Key events
Andrew Messenger
Stepping away from federal politics for a moment…
Stadia and other Olympics venues would be exempted from planning laws, protecting them from legal challenges, under legislation to be introduced into parliament today.
Queensland’s planning minister Jarrod Bleijie is set to introduce the bill, which overrides 15 planning laws.
The move will be particularly significant for the central stadium, at Victoria Park.
Premier David Crisafulli revealed the selection of the park as the central venue for the 2032 games last month. The decision broke two election promises made last year; not to build a new stadium, and not to do one at Victoria Park.
In a message posted to social media last night, Opposition group Save Victoria Park said the decision “to try and prevent any legitimate legal objections to their proposed stadiums in the heritage-listed park is disgraceful and a slap in the face to the community”.
The group said there were still legal avenues available for a challenge at federal law.
Littleproud says people in regional Australia ‘have dropped off listening to the ABC’
Nationals leader David Littleproud has joined ABC News Breakfast, and is asked whether he agrees with Peter Dutton’s description of the ABC and the Guardian as “hate media”.
Littleproud won’t say the words, but backs in Dutton’s point, arguing that the ABC hasn’t challenged the prime minister when he says the Coalition’s nuclear plan will cost $600bn.
Well, look, what I’d say it’s been disappointing that organisations like the national broadcaster hasn’t asked the Prime Minister about this blatant lie about a $600bn cost to nuclear energy.
Host James Glenday unsurprisingly takes umbrage at the accusation that the ABC hasn’t asked those questions to the PM. The backstory here is that the $600bn figure has come from the Smart Energy Council, which has previously donated to Labor, and whose number is much higher than the Coalition’s commissioned costings.
Glenday asks whether it’s “helpful” to describe the ABC as hate media in some of the Coalition’s electorates. Littleproud digs in on his attack of the public broadcaster.
Well, I think unfortunately, James, what’s happened is much of my electorates, people have dropped off listening to the ABC. And that’s a shame because I think it should be more about news and less about views.
Andrew Messenger
Queensland government delays anti-discrimination law indefinitely
Queensland parliament has voted to indefinitely delay implementing landmark anti-discrimination legislation it passed into law last year.
The attorney general, Deb Frecklington, flagged the move last month. They were included in an amendment to an unrelated bill Frecklington introduced yesterday.
Among other reforms, they expanded discriminatory protections to victims of domestic violence and homelessness, disabled Queenslanders and improved protections for employees subjected to sexual harassment at work. Initially the reforms were to take effect on 1 July.
Queensland Human Rights Commissioner, Scott McDougall, said the move was “a huge disappointment to me and will be to many Queenslanders who have worked tirelessly for positive change”. He said he’d pressed Frecklington to allow uncontroversial parts of the bill to take effect on schedule and called on her to announce a new commencement date.
The shadow attorney general, Meaghan Scanlon, said:
Indefinitely delaying protections for women at work – domestic violence victims, people who are experiencing homelessness – is disgraceful. Given the staggering number of women in this state and country who have been the victims of sexual harassment and assault in the workplace, God only knows why the LNP wants to let discrimination run unabated.
The bill passed on party lines last night. Frecklington said on Tuesday:
The decision to delay the commencement of the RAW Act was not taken lightly. The government remains fully committed to fostering safe, respectful and inclusive workplaces across Queensland
However, the postponement was necessary to ensure that the implementation of the act is as effective and impactful as possible.
Labor attacks Coalition costings due today
Labor is taking the opportunity ahead of the Coalition releasing their costings to throw doubt on their numbers.
On ABC News Breakfast, Anika Wells was asked whether she believed the Coalition could cut $40bn in debt.
The Coalition has more holes than a golf course in the statement they have released to media overnight about their costings. I hope that people that are possibly 72 hours away from becoming Australia’s government, they have got more detail to offer you all.
Deputy PM Richard Marles also had a dig on RN Breakfast:
The Coalition in terms of how they have spoken about the budget have been an utter joke.
Labor accuse opposition of “verballing” Penny Wong
Questions on the voice to parliament have continued to plague Labor this morning, following foreign affairs minister Penny Wong’s comments to the Betoota Advocate podcast.
The Coalition has used her comments, reflecting on the voice debate, saying, “I think we’ll look back on it in 10 years’ time and it’ll be a bit like marriage equality” to accuse Labor of wanting to bring back the voice.
The PM and senior cabinet colleagues denied that yesterday and accused some of “verballing” Wong.
Deputy PM Richard Marles is asked on RN Breakfast whether the voice will return, and he also says Wong has been “verballed”.
But when asked about where the failed referendum leaves the other elements of the Uluru statement from the heart – for treaty and truth – Marles won’t really say.
Our focus is in respect of practically making a difference to closing the gap, and that’s where our focus is. And we’re working with the Indigenous leadership of this country, acknowledging that I think parties of both persuasions have wanted to close the gap.
Sally Sara asks why the PM hasn’t visited remote Indigenous communities during the election campaign. Marles says the PM has worked “consistently” with Indigenous communities.
Well, I mean, the prime minister has travelled more around the country, and I think has visited more Australians than you could imagine someone doing in the course of a campaign.
Earlier on News Breakfast, Anika Wells was asked whether the voice was coming back, she said, it was “gone”.
The voice in the form that we took to the referendum is gone… but we are always looking for way to help First Nations peoples.
Women in rural and remote areas struggle to access social security, report says
Cait Kelly
Economic Justice Australia has released a report showing women in 4R areas (regional, rural, remote, and very remote australia) are struggling to access social security payments.
As part of the report they heard from a mother in the Kimberley who was unable to verify her identity to Services Australia because she can’t afford her birth certificate; a victim-survivor of family violence in central Queensland who couldn’t access online services due to poor internet connectivity; and a woman in rural Tasmania caring for her elderly parent, facing a six-month wait for Services Australia to review an incorrect decision.
The report found these access issues were made even more significant by the fact one quarter of women in these areas have a personal income of under $400 per week.
Kate Allingham, chief executive of Economic Justice Australia, said:
A functioning social security system isn’t just about eligibility. People need to actually be able to access it. This report shows there are significant barriers facing women in regional, rural, remote and very remote areas, which effectively exclude them from the support they’re legally entitled to, and which is often desperately needed.
It is clear from this election campaign that social security is not a priority for either major party. This is disappointing, and not good enough considering how severe and widespread the human impact of these policy decisions are.
EJA is calling on the government to implement a raft of measures to ensure all women who need Centrelink can access it, including improve training and support for frontline staff to identify people struggling with proof of identity requirements, adding private consultation rooms in rural Centrelink offices, training staff so people are not turned away, funding interpreters and outreach services.
South-east Queensland a key battleground
South-east Queensland will be an area to watch on election night as the Liberals, Labor and Greens battle it out for seats.
The Greens shocked many winning three lower house seats for the first time in 2022, in Ryan and Brisbane (taken from the LNP) and Griffith (taken from Labor).
Anika Wells, a Queensland Labor MP and cabinet minister, tells ABC News Breakfast this morning she reckons Labor have got “a very decent chance” of clawing some of their votes back in the state.
[We’ve] got a very decent chance at it because I have been watching people come in to vote, we’re now in our second week now … I think people progressives who are tossing up between voting red or green are always looking to vote for something, and I think this time around, we have given them things to vote for.
Dutton’s Wednesday night visit to Kooyong
Last night, Peter Dutton was in the inner Melbourne seat of Kooyong, held by independent Monique Ryan.
Dutton has so far largely avoided spending much time in the teal-held seats of inner Sydney and Melbourne.
He had a beer with candidate Amelia Hamer and shadow finance minister Jane Hume.
Josh Butler
Dutton campaigns in Dickson
Peter Dutton starts the day in Brisbane, returning again to his electorate of Dickson just three days out from polling day. He’s at a local club, launching the Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal in this area.
Dutton’s office says he’s helped and hosted this charity drive in his region for 18 years.
There’s some good swag up for grabs at a charity auction or raffle here, including a signed Dolphins NRL jersey, a cricket bat signed by the Australian cricket team from 2009, and a book pack including John Howard’s Lazarus Rising.
We’ll expect a press conference from Dutton after this event.
‘We don’t know what they’re going to cut’: Gallagher lambasts Coalition for not releasing costings
Finance minister Katy Gallagher and shadow treasurer Angus Taylor have clashed on costings, on a Today show panel.
Things are heating up, and the government have been using the last few days to attack the Coalition for not having already released their numbers, and accused them of having hidden cuts to pay for their promises.
Gallagher called the delay a “costings con job”.
I think this is a real costings con job from the opposition. I mean, they have 5 million people have voted and the costings still aren’t out. We don’t know what they’re going to cut.
Taylor retorted:
Well, Karl, we’re putting them out at exactly the same time as Katy and the Labor party did at the last election. More lies from Katy.
The Coalition have said they’ll cut programs like the production tax credits, rewiring the nation fund and housing Australia future fund – but will still need to outline more savings measures to match their spending commitments.
One Nation candidate whose preferences may help Coalition has railed against climate science and Covid ‘little Hitlers’
Check out our top story this morning which looks at the Nationals’ “handshake” preference deal with One Nation that could prise the seat of Hunter from Labor control.
Here’s Henry Belot’s full story:
Krishani Dhanji
Good morning,
Krishani Dhanji here with you. Thanks to Martin Farrer for getting us started.
Just. Two. Days. To. Go.
We’re nearly there, it’s the absolute home stretch, and the leaders are pulling out all stops to whip around the country.
Peter Dutton is starting his day closer to home, in Brisbane, with the Coalition due to release their costings today. They’re promising a better budget bottom line.
Anthony Albanese, meanwhile, is starting the day in Perth – and we know just how important that state is to keeping Labor in power.
We’ll bring you all of the news as it comes.
Read the Guardian view on Australia’s federal election
In our election editorial today, we argue that Anthony Albanese has governed steadily but perhaps too slowly to address the country’s problems.
His campaign shows that he wants to unite middle Australia rather than polarise voters. Peter Dutton, who is a better natural communicator, has nevertheless run a poor campaign dogged by lack of policy detail and U-turns.
If progressives want faster change they should consider voting for the Greens, teals or other alternative candidates in the hope of electing a minority Labor government with a progressive crossbench.
Labor extends lead in polls
Peter Dutton needs a “miracle” to win Saturday’s election, the Daily Telegraph reports, as it publishes the last RedBridge-Accent national poll of the campaign.
The survey, which tallies with a Nine newspaper poll yesterday, shows that Labor has extended its lead to 53-47 on a two-party-preferred basis since the start of April. In November the Coalition was ahead by 51-49.
Fears about global uncertainty caused by Donald Trump and the expected high cost of the Coalition’s plan to build nuclear reactors have been decisive in turning voters to Labor, the poll found.
Younger and ethnically diverse voters have been especially important, the poll shows, with a higher proportion of them living in marginal urban seats.
Back to Back Barries: final election night predictions
In this special pre-election episode, co-hosts Tony Barry and Barrie Cassidy pull apart the final messages of the campaign, delve into the polling and deliver their last verdicts on how they think it will play out on Saturday night.
Listen here:
Median value of homes increases for third month, Cotality says
Cait Kelly
The median value of an Australian dwelling increased approximately $2,720 in April, after a third straight month of growth, according to Cotality’s national home value index.
Over the past 25 years, the price of a typical home has jumped from four times the median income in the early 2000s to more than eight times, with rates of home ownership among younger Australians dropping dramatically as a result.
A lift in home values was recorded across every capital city, ranging from a 0.2% rise in Sydney and Melbourne to a 1.1% gain in Darwin.
Regional housing values have continued to outpace the capitals, with values up 0.6% and 0.2% respectively over the month of April.
Cotality’s research director, Tim Lawless, said:
The rate cut in February supported an upwards inflection in housing market conditions, but the positive influence from lower rates seems to be losing some potency.
At the same time, household confidence slipped in April, with the US’s ‘liberation day’ tariff announcements and the upcoming federal election causing uncertainty. It is likely this may be causing some buyers and sellers to delay their decisions.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live election blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then Krishani Dhanji will take over.
Our top story this morning is on the “handshake” deal by the Nationals to move One Nation up its preference list that could help win the New South Wales electorate of Hunter. The deal has been made despite Pauline Hanson’s candidate being known for calling public health officials “little Hitlers” and promoting a conspiracy theory that the climate crisis has been used to control every aspect of people’s lives.
The Coalition will release its long-awaited policy costings today, claiming that they will show the budget would be more than $10bn better off and debt would be $40bn lower over the next four years than under Labor. A re-elected Coalition government would have to slash net migration of students and temporary skilled workers by 90% to reach its “impossibly heroic” goal of reducing net migration to 160,000 next financial year, a Guardian analysis shows.
The median price of a home has risen for the third month in a row, according to data this morning from the research firm Cotality. The median value of an Australian dwelling increased about $2,720 in April, according to Cotality’s national home value index. More coming up.
