibersek’s notable absence from the Labor Party launch. “You can’t stand each other.”
Ms Plibersek hit back. “You called the Prime Minister a liar and a hypocrite. Do you remember that? We’ve got the text messages,” she said – referring to leaked messages that emerged as questions were raised over how much the Prime Minister knew about an alleged sexual assault in Parliament House.
“Yeah,” Mr Joyce replied. “Isn’t that funny. I was trying to help out a person who had been (allegedly) assaulted in parliament, and that was unreasonably leaked by a third party and you’re still using it … you will use anything.”
Barr then attempted to wrap up the segment but the two kept speaking over her.
NEWSPOLL GIVES LABOR A BOOST
Labor has lifted a point at the expense of the Coalition in the latest Newspoll.
The ALP’s two-party preferred lead over the Coalition has risen to 54-46, and on primary votes Labor is on 39 per cent and the Coalition on 35 per cent.
That would be enough to give Labor a majority in parliament if repeated on election day – and voters appear to be warming to Anthony Albanese, who is now just two points behind Scott Morrison as preferred PM, 44-42.
Mr Morrison’s current approval rating is a net negative of minus 14 – the lowest score he’s had since early March.
A separate Ipsos poll has found Labor leads the Coalition 57-43, compared to a 55-45 split two weeks ago.
DEBATE DEVOLVES INTO SHOUTFEST
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has conceded the Covid-19 vaccine rollout was a race in a highly combative debate dominated by cost-of-living issues, a corruption watchdog and why each leader has failed to make significant headway with voters five weeks into the campaign.
In a departure from the statesmanship of the first leaders debate, Mr Morrison and Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese were quick to snipe and interject throughout the 90-minute event on Channel 9 – devolving to an all-out shouting match after the first hour.
Votes from the Channel 9 audience – which tuned in at the evening slot of 8.45pm – on who won the debate were flowing late into the night, with the margin between Mr Morrison and Mr Albanese frequently shifting and too tight to call.
The Opposition Leader appeared rattled from the moment the Prime Minister began interjecting with claims Labor’s renewable energy plan wouldn’t actually lower power prices, with Mr Albanese stumbling at points throughout the rest of the debate.
The biggest revelations came from Mr Morrison, who conceded, during questioning by Mr Albanese, that the Covid-19 vaccine rollout “was a race” and the government “shouldn’t have described it as otherwise”.
The Prime Minister also justified his decision not to go into the blue-ribbon seats in Sydney and Victoria under threat from “teal” independents amid conversations around religious discrimination and integrity that have been damaging for moderate liberal MPs in those seats.
“I’m campaigning where the contest is between Mr Albanese and myself,” he said.
“I am confident in my candidates and members and all of those seats and they have strong local members facing independents.”
The rapid fire debate model of 60-second answers per leader became theatrical at points and included an awkward exchange over the definition of a “woman”, before Mr Albanese was asked to explain why he refused to launch an inquiry into the treatment of the late Labor senator Kimberley Kitching.
Mr Albanese moved to defend his frontbench and said “from time to time in politics … there is conflict, more people want positions (than) are available”.
“That happens. My experience with Kimberley Kitching was she was making an outstanding contribution. I put her on the frontbench. I kept her on the frontbench,” he said.
“I think it is a tragedy that she was lost, particularly to her family and her close friends but to the Labor family as well, far too early.”
On trust, Mr Morrison attempted to use the slog of the pandemic over the last three years as being “tough on governments” and there would have been “many disappointments” and people who disagreed with what action needed to be taken.
But redirected to why people closest to him, like Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, had spoken ill of him Mr Morrison said people disagreed from “time to time”.
Mr Albanese appeared rattled by the line of questioning where it was suggested he lied when he said he did know the detail of his National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and hadn’t been given a chance to explain it during a fiery press conference last week.
In their closing statements, both leaders stuck largely to the themes they had used throughout the campaign – with Mr Morrison painting Labor as a risky alternative and said his government had a proven track record.
“This election is a choice,” he said. “We are a known quantity, and at a time of great uncertainty, now is not the time to risk things on the unknown.”
Mr Albanese swore he would never say “it’s not my job” if elected in a thinly-veiled dig at the Prime Minister.
“You do have a choice when it comes to an election,” the Opposition Leader said.
“You know that at the moment the cost of everything is going up, but your wages are not. You do have a choice to change the country for the better and we can do so much better than we are doing.”
TECHNICAL ISSUES PLAGUE DEBATE
Australians who tuned into Nine’s broadcast of the Great Debate were unable to vote after technical issues which prevented them from casting votes online.
Viewers of the 60 Minutes program were told to scan a QR to vote on issues raised in the debate between Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Labor Leader Anthony Albanese.
Many complained on social media they could not select answers to the questions including if they had decided who they would vote for, which party would win the election, and who would make a better prime minister.
Further complicating the situation, the broadcaster called the debate prematurely.
Nine first awarded the debate to Mr Albanese 49-45, then switched to announce Mr Morrison had won 52-48, then finally finished the broadcast with both leaders locked at 50-50, after more than 30,000 votes were tallied.
EARLY VOTING CENTRES OPEN
A record number of voters are expected to vote in this election, with the AEC confirming 96.8 per cent of eligible Australians have enrolled – up from 96 per cent in 2019.
Early voting is now available at more than 500 pre-poll booths around the nation.
Search the full list of polling stations here
NEW WAR CHOPPERS, TEACHERS INCENTIVE
In Monday’s new policy announcements, the Coalition will announce it will spend $8bn on new military helicopters from the US to replace the Taipan and Tiger fleets.
The commitment includes $2.5bn to buy and maintain 12 new MH-60R Romeo maritime helicopters, and $5.5bn for 29 new AH-64E Apache Armed Reconnaissance helicopters.
Labor will incentivise high-performing school students to become teachers by offering up to $12,000 each to get a teaching degree.
If Labor is elected, 1000 students a year who obtain an ATAR of 80 or above will get $10,000 to study an education degree. They would also get a bonus $2000 if they complete their placements at regional public schools.
TEAL CREW TUSSLE OVER TARGETS
Climate 200-backed independents who would sway a minority government are demanding emissions cuts far more extreme than even their mega-rich green backer Simon Holmes a Court considers necessary.
In an interview with News Corp Australia, Mr Holmes a Court also acknowledged his mission to install teal candidates into once-safe conservative seats could result in Peter Dutton becoming Liberal leader, which he argued would make the party he once supported “unelectable”.
Mr Holmes a Court said he believed a 2030 carbon emissions cut of 46-50 per cent was “about right”.
By comparison, teal independent candidates such as Zali Steggall (Warringah), Monique Ryan (Kooyong) and Zoe Daniel (Goldstein) are calling for reductions of 60 per cent, which they claim won’t cause job losses.
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