Dutton says election is ‘a choice about who can better manage our economy’
Peter Dutton is now responding to the election call, out of Brisbane.
He says the election is “a choice about who can better manage our economy”.
He’s focused on what the Coalition believes are Labor’s weakest points – the failed referendum for the Voice to parliament, the cost of living crisis, and energy prices.
Dutton puts forward his campaign slogans (that we’ll be hearing a lot of over the next five and a bit weeks).
Australian families need relief now. And we must do better and there is a better way. And the Coalition has an achievable plan to get our country back on track.
Key events
Leaving the election campaign for a moment…
Fast-tracked amendments to sacred sites legislation have been slammed by traditional owners and the authority which safeguards them, AAP reports.
The Northern Territory government has introduced changes to the Sacred Sites Act it says will provide “simpler and streamlined” approval processes for development.
Certificates issued by the territory’s independent Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority would be transferable under the amendments.
NT Environment Minister Joshua Burgoyne says the changes are designed make the process more “accessible, efficient, and protective of sacred sites”.
The authority, which is responsible for overseeing the safeguarding of NT sacred sites, has raised concerns about the lack of consultation and rapid time frame for feedback on the amendments.
Authority chair Bobby Nunggumajbarr said the board supported streamlining existing processes but instead of consulting with Aboriginal people, the government had proposed the “hastily drafted” transfer power.
We could be discussing a one-stop shop where all Aboriginal heritage and sacred sites are protected under a single process and a single act.
We could be simplifying the authority’s cost structure. We could ensure the offences and the penalties are in line with other heritage and environmental legislation.
Cait Kelly
Coalition housing plan will leave ‘tens of thousands in limbo’, Anglicare warns
Going back to Peter Dutton’s budget reply speech last night, Anglicare Australia has responded today with a warning that plans to repeal the Housing Australia Future Fund would worsen Australia’s social housing shortfall.
The organisation says there is already a shortfall of 640,000 homes, but that number is set to grow to 940,000 in the next two decades.
Anglicare Australia’s executive director, Kasy Chambers, says under the plan, “tens of thousands will be left in limbo”.
Across the country, there are people in severe rental stress. They are being forced to make unfair choices every day, from skipping meals to getting into debt, just to keep a roof over their heads.
At a time when we need more social housing, the opposition is proposing to build less by scrapping the Housing Australia Future Fund. That would see our already large social housing shortfall get even worse.
Dutton shrugs off Trump policy comparisons
Journalist have twice tried to put questions to Dutton on whether his agenda is mirroring Donald Trump’s platform – particularly in respect to his plan to slash the public service.
Both times Dutton has basically ignored the comparison, and is justifying the cuts to the public service.
Like on radio this morning, the opposition leader says taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for these 41,000 jobs when they’re working so hard to make ends meet (but he commits to not slashing front-line workers).
Asked whether the comparison to Trump is a sledge or a compliment, Dutton puts the blame for the comparison on to Albanese:
What you will see from the prime minister is all of the negative stuff day after day. The ads are out there, the prime minister has written, and the sledging is on by the prime minister because he doesn’t have a good story to tell about his three years in government.
(You might remember yesterday Greens MP Stephen Bates called Dutton “Temu Trump” during question time, before it was ruled unparliamentary language.)
Energy will be cheaper under Coalition – Dutton
The battle over tax cuts v fuel excise cut is heating up.
Dutton again argues the help the Coalition is offering is more targeted and will provide immediate relief.
The prime minister’s offering 70 cents a day by way of a tax cut in 15 months’ time. I think the prime minister’s completely out of touch with the pressure that Australians are under at the moment… we want to help now [providing] pensioners and families and small businesses right across the economy with a 25 cent reduction in fuel excise.
On the Coalition’s energy measures, Dutton won’t specify how much electricity prices will go down, or how quickly.
It’s something Labor’s been burned by – at the last election offering a $275 drop in household energy bills, which hasn’t happened.
Dutton says more generally:
Under us and our plan, Australians will pay less for energy.
Dutton brushes off energy criticism
We’re on to questions, and Dutton is asked why he barely mentioned the $300bn-plus nuclear energy plan in his budget reply speech last night.
Dutton says he spoke extensively about the energy plan:
It’s important to point out that our plan has gas, and a lot of gas, in the system between now and when nuclear can come online in 2035-37.
Another reporter mentions comments from energy producers who have dismissed the reservation plan, claiming it will lead to an oversupply on the east coast.
Dutton says “that’s good”.
That’s good and it will bring down prices and that’s exactly what we want to do. I’m not here to argue for the gas companies, I’m here to argue for Australian consumers.
(I’ll direct you back to comments from Tim Buckley, an energy expert who told ABC RN Breakfast this morning: “The idea that we’re just going to somehow have the gas industry find a whole lot of new gas production to ramp up – there are no new gas fields imminent.”)
Dutton says Australia ‘can’t afford three more years like the last three’
The opposition leader has again foreshadowed an increase to spending for the defence force, as he lists the policies – new and old – that the Coalition is taking to the election.
Dutton says the Coalition will reduce the migration intake and cut the fuel excise in half and promises to improve healthcare and reverse cuts to mental health services.
Mr Albanese is too weak and Labor is too incompetent to fix the problems that they’ve created and that are facing our country today. We can’t afford three more years like the last three.
Dutton says election is ‘a choice about who can better manage our economy’
Peter Dutton is now responding to the election call, out of Brisbane.
He says the election is “a choice about who can better manage our economy”.
He’s focused on what the Coalition believes are Labor’s weakest points – the failed referendum for the Voice to parliament, the cost of living crisis, and energy prices.
Dutton puts forward his campaign slogans (that we’ll be hearing a lot of over the next five and a bit weeks).
Australian families need relief now. And we must do better and there is a better way. And the Coalition has an achievable plan to get our country back on track.
Kate Lyons
Continuing from our last post…
Under the new laws, anyone who solicits, buys or sells a claim faces a fine of up to $55,000. Lawyers will also be prohibited from charging or retaining fees associated with a claimed farm.
NSW attorney general Michael Daley said:
The NSW government has legislated to put a stop to the insidious practice of claim farming that exploits the trauma of vulnerable people. The predatory practices can worsen the trauma and distress experienced by victim-survivors.
No one should be harassed or intimidated into making a civil compensation claim which may not be in their best interests.
Kate Lyons
NSW bans ‘claim farming’ in bid to protect the vulnerable
The New South Wales government has passed legislation banning “claim farming”, which it describes as a “predatory practice … that exploits the trauma of vulnerable people”, in a bid to protect vulnerable people from being pressured to lodge civil compensation claims.
The Claim Farming Practices Prohibition Bill 2025 passed parliament last night. The bill makes it illegal for third parties to sell on the details of potential clients to law firms, who then make a claim for compensation on the victim’s behalf.
The legislation makes NSW the third state to ban claim farming, after South Australia and Queensland introduced similar legislation in recent years.
It comes after a series of high-profile arrests last month, which saw NSW police arrest nine people (and QLD police arrest a further man) over an alleged fraudulent claim farming ring worth millions of dollars. Police allege the group was involved in making and inciting others to make, fraudulent claims of historical sexual abuse about the NSW department of education and department of communities and justice, as well as to the National Redress Scheme.
Claim farmers often target child abuse victim-survivors through cold calling.
Victim-survivors have reported emotional distress at having their childhood abuse – that they might not have disclosed to anyone – brought up to them by a cold caller wanting to see if they would like to make a compensation claim. This person’s details are then sold to a legal practice or another claim farmer.
Other concerns about the practice are that it increases the likelihood of fraudulent compensation claims being made – because claim farmers receive a referral fee for each person they pass on to a law firm – that the existence of claim farming makes decision-makers about compensation skeptical of real claimants, and that victims who go through claim farmers end up paying more in legal fees, as a result of the claim farmer’s involvement.
Gas will always cost less under Labor – senator
We’ve been hearing a lot of “X will always be cheaper/better under Liberal/Labor” over the past few days, and now Labor assistant minister Tim Ayres has told Sky News energy will always be cheaper under Labor.
Host Laura Jayes says point blank “that is a lie”.
But Ayres argues the transition to renewables will still be cheaper than the Coalition’s nuclear plan (this is obviously disputed by the Coalition, which says their plan – based on independent modelling they commissioned – will be cheaper).
Ayres says gas is the most expensive form of electricity, and while it’s essential in the electricity system, there shouldn’t be more of it in the system (as the Coalition is suggesting)
Gas is an expensive form of electricity… it is utterly appropriate for peaking capacity, like you need it in the system just the right amount to make sure that when renewables generation capability isn’t there, we’ve got something to keep the system moving along. Storage, utterly important too.
I just say Peter Dutton’s gas measures – the devil is in the detail, [and] there is no detail. Gas industry is already out there saying this will deter future investment in gas mining capability.
Australia pledges another $11m in aid for Gaza civilians
Josh Butler
In the meantime … Australia will send another $11m in humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza, with foreign minister Penny Wong repeating long-held calls for more assistance to people in the Palestinian territory.
Labor will also send $15m for assistance to humanitarian crises in Myanmar and Afghanistan.
“The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, and Australia reiterates calls for sustained, unimpeded aid to those who desperately need it,” Wong said in a statement.
Australia is engaging diplomatically as part of the international call for all parties to return to the ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza. We continue to press for the protection of civilians, the release of hostages and unimpeded and sustained humanitarian aid.
The government says $7m will go to food assistance for Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar for Bangladesh, $3m for food and health on the Thai-Myanmar border, and $5m for United Nations partners to help Afghan women and girls.
“Helping others in crisis reflects Australian values, but also supports our interests in a peaceful, stable world. Australia’s contribution will provide lifesaving assistance to people enduring immense suffering,” the foreign minister said.
Humanitarian needs have increased twenty-fold since the Myanmar coup. We call on the military regime to prioritise civilian safety and immediately cease violence and ensure unhindered and safe humanitarian access across the country.
Australia is steadfast in its support for Afghan women and girls, who have shown incredible courage in the face of the Taliban’s systematic human rights violations and abuses.
Everyone’s talking about how tight the election will be (and it’s particularly exciting for the minor parties and independents – see Adam Bandt’s comments below)
But to see where the election will be won and lost and where some of the closest margins will be, take a look at my colleague Sarah Basford-Canales’ excellent explainer here:
We’re standing by to hear from Peter Dutton this morning.
He snuck out of Canberra (either late last night or on a red-eye this morning) and will be fronting the cameras around 11.15am AEDT from Brisbane.
Dutton says slashing public service jobs will lead to ‘productivity increase’
Circling back to Dutton’s interview on 4BC earlier this morning: what about the 41,000 public servants the Coalition has promised to sack?
Peter Fegan asked whether Dutton is comfortable for tens of thousands of people to lose their jobs, saying: “They were hired to do a job, it’s not their fault.”
Dutton counters that those workers will be able to find jobs elsewhere.
These are Canberra-based bureaucrat jobs that we’re talking about. The public service does a great job, but we need to have an efficient public service. And don’t forget that public servant wages are paid by working Australians…
I want to say to those public servants and to all Australians, we’ve got an economy out there at the moment where, when you speak to a lot of people across different sectors, they can’t find staff. So there’s no doubt in my mind that there’s a productivity increase in this decision.
Bandt says Aukus paints ‘huge Donald Trump-shaped target’ on Australia’s back
Defence is another big sticking point for the Greens, who have been calling for Australia to leave the Aukus pact with the US and the UK.
Aukus is a bipartisan commitment between Labor and the Coalition (you might remember Dutton standing up to support Albanese’s answer to a crossbench question defending Aukus during yesterday’s question time).
Bandt says now is the wrong time for Australia to be “joined at the hip with Donald Trump” and for Australia’s defence policy to be “contracted out” to Trump.
We are the only ones pushing to cancel the Aukus arrangements and the nuclear submarines.
The point that we’re making about a defence policy is also that you just have to have a look at Ukraine to see that hope – basing your whole defence policy on Donald Trump riding to your rescue is not the way to go. That does not make you safe.
We don’t want Australia to have a huge Donald Trump-shaped target painted on our back by being part of Aukus.
Gaining a ministry ‘not our priority’ – Bandt
Unlike the agreement between Labor and the Greens in the ACT, where the minor party has held cabinet positions, Bandt says holding a ministerial portfolio is “not our priority”.
(And you can imagine how much heat the Greens and Labor would cop if something like that was announced during the campaign.)
A ministerial position is not our priority. What the Greens want at this election is to keep Peter Dutton out and get Labor to act. This is a real chance by voting Greens to get some real outcomes for people. Like enough of the tinkering around the edges. Tinkering around the edges of the housing and rental crisis still leaves people skipping meals just to pay the rent.
Bandt reiterates the priority is to get dental into Medicare, build more public and social housing and tax mining corporations more.
Bandt says ‘minority government is coming’
Greens leader Adam Bandt is at parliament offering up the Greens’ pitch to voters.
Minority government is coming. And with the major parties offering about as attractive as a dead fish, you can see why. Labor wants to give you 73 cents a day in a year. The Liberals are offering about the same to some people but only for the a year, and the Greens want to save you thousands of dollars a year every year by getting dental into Medicare, making it free to see the GP, capping rent increases and wiping student debt.
He says the Greens will get major corporations to pay for their promises through increased tax.
(These are all policies the Greens have been pushing the government for, for a while.)
Bandt believes this election is an “incredible opportunity” for a minority government.
Dutton hedges on lower household power bills
Peter Dutton has spoken to 4BC radio this morning, spruiking his gas reservation policy and plan to fast-track new gas projects.
The Coalition has said this would bring down prices from around $14 a gigajoule down to about $10.
But will Dutton guarantee the policy will reduce household bills?
I’m not going to do the $275 lie that the prime minister did before the election – I think that he promised to 97 occasions, and on each occasion he knew that he wasn’t telling the truth.
But what I do know is that the Liberal party will always manage the economy more effectively, and if we bring on significantly more supply of gas into the market, and if we reduce the prices, you say, from $14 down to $10, then you can expect that there will be reduced power prices and across the economy.
So not exactly an airtight guarantee.
