Governor general may represent Australia at pope’s funeral, PM says
Albanese is asked who will represent Australia at the pope’s funeral.
The prime minister says he’s spoken to governor general, Sam Mostyn, who was on her way to travel overseas for Anzac Day, and says, “Her Excellency would be an appropriate representative.”
Albanese also says he’s spoken to Keith Pitt, who has been nominated as the Ambassador to the Holy See, but Pitt hasn’t yet been able to “present his credentials”.
Keith Pitt, because of the illness of the holy father, has not been able to present his credentials yet, but Mr Pitt is assisting with the logistics and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are finalising details.
Key events
Hello, I’m Petra Stock, looking after the blog for a bit over lunchtime.
Henry Belot
Kooyong voter complains about unsolicited texts urging people to vote for Monique Ryan
Voters in Kooyong have received unsolicited text messages from Monique Ryan‘s campaign urging them to vote for her and now that pre-polling has begun.
The text messages, sent on Tuesday morning, provide the locations of two pre-polling locations:
What an exciting day! It’s the opening day of early voting. Hi, I’m Monique Ryan, your independent federal member for Kooyong. Avoid the lines and vote early this week, here are a couple of sites in Kooyong (…) and don’t forget to Vote 1 Independent Monique Ryan.
One person who received the text, who declined to be named but confirmed they were not a member of any political party, has criticised the unsolicited text messages:
I’ve never given her campaign my number and I am on the do-not-call register. This is the sort of sneaky behaviour Monique Ryan claims to be against, but always seems to be up to herself.
A short video message from Ryan, embedded within the text message, carried an authorisation message in line with AEC rules.
The Ryan campaign has been contacted for comment.
Voters have ‘once-in-a-generation chance to take real action’ on housing this election, says Bandt
Adam Bandt is in the seat of Wills this morning, in inner Melbourne, an area the Greens have set their eyes on winning from Labor MP Peter Khalil.
Bandt addresses media, acknowledging the death of Pope Francis, and highlighting his advocacy for equality and climate action.
Pope Francis made some really significant contributions to the push for equality around the world, for peace in Palestine, and also for real action on climate …
A lot of people we know will be feeling the events of today, and we share our thoughts with them and pay tribute to the significant advances that the pope made.
Bandt then turns to more political issues, baking in his messaging to form a minority government with Labor.
The Greens have homed in on housing as one of the biggest issues in Wills, and Bandt says the minor party can push Labor to do more for housing.
Renters and first home buyers are in the box seat this election and have a once-in-a-generation chance to take real action on the housing and rental crisis.
Henry Belot
Bennelong candidate likens Labor’s cheaper medicines policy to ‘reckless’ gambling
The Liberal candidate for Bennelong, Scott Yung, has compared Labor’s cheaper medicines policy and 60-day dispensing changes to “reckless” gambling.
Since 1 September, doctors have been issuing eligible patients with a 60-day prescription for 184 common medicines to treat ongoing health conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease and osteoporosis. It means patients can fill two scripts for the price of one, halving the cost of many common medicines to the consumer.
While answering a question on gambling harm at a candidates forum on Wednesday, Yung spoke about the social impacts of gambling. He told the audience about meeting a banker with two children who “lost everything to gambling”. Yung said “gambling was not good for society” before pivoting to make a broader point:
But speaking of gambling, gambling is a behaviour where people don’t think of the consequences. And what this government has done is gambled the taxpayers’ money of Australia.
Yung was briefly heckled by an audience member who accused him of not directly answering a question about whether he supported a bipartisan parliamentary inquiry’s call for gambling ads to be banned.
Later in the event, Yung then addressed a comment made by the Labor incumbent, Jerome Laxale, about the change to 60-day prescriptions.
We understand that the other side has a good heart, that they want to make medicines cheaper. But to recklessly, recklessly cut the profits of small business owners, the pharmacies working extremely hard, some of them have told me they’ve gone down to 30-40%. That gambling-like behaviour is simply not on.
ASX falls sharply after Wall Street sell-off
Jonathan Barrett
Australian shares opened sharply lower this morning, after Donald Trump’s repeated attacks on the Federal Reserve sapped investor confidence on Wall Street.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 fell 1% to trade below 7,750 points shortly after the stock exchange opened this morning, following the US market lower.
Overnight, the “sell America trade” gathered steam, with American stocks, bonds and the greenback all falling as traders fled the unpredictable US market.
The trend has sparked a rally in the Australian dollar, which is now above US64c. The local currency had threatened to crash through the US59c barrier earlier this month, before staging a rapid recovery against the greenback.
In recent days, Trump has amped up attacks against the Fed chair, Jerome Powell, as the president pushes for lower interest rates to offset the inflationary impacts of his new tariff regime.
The central bank is designed to set interest rates without interference from the White House.
There are growing concerns among investors that the US is entering a period of stagflation, marked by stagnant economic growth, rising unemployment and increasing inflation.
The early falls in the Australian market are more modest than the overnight 2.4% slide in the US benchmark S&P 500.
PM asked to reflect on how pope’s death will influence election campaign
Albanese takes a final question, and a reporter asks what impact the pope’s death will have on the rest of the day and the rest of the campaign.
Albanese says the public can separate the two events, and stresses the important of Australia’s secular democracy.
He adds Catholics will “take time to reflect” and leaves the press conference there.
Pope ‘had courage and he showed true leadership’, Albanese says
Albanese is visibly emotional again in addressing the press on Pope Francis’ legacy.
He’s asked about his own faith, and while Albanese says he tries “not talk about my faith in public”, he says:
I think what people do is they draw on who they are and certainly my Catholicism is just a part of me and one of the things about the holy father is that he, for so many Catholics, I think his humility, for the way that he embraced the poor, the way that he embraced the social justice message that I see as the message of Jesus Christ.
Albanese says he believes the pope “will be recorded in history as one of the most significant of all of the holy fathers”.
The change that he led was significant indeed and he, of course, advocated for reforms that weren’t universally supported as well. He had courage and he showed true leadership.
Governor general may represent Australia at pope’s funeral, PM says
Albanese is asked who will represent Australia at the pope’s funeral.
The prime minister says he’s spoken to governor general, Sam Mostyn, who was on her way to travel overseas for Anzac Day, and says, “Her Excellency would be an appropriate representative.”
Albanese also says he’s spoken to Keith Pitt, who has been nominated as the Ambassador to the Holy See, but Pitt hasn’t yet been able to “present his credentials”.
Keith Pitt, because of the illness of the holy father, has not been able to present his credentials yet, but Mr Pitt is assisting with the logistics and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are finalising details.
Pope Francis was the ‘people’s pope’, says PM
Anthony Albanese is making remarks on the late Pope Francis in Melbourne.
The prime minister says the pope’s loss is not just being mourned by Catholics, but by “people from all walks of life”.
His loss is being mourned, not by just over 1 billion Catholics around the world, but people from all walks of life.
In the truest sense of the words, he practised what he preached. The holy father was one of the most consequential leaders of this century and of our lifetime. He was, indeed, the people’s pope.
Albanese highlights his advocacy for people and also for the environment.
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Less than 2% of Labor’s promised $1bn mental health funding will be spent in next financial year
Just $16.5m of Labor’s promised $1bn mental health package – or 1.65% – is due to be spent in the next financial year, according to official policy costings that reveal some new care centres might not open until 2029.
Anthony Albanese this month unveiled a major suite of policies to make it easier for the public – in particular young Australians – to access free mental health treatment.
Peak mental health groups praised the $1bn pledge as a significant and much-needed investment to fill gaps in the provision of care for the one in five Australians who experience a mental health disorder.
The 8 April announcement did not include several key details, including a proposed timeline for the new and upgraded clinics.
Dutton confirms leaders’ debate to go ahead tonight
Campaigning by the major parties will largely be paused this morning as a mark of respect to Pope Francis, who passed last night.
Dutton did the media rounds this morning, as we brought you earlier, where he said today wasn’t a day for “politicking”. He told the Today show:
I don’t think there’s any need for over-the-top politics today. I think we can respectfully put our positions. Polling obviously opens today. There’s a leadership leaders debate tonight. I understand the prime minister is happy to proceed with that. So yeah, I think it’s a respectful day and we can state our policies. But I don’t think it needs to be an over the top day.
As Dutton confirmed, he and Albanese will still face each other tonight for the third leaders debate on Channel 9.
Dutton is in Orange in regional New South Wales this morning in the seat of Calare, which is held by former Nationals-turned-independent MP Andrew Gee. Dutton told News Breakfast it was “certainly a critical electorate” for the Coalition to win back.
Rafqa Touma
‘He was my pope’
I’ve been speaking to parishioners mourning the death of Pope Francis at St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney this morning. The overwhelming feeling is sadness at the loss of a humane leader.
“The holy father, as I’ve known him, he’s been one of the nicest people on Earth,” Steeven, one parishioner, says. “It’s a very sad feeling.”
He stood for love and peace.
Jane, another parishioner, says Pope Francis “did his best in a troubled world”.
I think he was quite progressive, and I liked the way he tried to bring the church into the modern world.
Sinisita says she is “so grateful that we had him”.
I love this pope. He was my pope.
‘I feel sad’: mourners gather at St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney after pope’s death
Rafqa Touma
The feeling is sombre at St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney this morning, after last night’s news of the death of the groundbreaking Jesuit pontiff Pope Francis.
Grey clouds gathered overhead as parishioners made their way into the 6:45am Easter Tuesday mass.
“I feel sad,” Marion, a parishioner, tells me before entering the mass.
He was for social and economic justice … Now all I can do is pray that our new pope will also be a champion and follow in the steps of Pope Francis.
He gives us hope. OK, we have faith, but we also need something more concrete in our lives. To have a champion … particularly when our political leaders have gone astray.
Francis was a vocal champion of the world’s poor, dispossessed and disadvantaged, and a blunt critic of corporate greed and social and economic inequality.
Within the Vatican, he criticised extravagance and privilege, calling on church leaders to show humility.
Home affairs minister Tony Burke was among up to 100 parishioners in attendance.
Adeshola Ore
‘He engendered a lot of affection’
I’ve been speaking to mourners who attended the 7am mass service at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne to pay tribute to Pope Francis.
Peter August, who attends the 7am mass each week day, says:
He engendered a lot of affection from a lot of people around the world. I just hope the next pope can do the same.
Dutton: ‘We need to do more to protect women’
News Breakfast host Bridget Brennan turns to women’s safety, and asks Peter Dutton why there’s been no mention of family violence during this campaign.
Dutton says it was brought up yesterday after he announced $750m for community safety – you can read more about that announcement here:
Yesterday, when asked about family violence at his press conference, Dutton said he would have “more to say”.
He then goes to his announcement to establish a child sex offender disclosure scheme, which he says will protect “the sanctity of childhood”.
I believe strongly that as a society we need to do more to protect women more generally in domestic situations but the sanctity of childhood is something important and we need to do everything we can to turn those numbers around… It’s a very complex issue but our commitment yesterday was to make sure we can invest into keeping women and young girls safer in our community.
Dutton says it’s not a day for ‘overt politicking’ but tonight’s debate will go ahead
Peter Dutton has now joined ABC News Breakfast, again expressing his condolences for Pope Francis.
He says “I don’t think it’s a day for overt politicking at all”, and while he’s done morning media, he’ll spend the rest of the day in reflection.
I don’t think it’s a day for overt politicking at all. I think the day is best spent reflecting. Obviously, pre-polling, etc, opens today and all of that will continue on but I don’t think there’s a place for the body blows of politics today.
On the Today show a moment ago, Dutton also confirmed he would continue ahead with the Channel 9 leaders’ debate with Anthony Albanese tonight.
Dutton accuses Labor of throwing mud at him
On Sunrise, Peter Dutton was skewered by host Nat Barr on his personal popularity in the polls. Barr asks why some voters say they won’t vote for the Coalition because of Dutton.
Dutton starts saying “today is not the day for politicking” but accuses the government of throwing mud at him.
[Labor] have spent $20m on negativity over the course of the last few months. Most based on a lie, frankly, in relation to the Medicare campaigning. The bulk-billing rates have dropped under this government…
If you throw mud in the game and put $20m behind it, it has an impact.
Barr tries to pin him on what impact his personality is having, but Dutton continues to blame Labor for mud slinging.
He says that Labor is also playing a heavy game of defence, having to sandbag its at-risk seats.
You will see where the government is spending money at the moment in their defending seats at the moment. They are not on the offence.
