Federal election live: China sees red over PM’s comment on the Solomon Islands as leaders feud on debate timing
Beijing has demanded to know “what right” Australia has to draw a red line in the Pacific, while a Labor campaign plane en route to Perth was forced to turn around.
The Chinese government has angrily responded to Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s concerns that Beijing could be planning to establish a naval base on the Solomon Islands.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese emerged from Covid isolation and traded barbs with Mr Morrison over the timing of the next debate – but was hit with the unwelcome news that Labor deputy leader Richard Marles has been forced into quarantine after testing positive.
As Labor continued to focus its campaign on the soaring cost of living, controversial Liberal candidate Katherine Deves addressed her comments on transgender people in sport, and a One Nation candidate was referred to the Australian Federal Police after allegedly committing a criminal offence.
Read all Friday’s campaign updates below.
LABOR PLANE TURNS BACK
The Labor campaign press pack has been forced to switch planes after a technical issue grounded the original aircraft.
The media plane – which flies separately to the Opposition Leader and his team – departed Sydney about midday AEST, landing in Adelaide about 3pm AEST for a fuel stop.
But en route to Perth, the plane went through some turbulence then turned back to land in Adelaide about 4.30pm AEST.
It is understood there has been a technical issue, with the pilot deciding to switch to a different aircraft in order to get to Perth.
CHINA LASHES PM’S ‘RED LINE’ COMMENT
China has lashed out at Prime Minister Scott Morrison for saying a military base in the Solomon Islands would be a “red line” for Australia.
China’s vice foreign minister Xie Feng demanded to know “what right” Mr Morrison had to comment on the controversial security pact between China and the Solomon Islands.
“What right do these countries have to point fingers at China? What qualifications does Australia have to draw a ‘red line’ against the Solomon Islands … and China, which is thousands of miles away?” Mr Xie said during an online event.
He slammed the West’s concern as “colonialist myths” and claimed they amounted to “disinformation, defamation, coercion and intimidation”.
Mr Morrison said the deal, which was signed during week two of the election campaign, was a matter of concern for both Australia and its allies.
Beijing has today announced the launch of a “China-Pacific Island Countries Cooperation Centre on Climate Change”, to be based in Shandong.
Mr Morrison said today that Chinese influence was behind Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare’s recent criticism of the Australian government.
Mr Sogavare said he was blindsided by the announcement of the AUKUS security pact and accused Australia of failing to protect Chinese-built infrastructure during riots in the Solomons last year.
Mr Morrison responded that he spoke to Mr Sogavare the day after the announcement of the AUKUS pact and those concerns were not raised.
He blamed the shift in attitude to the controversial security pact recently signed between China and the Solomon Islands.
“Obviously, as time goes on, and new relationships are entered into, there’s obviously been some other influences in the perspective taken by the Solomon Islands Prime Minister,” he said. “There’s a remarkable similarities between those statements and those of the Chinese government.”
Mr Morrison said he has received assurances China will not be allowed to establish a naval base in the Solomon Islands.
‘THE HALL IS BOOKED, I’LL BE THERE’
Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese have gone to war over the organisation of their next televised debate.
“He said he wanted to debate me anywhere, anytime. Thursday, Sunday – that’s when the dates are. The hall is booked. I’ll be there,” Mr Morrison said on a campaign stop in Tasmania.
But the Labor leader said he was unavailable on Thursday, and claimed the PM was trying to unilaterally organise the debate to suit his schedule rather than negotiate in good faith.
“I won the first debate, why wouldn’t I want more?” Mr Albanese said.
But Mr Morrison hit back hard.
“Mr Albanese has talked a big game for the last three years. A very big game. He’s had a lot to say about me over the last three years. In fact, he’s had not much more to say than things about me over the last three years,” Mr Morrison said.
“And so now, when he constantly said ‘let’s debate, let’s debate’, and he has to step up and do it, all of a sudden he’s not available. Now, it’s unfortunate that he obviously had Covid last week, and I’m pleased that he’s rejoined the campaign trail, and I’m pleased he’s well. But we’ve gotta catch up some time there, and I think it’s important that we have those two debates before people start voting, and they start voting on Monday week.
“And so Seven and Nine have booked the hall. I’ll be there. I’ll get myself a new tie. And off we can go. I hope he decides to come. Because if he doesn’t, well, I don’t know what he’s been saying all these years.”
Earlier, Mr Albanese did the rounds of breakfast television on Seven, Nine and the ABC on his first morning out of Covid-19 isolation, with each network vying to host the next debate.
Interviewed on Sunrise, Mr Albanese was asked whether he would agree to debate the Prime Minister on Seven next week.
In a back-and-forth with hosts David Koch and Natalie Barr, Mr Albanese said he had a “longstanding” commitment which meant he would be unavailable on Thursday night.
“Look, Scott Morrison has been trying to say, ‘I’ll decide when every debate will be’,” Mr Albanese said. “I’ve given a range of dates to Channel 7 in which I’m available.”
Koch said: “Well, we will get our people to talk to your people and ScoMo’s people because I think we need a debate”.
When Mr Albanese said he had never broken a commitment to appear on Sunrise, Koch countered by saying “You take a while to get back to us sometimes”.
Mr Albanese laughed, saying “That’s not right. I’m desperate to be on Sunrise.”
Koch persisted, saying to Mr Albanese of his co-host Natalie Barr: “You knocked her back. A regular spot. You knocked her back a couple of weeks ago.”
Mr Albanese laughed as Koch said: “We will talk about that off-air”, without making it clear what exactly he was alluding to.
A short time later, Mr Albanese was asked a similar question on Today, given that Mr Morrison has agreed to participate in a prime-time free-to-air debate on the Nine network on May 8.
“I’m happy to have debates, but what Scott Morrison has done is go off and negotiate himself as if it is a one-side debate,” Mr Albanese responded.
“Scott Morrison doesn’t decide where and when each debate will be. I’m certainly up for more debates. I won the first debate, why wouldn’t I want more?”
Mr Albanese won the Sky News debate in the official audience vote when 40 people chose him while 35 favoured Mr Morrison and 25 were undecided. The ABC and the National Press Club have also requested to host debates between the two leaders.
LABOR TARGETS SOARING FOOD COSTS
Labor has been unable to explicitly outline how much cheaper everyday essentials would be under an Anthony Albanese government while attacking the government for rising costs of living.
Opposition Treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers on Friday pointed to his party’s childcare policy as a way to give families up to $80 more in their pockets next year, but couldn’t say what Labor could do in the short term to reduce the cost of goods and services.
Dr Chalmers, appearing with Home Affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally and Reid candidate Sally Sitou, launched a fresh attack on the government over the rate at which grocery prices have increased over the past year.
“On every shelf in every shop in every suburb is a reminder of Scott Morrison's cost of living crisis and his failures on the economy,” Dr Chalmers said.
“Australians know that what really matters here is that it's harder and harder for them to keep up and almost impossible to get ahead on Scott Morrison’s watch.”
In an effort to highlight the increasing cost of food, the trio toured a grocer in Homebush where an iceberg lettuce cost $4.99 and broccoli was $6.99 per kilo. Bananas cost 24 cents each.
They didn’t speak with any voters, but Dr Chalmers remarked that healthy food like broccoli is becoming more expensive for families.
Labor also rolled out a new campaign poster claiming that over the past year under Mr Morrison, the price of vegetables has risen by 12.7 per cent, the price of beef is up 12.1 per cent, and the price of coffee, tea, and cocoa is up by 8.2 per cent.
The rising cost of living has been a major plank of Labor’s election platform but the Opposition has faced increasing pressure to outline how it would raise wages without adding to inflation.
Dr Chalmers pointed to Labor’s commitments to lower power prices and increase training places as a way to cut the cost of living and increase wages.
“Australians understand that if you train people for higher wage opportunities, then they will earn more,” Dr Chalmers said on Friday.
“Australians understand that if you make it easier for the childcare system to work more and earn more, then that will have an impact on wages.
“Our policies are all about recognising where we can make a meaningful difference, not over-promising and under-delivering.”
While the opposition claims the Prime Minister is shirking responsibility, the government has blamed “international factors” for skyrocketing inflation.
When asked whether there was anything he could do to make fruit, vegetables, and meat more affordable for Australian families, Mr Morrison spruiked the government’s $250 payments to millions of pensioners and people on fixed-income support payments, as well as the extra $420 in tax offsets for low and middle income earners.
“You can’t necessarily change the prices of a lettuce, but what you can do is you can halve the petrol tax, and that’s exactly what we did,” Mr Morrison said.
“They’re the things you can do to help people dealing with those cost of living pressures, but we also have to be upfront about these pressures being real.”
Mr Morrison also played down the staggering rise of power prices, putting the blame on the war in Europe.
“It’s one of the biggest energy price shocks we have seen since the 1970s. Now, they are things outside of our control,” he said. “That’s why we have been focusing on the things that we can control.”
ALBO’S DOG REVEALS TOO MUCH
Anthony Albanese has tweeted – and then quickly deleted – a photo that revealed his mobile number.
The Labor leader shared a picture of his cavoodle Toto watching on as he did a series of live crosses to breakfast TV – but the photo was quickly deleted as it clearly showed Mr Albanese’s mobile phone number on the dog’s collar.
The Opposition Leader officially “rejoined the fray” on Friday after completing his Covid isolation period, but apart from select morning media appearances that excluded Sky News, will not front the official campaign trail until Saturday.
This left Treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers to cop a barrage of questions on where Mr Albanese was, if he was going missing just like Labor had accused the Prime Minister of doing, and why the Labor leader had yet to commit to any TV debates.
One reporter questioned why Mr Albanese wasn't fronting the media, saying there were “plenty of people that he's not talking to, plenty of journalists who aren't able to ask questions”.
“Well, the campaign has still got three weeks to run,” Dr Chalmers said.
“Anthony Albanese's done a heap of interviews this morning and he will have a heap of engagements out west as well, consistent with the health advice.”
He fired up at a reporter's suggestion that it was a “contrast” with Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who came out of Covid isolation and held a press conference in flood-hit Lismore.
“I'll tell you the contrast with the Prime Minister – Anthony Albanese, he shows up, he takes responsibility, he works hard every day to bring people together,” Dr Chalmers said.
“And he acknowledges and has a plan for the cost-of-living crisis that has emerged on Scott Morrison's watch.”
Another reporter pressed, “If he could do those breakfast interviews this morning, why couldn't he come to an official press conference?”
“He will have a number of media engagements over the coming days,” Dr Chalmers said.
There also questions as to why Labor’s Tanya Plibersek has not been put front and centre of the party’s campaign despite holding responsibility for women’s policy.
It’s understood the former deputy leader will not be present at the Labor Party’s campaign launch in Perth.
Mr Albanese returned to the official campaign trail with a couple of breakfast television appearances on his first day out of Covid-19 isolation, and immediately went on the attack over the cost of living after inflation hit a 20-year high.
“This Prime Minister is happy to claim credit whenever things go well but when things don’t go right it’s always blame someone else, it’s never accept responsibility,” Mr Albanese told Sunrise.
“The truth is in the US we’re not seeing the huge gap that’s there between inflation and real wages. What we are seeing here is that real wages have been in decline over the last couple of years.”
Mr Albanese said his bout of Covid-19 did “knock me around” but he was raring to go.
“I had a rough couple of days. But that’s what happens with this disease. But thank goodness I’m tripled-vaxxed,” he said.
ONE NATION CANDIDATE POLICE PROBE
The Australian Electoral Commission has referred a One Nation candidate to the Australian Federal Police for potentially committing a crime – by nominating in two different electorates under two separate political parties.
Malcolm Heffernan was standing as a candidate for Banks in NSW under One Nation, and Brand in WA under the Australian Federation Party.
“Mr Heffernan’s nomination for two electoral divisions is in contravention of section 165 of the Electoral Act,” the AEC said in a statement on Friday.
“Each nomination form had a signed declaration that the candidate did not intend to be a candidate in any other election held the same day.
“Each nomination form had differences in the listed information – including a different date of birth, and a different expression of the candidate’s name.
“Given these declarations are false, the AEC has now referred the matter to the Australian Federal Police for investigation as to whether a crime has been committed ... (this) renders Mr Heffernan incapable of being elected.”
ALBO’S DEPUTY CATCHES COVID
Mr Albanese hit back at criticism from Mr Morrison who claimed the Labor leader had had a “quiet week” in isolation.
“I did interviews each and every day during that period. We did a lot of work on policy,” he said.
“I didn’t want to get Covid but if I was going to get it at any time, getting it so I’m out a couple of days before the campaign launch in Perth is probably the best timing that could have happened.”
Meanwhile, Labor deputy leader Richard Marles will be in isolation for the next week after testing positive to Covid on Friday morning.
Mr Marles attended events in Darwin and Geelong in recent days. “I was looking forward to travelling west to attend Labor’s launch,” Mr Marles said in a social media post on Friday.
“This morning after taking a routine test for Covid, I returned a positive result. I will be isolating at home and following advice.”
I was looking forward to travelling west to attend Labor’s launch.
— Richard Marles (@RichardMarlesMP) April 29, 2022
This morning after taking a routine test for COVID, I returned a positive result.
I will be isolating at home + following advice.
I’ll be back on the trail in no time, fighting for a better future with @AlboMP
DEVES: I’M NOT TRANSPHOBIC
Controversial Liberal candidate Katherine Deves, who has been both slammed and praised for her views on transgender sports, has denied she’s been hiding in a ‘witness protection program’ during the campaign.
The embattled candidate, who sparked a firestorm with now-deleted Twitter posts in which she described transgender children as “surgically mutilated and sterilised”, was asked whether she was transphobic by Sydney 2GB host Ben Fordham on Friday morning.
“Of course not, Ben. This is not about that,’’ she replied.
Ms Deves said she voted for marriage equality and had previously attended the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
She said her battle to have dedicated female-only sports was about protecting the rights of women and children to have a fair go, something she believed most Australians supported.
Ms Deves said women and children should not have to face an anti-discrimination tribunal to play in a sport which only had women.
“That is not mandated. That is not excluding anyone,” she said.
“There is legislation in place but not working in the way it should. It should not be unlawful.”
The local lawyer and women’s advocate, who is raising three daughters in Manly Vale with her partner David, said she wanted to put the rights of women in sport for fair competition on the agenda and she had done that.
But she acknowledged death threats, which had forced her family to move out of their home, had taken their toll.
ALBO, TAME IN GUSHING EXCHANGE
A behind the scenes video has revealed the friendly banter between Anthony Albanese and Grace Tame, the former Australian of the Year, famous for her savage side-eye glance at Scott Morrison.
During the clip released on social media to promote an interview Ms Tame did with Mr Albanese, the Labor leader is told by someone off camera that he looks like an “absolute rock star”.
“Flattery will get you everywhere,’’ the potential PM in waiting responds.
“As long as he doesn’t think he’s more of a rock star than me,’’ Tame quips.
“No, never. I can’t do a side-eye like you, Grace. I wish I could.”
Tame replies: “I feel like at some moment during the interview I need to give you a frown so that all’s fair.’’
In the interview, Mr Albanese sparked an emotional reaction from Ms Tame during a conversation about being raised by a single mum.
Mr Albanese shared how when his mum fell pregnant out of wedlock in 1963, it was “the fashion of the day” that babies would not be kept by either parent.
“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.”
His mum, despite challenges that lay ahead, made the decision to give him the last name of his dad and raise him on her own.
His dad told her he planned to marry someone from his Italian home town.
“Now, she was a strong woman who made the decision to have me, and to raise me by herself,” Mr Albanese said.
“She worked originally when I was a bub, cleaning office buildings at night, looking after me during the day, she then had rheumatoid arthritis and was really crippled up.”
Ms Tame said she became emotional because she respected Mr Albanese’s answer “so much”.
ALBANESE RESPONDS TO BORDER VIDEO
A warning from Operation Sovereign Borders that boat turn back policies have not and will not change is an acknowledgment that a Labor government would continue to stop the boats, Anthony Albanese said.
Responding to a video message from Royal Australian Navy Rear Admiral Justin Jones, revealed by News Corp on Friday, the Labor leader says his government would “operate exactly the same policies as the government does”.
“I note that’s precisely the message that is out there from the Defence Department today,” he said.
“So, they are acknowledging that the policies will stay exactly the same, which they will.”
The ABF said the making of the clip was their own decision.
“The video was not produced at the request of the Government,” a spokesperson told News Corp.
“Joint Agency Task Force Operation Sovereign Borders (OSB) is committed to stopping people smugglers profiting at the expense of vulnerable individuals. The primary objective of OSB is to prevent loss of life at sea.”
They would not go into what prompted the video’s release now or when it was actually made.
MORRISON SEEKS TO WOO WHISKY VOTE
Scott Morrison has turned his attention to whisky, announcing a $4.5m pledge to a new distillery near Hobart.
Lark Distillery in Pontville will use the money – part of the governments budget pledge for modern manufacturing – to build a new one million litre a year distillery.
Not only would it create up to 100 jobs, the prime minister said it was estimated it would expand the distillery’s export capabilities by up to 20 times.
“This should make all the whisky drinkers of the world happy,” Mr Morrison said. “We’re taking Tasmanian whisky to Scotland.”
Mr Morrison tried his hand at mixing the local drop, before getting behind the barrel to sample a taste.
NO MORE HANDOUTS FROM EITHER SIDE
Australians won’t be getting any more cash handouts to provide immediate cost-of-living relief regardless of who takes government in three weeks.
The Coalition and Labor have ruled out extending the fuel excise freeze providing relief at the bowser beyond September, with the opposition ruling out extending the low and middle income tax offset when it expires next year.
It comes as former prime minister John Howard, on the hustings in Brisbane, rejected the notion soaring inflation and cost-of-living pressures would hurt the Coalition on the polls, saying it was a perennial issue of elections.
Cost of living catapulted to the front and centre of the election on day 17 of the campaign after the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed inflation – or the cost of goods and services – had increase by 5.1 per cent over the year.
Major banks are predicting a rise in the cash rate by next week, meaning Australians are bracing for the first interest rate hike in a decade.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his Coalition frontbenchers have been pointing to global factors – including the pandemic and the war in Ukraine – for the inflation increase.
Mr Morrison instead asked voters to stick by the government as the “better” economic managers compared to Labor and said official advice suggested oil prices would come down within the next six months.
Opposition treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers said what’s happening internationally did not explain or excuse the Coalition’s “attacks” on take-home pay.
“If (Mr Morrison) wants to talk about international comparisons, the most important comparison is real wages, Australian workers are going backwards in real wage terms faster than their counterparts in the United States,” Dr Chalmers said.
But Dr Chalmers also said he “would not pretend” that if Labor is elected that all of the “big entrenched challenges” would be dealt with.
Labor’s plan to grow wages, Dr Chalmers said, included skilling up the workforce, cheaper childcare so more people can work and support wage cases before the Fair Work Commission.
Both Mr Morrison and Dr Chalmers ruled out extending the fuel excise freeze past September, regardless of which party takes government.
The reduction in the excise has seen motorists save roughly $15 when filling a 60-litre tank of unleaded fuel. The measure took effect on March 29 and is due to expire on September 28.
There was also bipartisan agreement that spending on immediate relief measures could not go on “forever”.
Dr Chalmers also reiterated Labor had no plans to extend the low-and-middle-income tax offset past 2024.
The last time interest rates rose during an election campaign was in 2007 when inflation hit 3 per cent.
Just under three weeks later, voters turfed John Howard from the Lodge.
But Mr Howard, campaigning in the seat of Ryan on Thursday, said it was difficult to draw a comparison to his loss and the current campaign, insisting the struggles of daily expenses always played a role during federal elections.
“There are cost of living pressures now, there always are cost of living pressures,” he said.
“I can’t remember an election campaign where the cost of living was not an issue – every single one and I’ve been in quite a few.”
Mr Howard also dismissed housing affordability in the context of Brisbane’s more than 30 per cent annual house price growth, according to CoreLogic, and cripplingly low rental vacancy rates of well below 1 per cent in most Southeast Queensland suburbs.
Instead, he blamed state and local governments for implementing policies that drove house prices higher.
“I don’t accept there is a housing crisis,” he said.
NYRSTAR SPENDING AND JOBS PLEDGE
Metals processing company Nyrstar would receive $50 million for a new electrolysis plant at its Hobart zinc smelter under a re-elected Coalition government.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who made the announcement at the smelter during a campaign visit to Hobart on Thursday afternoon, said the funding would shore up jobs at the plant and at Nyrstar’s Port Pirie smelter in South Australia.
During the visit, Mr Morrison met with workers and placed a stamp of authenticity on a zinc tablet ready to be exported.
The project will involve replacing and upscaling the 100-year-old facility with a new electrolysis plant where the zinc will be produced.
It will increase production by up to 30 per cent and boost energy efficiency at the site.
“Our economic plan is enabling this investment in Nyrstar that will secure around 500 direct Tasmanian jobs, over 1100 direct South Australian jobs, and over 5000 indirect jobs across both states for generations to come,” Mr Morrison said.
“The new electrolysis plant will take advantage of new advanced manufacturing technology that improves Nyrstar’s performance and global competitiveness.
“This will ensure the Tasmanian facility will thrive for another 100 years and more, securing the long-term future of operations in both Hobart and Port Pirie.”
‘THE SOLOMONS ARE A CHALLENGE’
Former prime minister John Howard has suggested the Solomon Islands’ leader’s resentment of Australia played a major role in the Pacific nation turning its back on Australia in signing a security deal with China.
The Opposition has blamed the Morrison government for failing to manage its diplomatic relationship in the Pacific but Mr Howard insists geopolitical strategies weren’t to blame.
Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare was the leader of the Solomon Islands at the same time Mr Howard led Australia.
“I mean, sure, the Solomon Islands are a challenge,” Mr Howard said on Thursday.
“And the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands … I know him, I’ve dealt with him a little and he doesn’t even like Australia very much.”
When asked why the two countries had a strained diplomatic relationship, Mr Howard simply replied: “Go and ask him, I don’t know”.
“I’m not saying I was an impeccable genius in handling things but I just make the point, once again, that it is a reminder of the challenges in our region,” Mr Howard added.
“The attitude of China has changed enormously and you need people in charge who can handle that.”
Opposition spokesperson for foreign affairs, Penny Wong, earlier this week criticised the government for the diplomatic bungle and questioned if the relationship had recovered from Peter Dutton’s infamous climate change quip from 2015 about Pacific nations having “water lapping at your door”.
But Mr Dutton, who now holds the defence portfolio, insisted “we have an exceptional relationship with the Solomon Islands”.
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