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National
Josh Taylor (now) and Natasha May and Martin Farrer (earlier)

Albanese hits hustings ahead of NSW election day – as it happened

Labor Peter Dutton
Anthony Albanese joins the NSW election campaign trail
Anthony Albanese joins the NSW election campaign trail with the Labor candidate for Penrith, Karen McKeown, ahead of the state going to the polls on Saturday. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP

The day that was, Friday 24 March

And that’s where we will leave the blog for Friday.

Here’s what made the news today:

  • NSW premier Dominic Perrottet and opposition leader Chris Minns did their final dash around the state and pitched to voters why they should be in government ahead of tomorrow’s state election.

  • The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, made an appearance campaigning for Labor candidate Karen McKeown in the ultra-marginal seat of Penrith.

  • Liberal senator Sarah Henderson has cried during a debate over banning the Nazi salute in the Senate on Friday after Labor minister Murray Watt made comments about Henderson reportedly urged Victorian Liberal leader John Pesutto not to proceed with his attempt to expel Moira Deeming from the Liberal party after Deeming attended an anti-trans rally where extremists performed Nazi salutes.

  • Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, says the solicitor general’s advice endorses the government’s wording on the proposed change to the constitution for an Indigenous voice to parliament.

We’ll be back with you again in the morning, but until then, I hope you have a good Friday night.

It’s a start.

And here is my colleague Amanda Meade’s Weekly Beast column on what’s been happening in the media this week.

Ban on transgender athletes ‘discriminatory’, advocates say

Blanket bans on transgender women athletes risks violating fundamental human rights principles, Australian human rights groups warn.

AAP reports the caution comes on the heels of a vote from the World Athletics Council banning transgender women from female events in elite track and field competitions.

Equality Australia CEO Anna Brown said the new regulations announced early on Friday risked violating international human rights principles of non-discrimination.

The new regulations will cut in half the testosterone level allowed for athletes with differences in sex development that could keep them from competing in female events.

“Intersex variations in the female population are a naturally occurring part of our physical diversity,” Brown said.

The ban follows a similar decision taken by other sports, including swimming last year, to bar athletes who have transitioned from male to female after undergoing male puberty.

Trans Justice Project director Jackie Turner called the move a political decision to give anti-trans lobbyists what they want, rather than doing what is right.

World Athletics noted in a statement there were currently no transgender athletes competing at international level and consequently no athletics-specific evidence of the impact these athletes would have on the fairness of female competition in athletics.

Turner said the discriminatory ban set a dangerous precedent and was not supported by the latest scientific research.

“The fact is that women’s bodies, like all human bodies, are diverse,” she said.

Defending the ban, World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said the decision to exclude transgender women who had gone through male puberty was based on the overarching need to protect the female category.

National lobby and advocacy group Just.Equal Australia called for a case-by-case approach, saying trans and intersex women are now being ostracised from sport.

“Simply using testosterone as the only measure to determine participation is simplistic, discriminatory and fails to consider all aspects of the situation,” spokeswoman Sally Goldner said.

The rules come into effect 31 March.

Updated

The former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann told the tobacco giant he lobbied for that the public revelation of rape allegations against him had “not hindered the relations within my political network” and said he was still able to influence federal policy to “further the business financially”, documents show.

Australia-UK free trade pact moves closer

The free trade pact between Australia and Britain set to cut taxes on a range of goods has cleared a major hurdle, AAP reports.

UK legislation to bring the agreement into effect has received royal assent, paving the way for the British and Scottish parliaments to implement the final piece of legislation needed to complete the process.

The Australia-UK free trade agreement needs to be ratified by both nations’ parliaments. Australia’s parliament ratified the pact at the end of last year.

Trade minister Don Farrell said the agreement would benefit Australian exports and consumers with tariffs to be cut on 99% of goods sent to the UK, which are worth some $9.2bn.

“This outcome provides significant commercial opportunities for our farmers, our food producers, including for beef, sheep, meat, wine, dairy, rice and sugar exports,” he told parliament on Friday.

“The agreement will provide a level playing field for Australian services suppliers.

“When implemented, the agreement will help to lower the cost of living pressures.”

Farrell did not reference China directly, but said Australia had become over-reliant “on a single market for our exports”.

“To overcome this predicament the Albanese Labor government is actively progressing a trade policy agenda that creates more opportunities for Australian businesses to gain new market access into major markets,” he said.

The bilateral agreement was the first trade pact Britain negotiated after it left the European Union.

Updated

Organisations and executives with known links to big tobacco and vaping companies have failed to declare them in submissions to a major government consultation on vaping reforms aimed at protecting children from nicotine addiction.

The NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet, has made his final media-accompanied stop of the campaign in his rival’s seat of Kogarah.

Despite being held by opposition leader Chris Minns, the Hurstville pre-poll reception was the warmest the premier received all day.

Voters took selfies and shook hands with Perrottet and Liberal candidate Craig Chung.

When asked if he had a genuine chance of turning the seat held by Labor on a 0.1% margin, Perrottet said:

All I know is that Craig is a great champion for his local area and I believe with his strength of character that he’ll make a great local member.

Updated

Greens demand answers from government on radioactive waste

The Greens went hard in Senate question time on the nuclear-powered submarines to be acquired under the Aukus deal, asking where the high level radioactive waste would be stored (the government hasn’t decided yet) and highlighting that the Virginia class submarines Australia will acquire hold 200kg of highly enriched uranium.

“That’s nuclear weapons grade uranium,” senator David Shoebridge said, asking how that was in line with Australia’s commitment to nuclear non-proliferation. It is, Labor’s Don Farrell (who was pretty much the only Labor person speaking for the whole session) said. And Farrell did a little switcheroo and turned the answer into an attack on the Liberal party for not making any submarine decisions themselves.

He also said the high-level waste would not be stored at the national radioactive waste facility, which is for low and medium level waste.

There was a short song and dance about TikTok, but nothing new emerged.

The opposition focused on cost of living, power prices, and suspension of standing orders motions so they could attack the government for “broken promises”.

Meanwhile, One Nation’s Malcolm Roberts brought the weird, wondering whether the phrase “First Nations” was insulting because it was imported from Canada by “city-based white-skinned activists”. That was just after he wondered whether a First Nations ambassador meant the government recognised Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sovereignty.

Another highlight was Liberal senate leader Simon Birmingham declaring Farrell was less smallgood, more turkey, and crying “gobbledygook” a few times.

Updated

When the House of Reps is away, the Senators get pups.

The Greens are calling on the Albanese government to disclose how much uranium would be carried on the Virginia class submarines Australia will be buying under the Aukus agreement.

Greens defence spokesperson David Shoebridge said the government refused to answer a question on the amount in the Senate on Friday.

The Albanese government is either astonishingly ignorant or dangerously secretive about its plans to put hundreds of kilograms of weapons-grade uranium on board Virginia class submarines in Australian ports.

It is increasingly clear that the government has no plan to deal with the weapons-grade uranium carried on submarines in our waters, which will then be buried in some unspecified location in Australia.

Updated

Perrottet makes last-minute pitch for votes

The NSW premier Dominic Perrottet has continued his tour of Sydney, making stops in the electorates of Holsworthy and East Hills.

He appeared alongside the candidates with his wife, Helen, and daughter, Celeste, in tow.

Next stop is Chris Minns’s super marginal seat of Kogarah.

There’s a pretty tired mood on the bus as the end of the campaign draws near.

Updated

Albanese hits the hustings for NSW election

Prime minister Anthony Albanese has appeared on the hustings for the final day of campaigning ahead of the New South Wales election, making a stop in the key marginal seat of Penrith.

Albanese appeared with Labor’s candidate in the seat, Karen McKeown, who is seeking to win the seat from former deputy Liberal leader Stuart Ayres. It is held on a wafer-thin 0.6% margin. He is expected to make a stop in another western Sydney battleground, Riverstone, later on Friday.

Albanese has been a regular visitor on the campaign trail, appearing with Labor leader Chris Minns on a number of occasions, including in Balmain last week.

It’s a stark contrast to opposition leader Peter Dutton, who has been missing in action throughout the campaign.

Asked about Dutton’s absence on Friday, the premier, Dominic Perrottet, who was also in Penrith, quipped that he didn’t “need a wingman”.

Earlier on Friday Albanese said Minns would make “an outstanding premier”.

But, in keeping with a campaign in which both leaders have avoided personal attacks, Albanese said he also got on with the Coalition leader.

He said:

They’re good human beings. I have a good relationship with both of them and I like both of them.

The problem is that Dominic Perrottet’s government is a shambles. The Liberals are too busy fighting each other and fighting the Nationals.

While polls have tightened in the final weeks of the campaign, Labor is widely expected to return to government after 12 years in opposition despite needing nine seats and a uniform swing of about 6.5% to form a majority government.

Updated

Thanks for your attention this Friday. Josh Taylor will see you through the rest of today’s news. Have a great weekend!

South Australia records two Covid deaths and 135 people in hospital

There were 2,888 new cases in the weekly reporting period, and five people are in intensive care.

The prime minister is in Penrith this afternoon campaigning for Labor ahead of the state election tomorrow. The Labor candidate for the seat, Karen McKeown, is facing off against the incumbent Liberal, Stuart Ayres, who holds the seat on the tightest of margins, 0.6%.

Read more about the other seats to watch in the NSW race here:

Updated

A woman has been found safe and well, following search and rescue efforts at Currumbin beach in Queensland.

Police were called to an area off Currumbin beach, near Elephant Rock, just before 9:30pm Tuesday, after a man told people nearby that he had seen a woman being swept off rocks into the water.

Police have issued a statement today, saying:

Those people contacted police; however the man was not present when officers arrived, and no information was provided as to the woman’s identity.

A large-scale land, air and sea search ensued over the next few days involving Water Police, shore line searches, divers, jetskis and PolAir. Surf Life Saving Queensland also assisted in the search.

Investigations to locate the man and subsequent public appeals resulted in the woman being identified safe and well around 11am this morning.

Investigations continue to locate the man.

Updated

Major flood warning for Georgina River and Eyre Creek in Queensland

The Bureau of Meteorology has warned that major flooding is expected at Bedourie and Glengyle early to mid-next week.

The Bureau is warning that major flooding is already occurring along the Georgina River at Marion Downs.

Marion Downs peaked around 6.75 metres Thursday morning above the March 1997 peaked level of 6.65 metres. Upstream of Marion Downs, major flooding is easing along the Georgina River at Glenormiston and at Roxborough Downs.

Moderate flooding is continuing along Eyre Creek at Bedourie and Glengyle. Renewed creek level rises are expected during the weekend and creek levels are likely to exceed the major flood levels from early next week as upstream floodwater arrives.

Updated

Indigenous representatives to guide health regulation process

Indigenous representatives will be guiding responses to allegations of racism across national health boards, as part of a new culturally safe process being implemented by Australia’s health regulator.

At least two Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives will make decisions about matters concerning culturally safe health care together with health practitioners.

In a statement, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) said:

The Indigenous experts will make decisions with other board representatives about any notification involving Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples. In the most serious matters, this will include the decisions about whether to refer a practitioner to an independent tribunal.

Ahpra acknowledges the ongoing harm to First Nations peoples from racism in the health and justice systems. This national tragedy is reflected in the death of Ms Dhu in Western Australia in 2014 and many others who have died of preventable causes while in custody.

Associate professor Carmen Parter, a descendent of the Darumbal and Juru clans of the Birra Gubba Nation with South Sea Islander heritage, and Aphra board member, said:

Racism is the biggest public health issue that Australia faces today and no one wants to talk about it or do anything about it.

When we move forward to looking at these cases it is so critical to have Indigenous voices brought into the process because we’ll bring that cultural lens on race and how it plays out.

Ahpra has been talking about cultural safety and eliminating racism for a few years, but this is the action, this is going to be visible.

Updated

The Hunter area of NSW experienced huge electric storms last night, with more thunder predicted across eastern NSW as well as the Northern and Central Tablelands today.

The Bureau of Meteorology predicts Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong will all be affected by thunderstorms today:

Updated

More than half NSW forests lost since 1750, with logging ‘locking in’ species extinction, study finds

If you haven’t already checked out this story from my colleague Graham Readfern, it’s an important, albeit terrifying one:

More than half of the forests and woodland in New South Wales that existed before European invasion are now gone and more than a third of what’s left is degraded, according to new research.

Despite the loss of 29m hectares of forest since 1750 – an area larger than New Zealand – continued logging since 2000 had likely affected about 244 threatened species.

Many species that depended on forests were now being sucked into “an extinction vortex” because of logging, one of the study’s authors, the University of Queensland’s Prof James Watson, said.

Updated

Bordertown bikies targeted in police crackdown

Police from NSW and Victoria have arrested 27 people and seized multiple firearms in a joint-agency bordertown operation targeting bikie gangs and other organised crime networks, AAP reports.

During the four-day sweep, Operation Ember officers in the northern state conducted 24 firearms searches, made 19 arrests and seized three guns. Victoria police gathered nine prohibited weapons including a firearm and arrested eight people.

Among them, a 23-year-old man from the Murray River town of Echuca was allegedly found to be in possession of two imitation handguns an imitation longarm, shotgun shells, cannabis and prescription medication.

A second Echuca man, 31, was arrested after the discovery of a homemade shotgun, ammunition and an imitation handgun.

Officers also allegedly located a gel blaster, ammunition, Finks gang paraphernalia, electronic devices and a Harley Davidson believed stolen, during a raid at Albury.

As a result, a 37-year-old man will face court accused of possessing an unauthorised and prohibited firearm and ammunition.

Police say warrants were also executed at premises linked to both the Black Uhlans and Rebels gangs.

NSW State Crime Command’s detective chief superintendent Jason Weinstein said a purpose of the crackdown was to gain a greater understanding of the interstate “OMCG footprint”.

Understanding the activities of Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs in cross-border towns is integral to disrupting organised crime in our regions.

Cross-border crime is ever present in our society, with the attraction of the drug trade pushing organised criminal figures out of the city and into regional towns, believing they are safe from being targeted and out of constant law enforcement attention.

That couldn’t be further from the truth, Weinstein said.

Updated

Liberal senator Sarah Henderson cries in Senate amid Nazi symbol debate

Further to the AAP story below on the Nazi debate in the senate, and the Liberal senator Sarah Henderson getting so upset – I’ve listened to the audio, and am still trying to work out why she was so distraught. But here’s what we do know:

Henderson was on her feet and crying in the wake of gibes from the Labor senator Murray Watt about text messages she reportedly sent to the Victorian liberal leader, John Pesutto. Watt said “the most disgraceful thing”, she said.

He withdrew the remarks, which he said were about those text messages.

Pesutto is under pressure to expel MP Moira Deeming, who was part of an anti-trans rights rally at which extremists performed Nazi salutes. He had said he would remove Deeming for “organising, promoting and attending” the rally. Deeming says she has done nothing wrong, vowed to fight the expulsion attempt and distanced herself from the neo-Nazis who she says gatecrashed the event.

The ABC reported that Henderson urged Pesutto not to go ahead with the expulsion.

During this morning’s debate, when the opposition tried to force a debate on their move to ban Nazi symbols, Watt started interjecting.

Henderson said:

Senator Watt said the most disgraceful thing. And he’s to withdraw it. I am disgusted in you.

Watt responded:

I referred to the text messages that senator Henderson sent. I withdraw.

Updated

Labor campaign bus goes missing

After a morning on the hustings in two key seats, the Labor campaign has been delayed after its bus went missing.

After opposition leader Chris Minns held a press conference in Parramatta earlier, a contingent of media, staffers and MPs Rose Jackson and Jo Haylen, have been waiting while efforts were made to contact its driver.

After about half-an-hour – and many phone calls – the driver, and bus, were eventually located. Phone trouble on the driver’s part, apparently.

Both parties have had bus troubles in the final week of the campaign. Labor was initially using an electric bus but had to switch to diesel after it ran out of charge on Tuesday, while the Coalition bus also broke down on Thursday.

Updated

Amanda Meade’s Weekly Beast is out! She’s covering Andrew Bolt and Joe Hildebrand getting stuck into socialists and Sky News’s field day about David Pocock’s Tame Impala T-shirt.

Have a read:

Updated

Truck driver dies in fiery crash on NSW north coast

A truck driver has died in his burning cab despite frantic efforts to save him after his B-double rolled on a Pacific Motorway off-ramp on the NSW north coast, AAP reports.

Emergency services were called to the off-ramp at Brunswick Heads about 6am on Friday after reports the truck had rolled.

Police said two people rushed to the scene and tried to free the man from the B-double but the cabin was engulfed in flames and the driver died at the scene.

A report will be prepared for the coroner.

One northbound lane of the Pacific Motorway was expected to be closed for a number of hours and motorists were urged to avoid the area.

Central bank stridency points to RBA reticence to pause rate hikes

Soon after Silicon Valley Bank needed a rescue two weeks ago, investors had pared their expectations about how much central banks would be lifting interest rates. The forced takeover of former banking giant Credit Suisse by its larger Swiss revival UBS last weekend further tempered the mood.

The same was true for Australia’s Reserve Bank, with investors betting the central bank’s job tightening of monetary policy is done, and the next move will be a rate cut.

Well, the US federal reserve “looked through” the financial turmoil and went ahead with another 25-basis-point rate rise this week. Their key rate is actually a range of 4.75% to 5%.

And the UK followed suit overnight, with the Bank of England also hiking its key rate by 25bp, to 4.25%. Inflation there perked up to 10.4% for the year to February (vs 10.1% in January).

So where does that leave the RBA? Well there are two more pieces of data it will be watching out for by the time the board next meets on 4 April. We get February retail sales for last month and consumer price index numbers for that month the following day.

CBA’s Gareth Aird says February jobs figures were on the strong side and the month NAB business survey was also “robust”. Ahead of next week’s two data releases, CBA is tipping the RBA will lift its cash rate for a record 11th consecutive time by 25bp to 3.85%:

We believe the Board would like to pause in their tightening cycle next month. And we think that is the appropriate policy response given only [about] 45% of the increase in the cash rate to date had passed through to scheduled mortgage repayments at the end of 2022.

(Christopher Kent, assistant RBA governor, discussed the monetary lags here.)

CBA, which has its mitts on a lot of credit card data, reckons those February sales will be down 0.3% from the previous month. The CPI numbers will show a further slowdown, with the annual rate to decline from 7.4% to 6.9%, Aird says.

It’s fair to say the RBA would like to have more data on the underlying strength of the economy. Within the bank, there’s a view that the monthly – rather than the quarterly – CPI numbers are somewhat sketchy, and need to be handled with rather long tongs.

The bank knows price rises remain very broad based so they will be looking for a showdown to be confident the rate rises so far are sufficient to quell inflation.

While a pause in rate hikes would be cheered on by many, perhaps a 15bp rise might be the compromise approach. Among other things, we’d finally get a “round” cash rate number at 3.75%.

Updated

Minns closes final press conference of campaign

Labor leader Chris Minns has just held his final press conference of the campaign ahead of the New South Wales election tomorrow.

After 12 years in opposition, Labor is short-odds favourite to return to government, but faces an uncertain path to victory: it needs to pick up nine seats to form majority government.

Minns spent the final day campaigning in Parramatta and Ryde – two key Coalition-held seats in western Sydney – and insisted the vote would “come down to the wire”.

Earlier in the campaign Minns said he had a feeling that whatever the result, one of the parties would pick up a majority in parliament, but with the election tightening he said on Friday that he had “given up on predictions”.

He said:

My view is that it’s now in the hands of the people in New South Wales. And really, it’s redundant, whatever I say it’s up to the people of NSW.

It came as Labor faced late criticism for comments made by the party’s candidate in the battleground seat of South Coast. Liza Butler was recorded at a candidate’s forum stating that problem gambling was predominantly an issue in western Sydney among certain “cultural groups”.

Minns said on Friday that Butler “regretted” those comments. He said:

I’ve spoken to Liza, she regrets those comments. She did misspeak. And I think that in the context of a argument that she was having in the final days of an election campaign, many voters would understand that. I want to make it clear that problem gambling is an issue across New South Wales. It breaches all kinds of cultural as well as economic barriers.

But he resisted calls for her to apologise, saying Butler had “misspoken”.

He said:

She’s acknowledged regret in relation to that.

Updated

The latest scam message going around.

Coalition pushes for urgent ban on Nazi symbol

The federal opposition is launching an impassioned plea for urgent action to ban Nazi symbols but has been accused of a political stunt, AAP reports.

The push has come off the back of a protest in Melbourne which drew neo-Nazis, who used the Sieg Heil salute.

The Liberal frontbencher Michaelia Cash said the push to ban the salute needed to take precedence.

“Every Australian should find the actions of that small group of protesters who dared to use the Nazi salute offensive,” she told parliament.

“Those who display Nazi symbols or use the Nazi salute are either ignorant of the past or are deliberately promoting evil.”

The finance minister, Katy Gallagher ,agreed there was no place in Australia for Nazi ideology.

“But I think we should also acknowledge this is a complex area of law and any move to ban Nazi symbols deserves serious consideration,” she said.

“The Australian people deserve better. We should stand together, we should send a strong voice about the events we saw in Victoria.

“This bill needs serious consideration, not a stunt.”

Tensions boiled over when the Liberal senator Sarah Henderson cried in the chamber after an interjection from the Labor minister Murray Watt.

The interjection related to text messages Henderson reportedly sent to the Victorian Liberal leader in defence of the state MP he is trying to expel from the party for attending the Melbourne anti-transgender rights rally where Nazis showed up.

“I am disgusted in you,” Henderson yelled across the chamber.

Watt withdrew the remarks.

Updated

‘We won’t do deals with minor parties,’ Minns says again

Minns says the election will come down to the wire, and again rules out doing deals with minor parties:

We are happy for other and minor parties to support our platform of New South Wales. But we won’t do deals with minor parties or the Greens or anyone else. There are real reasons for that. I think the horse trading that the crossbench and independents have been speaking about for the last few weeks is a definition of putting the cart before the horse. No-one has been elected yet. Most people in New South Wales have not even voted and the responsibility of all political parties is to put your platform to the floor and is up to the people of this state to make a decision.

He says Labor will not be preferencing the former Liberal MP Gareth Ward in Kiama.

Updated

Minns says his party is united, unlike the Perrottet government:

The current government has been in government for 12 years, they are asking for 16 years in power. Their best and most experienced ministers have either resigned or not contesting the campaign.

This is an opportunity for a fresh start for the people of the state. The team I lead is united, disciplined and focused on you, the voters of New South Wales. We believe it is time for a change in New South Wales.

I want to make this point, only a vote for Labor in the lower house in the 93 seats across New South Wales can guarantee an end to the Petrottet government. Not a vote for minor parties. Not for the Greens, certainly not for the Coalition.

Minns goes on to say his government will stand up against privatising essential assets starting with Sydney Water.

If Labor is elected on Saturday, the first legislation will be move through the New South Wales Parliament is to put Sydney Water in the constitution, stopping future governments to enacting a backdoor sell.

‘Like a laser beam’: Minns on Labor’s focus on cost of living

The Labor leader, Chris Minns, has also been holding a media conference in the seat of Parramatta, pitching to voters that his party has been focusing “like a laser beam” on cost of living issues:

Last day of the election campaign and in the next 24 hours the people of New South Wales will make a decision about who governs New South Wales next four years. Labor has a positive plan to fix this state with a fresh start.

Firstly by focusing like a laser beam on cost of living issues, specifically by ensuring a $60 toll cap for those that have to use the motorways, $350 rebate for small businesses and a focus on driving down the cost of living with energy prices, particularly with the energy security cooperation.

Updated

Perrottet on gambling and western Sydney

The premier is asked about comments from a Labor candidate that the cashless gambling trial should be carried out in western Sydney where problem gambling is most acute.

Perrottet:

She is completely wrong. This is an issue that should unite us as a community not divide us. Problem gambling does not discriminate, it doesn’t discriminate on where you live or what your background is.

Families right across New South Wales have had such devastation from the scourge of problem gambling. My government’s approach will ensure that all pokie machines are cashless by 2028. It is a difficult reform but it is the right reform and you get into politics to do what is right, not to do what is in your political interest.

What that candidate said was completely out of line, completely wrong and it shows an ignorance of the issue. This is something that, as a society, we all have an obligation to get right. It is a problem we all have to fix and it is an issue that should unite us, not divide us.

Updated

Perrottet on potential teal threat

Our very NSW state reporter Tamsin Rose asks the premier:

We just saw Trent Zimmerman handing out in the north shore for Liberals. He lost to a teal last year, what makes your party different to the federal Liberal party that lost so many seats?

Perrottet responds, as – for context – his daughter Celeste cries in the background:

That is for others to speculate. I am saying this is a very clear choice at this election. My team with a plan that have grown our economy and will ensure hundreds of thousands of jobs continue to flourish and setting up a great future for Celeste and every other child across New South Wales because the problem with governments is so often they are short-sighted. It is my team with a plan that ensures that we help families today but build a brighter future for our children and their children. That is the way of Celeste saying she agrees with this, she is backing the plan.

Updated

‘Tomorrow is an important day,’ Perrottet says

The NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet, is speaking in Western Sydney the day before the state election.

He’s spruiking the Coalition policies and their slogan this campaign that it is their party which will “keep NSW moving forward”.

We say to the people of New South Wales, tomorrow is a very important day. It is a very important day for the people of our state and for our future. Back our plan, back our plan, our economic plan, now and into the future. It is our plan, the Liberals and Nationals, that will protect you and your family and ensure that New South Wales is set up for generations to come.

Updated

Warren Mundine on his no vote for voice

Warren Mundine, the organiser with the “recognise a better way” group who will be campaigning for a no vote on the voice referendum, spoke to ABC News Breakfast about the announcement of the wording for the referendum question and the constitutional amendment.

It is like being asked ‘Would you like cake with your coffee?’ We like to know what is in the cake before we say yes to it.

Mundine also raised the constitutional expert Greg Craven’s concerns around the inclusion of the executive government in the wording of the constitutional amendment. As mentioned in the last post, Craven is a supporter of the voice itself.

Mundine:

Now that is clear what is going to be in it, this is a disaster. You even have Professor Greg Craven who was a strong conservative supporter of the voice, now coming out saying it is a disaster.

We are going to be in litigation for the next 10-15 years over this voice when it gets up and guess what? It is not going to change one iota anything on the ground of Aboriginal people.

Updated

Constitutional disagreement from Greg Craven

Constitutional lawyer Greg Craven has also spoken to ABC News and he says he feels “very poorly” that the voice can make representations to the executive government as well as parliament. Craven is very clear he is in favour of the voice, but has concerns about the constitutional mechanisms around it.

I think the result that will be that the voice will be able to legally intrude constantly on every possible decision. And there will be every reasonable prospect that that would lead to multiple judicial interventions and the result of that would be, I think, that government would be seriously compromised.

Craven says he disagrees with Twomey’s argument there is not a legal obligation on the executive to take this into account unless parliament says so.

I think on any reasonable analysis, that does not include the legal effect of representations by the voice, that’s just too fundamental.

Updated

Twomey: ‘This is not intended to be some kind of veto’

But the inclusion of the words “executive government” in the constitutional amendment wording has led to some concern from legal experts the voice could lead to government decisions being regularly challenged in the high court.

However, Twomey rejected that argument:

If you look at the terms of the referendum amendment itself, it says nothing in there about there being any legal obligation to respond to those representations.

It’s really intended to be a political issue as to whether or not you do. So there’s no words in there that would support any implication beyond that, nor is there any intent behind it as well.

And the government’s made it very clear that this is not intended to be some kind of veto or a legal obligation to take these considerations into account.

Updated

Anne Twomey says the voice wording was designed to avoid litigation

That press conference with the PM has wrapped up but following on from the debate between constitutional experts over the wording of the referendum question, this is what Prof Anne Twomey, a member of the constitutional expert group which provided advice to the referendum working group, told ABC News this morning.

Joe O’Brien:

The advisory group, the voice, will have the power to make representations to the parliament and the executive government of the commonwealth. Why was it important for you to keep in the reference to “executive government”?

Twomey:

The obvious answer is that the executive is the one that makes most of the policies that do affect people, so it is important for Indigenous people, who are genuinely affected by many executive government policies, to just get in first and say “Before you make that policy, why don’t you have a talk to us and make sure that it actually works and is functional and is effective” – in many cases they aren’t.

It is not a particularly scary or intimidating thing to ask people in advance and say ‘How will this policy affect you on the ground and how can we actually make it a bit better?’

The idea behind all of this from the very beginning was that was going to be a matter of political pressure and it was going to be a matter of practice, but it wasn’t supposed to ever be formal legal obligations that would end up in court.

The idea of the entire amendment was to flip away from the idea of government makes a policy, parliament makes a law and then you come to court and attack it.

The idea was to reverse that and then go back to the other view and that is let’s discuss these things first before you make the law or the policy so you get a good law and policy and you don’t end up in litigation. The litigation is the thing that people were trying to avoid by putting this upfront before the law is made to make sure that people can have a say beforehand and get better policies.

Updated

Lawyers like to argue, but the voice wording is sound, says PM

Albanese says he’s confident in the wording of the constitutional amendment wording, despite the debate by constitutional experts over whether it would give rise to high court challenges. Albanese says lawyers are, by nature, paid to disagree.

Reporter:

Prime Minister, are you worried the wording leaves the door open for high court challenges or are you confident it’s as watertight as you say it is?

Albanese:

I’m absolutely confident. But I’m confident on the basis of people like the former head of the high court, Justice French. He might know something about the constitution. The leading academic in Australia on constitutional law, Professor Anne Twomey, might know something about the constitution. This hasn’t arisen in a vacuum. There’s been all of this work done by the advisory group to the referendum working group.

It’s very clear that this is a straightforward proposition. People can read it themselves. I just read out the third clause that makes it clear that the parliament is primary. The primacy of the parliament is there, including its composition, functions, powers and procedures. A key word – “including” – so all matters. And it says “to matters relating to”. “Matters” is often used as a legal term as well.

You will have an opportunity, if you get 10 lawyers in a room, you’ll often get someone who gets a run-in. That’s what they’re paid to do. That’s why on different sides – to put this in perspective – that’s why on different sides in courts you have lawyers on one side and lawyers on the other side. They’re paid to advocate. That’s an honourable profession to do. But you shouldn’t use that fact to say that there’s someone out there who disagrees. I’m sure I can find you a lawyer who can tell you that that jacket you’re wearing is orange.

Updated

Dutton's call for detail 'nothing more than a tactic': PM

Albanese goes on to criticise Dutton’s demand for detail as a disingenuous tactic:

Peter Dutton will be a part of the parliament, and future members will be a part of future parliaments, that will determine the function of the voice. And he knows that that’s the case.

And we know from the republic play book that occurred last century that it is nothing more than a tactic, and it lacks genuineness to just continue to say, ‘Oh, we don’t have the detail.’

No matter how much detail is put out, Peter Dutton will say, ‘Oh, what about more detail?’ That’s the game that’s being played here.

Albanese goes on to emphasise the voice is not a creation of a Labor government:

This has arisen from the bottom up. And yesterday I had Ken Wyatt, who flew overnight to Canberra, the Indigenous affairs minister in the Morrison government, to stand next to me and with his fellow Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have been a part of the referendum working group, who have come to a unanimous position, and I’d say that this should be above politics, as the 1967 referendum was.

Updated

Dutton needs to “get real” about the voice, says Albanese

Albanese is rejecting Peter Dutton’s calls to release the solicitor general’s advice on the wording, saying Dutton knows well releasing any advice goes against parliamentary proceedure.

Reporter:

Do you agree with Linda Burney that Peter Dutton is just looking for excuses to reject the voice? And, secondly, will you release the solicitor general’s advice on the wording?

Albanese:

Well, the two things are connected. Because Peter Dutton knows that he sat in a cabinet for nine years and didn’t release any advice to the cabinet. It’s not the way it works, and he knows that. He knows that.

So, what we saw from Peter Dutton over a long period of time was, first, in the lead-up to my speech at Garma, he said, “We don’t know what the question is,” so I released draft words.

We received not a suggestion in between July last year and yesterday, when I released what will be in the legislation to go to parliament next week, not one suggestion from him or Julian Leeser, the shadow attorney general, of any change. Not a word.

And Julian Leeser, we know, has been involved with the wording since a decade ago – a decade ago. He was one of the people who were involved in that process, as Noel Pearson outlined in the Australian some weeks ago.

So, Peter Dutton needs to get real about this. This isn’t about him and it’s not about me. This is about whether we are a better country going forward.

Updated

Albanese says he likes Perrottet but his government is “a shambles”

Speaking of the choice NSW faces, Albanese says both men vying for the premiership are “good people” but that the Liberal party Dominic Perrottet leads is a “shambles.”

I think that Dominic Perrottet and Chris Minns are both very good people. They’re good human beings. I have a good relationship with both of them and I like both of them. The problem is that Dominic Perrottet’s government is a shambles. The Liberals are too busy fighting each other and fighting the Nationals, and the Nationals fighting each other, to fight for the people of New South Wales. And that’s why Chris Minns deserves, and his team deserves, to be elected to government tomorrow. I’ll work with whoever is elected, as I do, constructively.

Updated

Albanese headed for last-ditch campaigning in western Sydney

Albanese says he’ll be heading to NSW this afternoon, campaigning to try make every mainland state government a Labor one when NSW heads to the polls tomorrow.

This afternoon, I’ll be in Penrith so, a bit of notice for the media. And I’ll be in Riverstone this afternoon and I’ll be in a range of seats tomorrow in my home state of New South Wales.

Updated

“Housing stress is a national phenomenon”, Albanese tells Aston voters

The prime minister Anthony Albanese is speaking in Aston (which will soon be voting in the byelection on 1 April). He’s taking about what the government is doing about the housing crisis:

The Housing Australia Future Fund has a number of components to it. One is an increased investment in social and community housing, which will create 30,000 additional units over the next five years. But it also has within it as well additional funding for emergency housing – some $100m – and it has as part of that as well, funding for, specifically for veterans’ housing, as well as for women and children escaping family and domestic violence.

The other thing we’re doing is the housing accord, working with the private sector, with organisations like the Master Builders and the Housing Industry Association and others, having an accord with state and territory governments to increase the supply of housing. Prices, of course, are product of demand and supply. What we want to do is increase the supply of housing.

We also have our Housing Supply and Affordability Council is part of the legislation for the Housing Australia Future Fund. What that’s aimed at doing is working with each level of government to make sure that approvals and land release and those issues are dealt with in our outer suburbs in a way that assists people.

… The housing stress is a national phenomenon. That’s why we’re working with all state and territory governments and the private sector, and that’s why I’d urge the Senate, next week, to pass this legislation that will make a difference.

Updated

Labor says Coalition infrastructure projects axed because of construction work shortage

Australia will have to rely on skilled migration in order to build key infrastructure projects, as the legacy of a Covid-related exodus of workers contributes to a shortfall in construction workers.

This was the message infrastructure, transport and regional development minister Catherine King delivered to the Ceda Infrastructure conference in Melbourne on Friday, in an address where she reiterated the Albanese government would be axing some of the projects announced by the Coalition when in government, in the face of a predicted 112,000-worker shortfall peak in September.

Asked how migration fitted into the government’s plan to plug the skills shortage gap, King said:

Obviously we have recognised, particularly in this year, that because of the significant labour shortages, that migration is probably going to have to do a bit more of the heavy lifting than we would normally expect.

King said “we obviously saw a lot of people leave the country” during Covid and that while international students have begun returning in large numbers, “but in terms of skilled workforce, we are now competing”. King flagged an upcoming announcement from the home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, that would outline changes to the “whole way migration operates in this country in terms of the labour, and capacity”.

She also said that the US inflation act will be a “massive driver” of the costs of basic raw materials and skills. “That’s going to be really challenging, I think, globally as well. So we’ve got to be competitive.”

Updated

Reporters sink their teeth into NSW premier

It’s morning tea time on the Liberal party bus and Team Perrottet is handing out cupcakes with the premier’s face on them.

Updated

Perrottet confronted by vaccine-mandate protester

The New South Wales premier, Dominic Perrottet, has been confronted by a man over vaccine mandates at a prepolling centre in North Sydney.

Perrottet was joined by local member, Felicity Wilson, who is up against teal challenger Helen Conway, who was also at the booth.

Conway said:

A lot of people have wanted to have a chat. They’re very interested and it’s good to see people are more engaged now. People want change. We’re looking forward to a big result at the end of tomorrow.

Former federal member Trent Zimmerman was handing out for Wilson on the booth after he lost his seat last year to a teal.

He said the NSW government’s climate record would help Wilson when the federal government’s record worked against him.

It’s a very positive message on some of those issues, which weren’t very helpful for me at the federal election.

Updated

Victoria records 25 Covid deaths and 152 people in hospital

There were 4,467 new cases in the weekly reporting period, and 10 people are in intensive care.

Case numbers have risen above 4,000 for the first time since January – they hovered just below that figure at 3,960 last week. However, there are fewer deaths recorded than last week’s 29.

Updated

NSW records 22 Covid deaths and 873 people in hospital

There were 8,563 new cases in the weekly reporting period, and 13 people are in intensive care.

The figures are roughly similar as last week which saw an uptick on previous weeks with 8,905 cases and the same number of deaths.

Updated

Perrottet tells Chatswood voters to “back our plan to protect them and their family”

The first stop for the Liberal campaign bus today and the premier, Dominic Perrottet, is a prepoll centre in Chatswood.

Liberal MP Tim James is hoping to hold off independent challenger Larissa Penn in the seat of Willoughby.

Asked what his message to voters considering the “teal” alternative, Perrottet said only his party had a long-term economic plan.

He said:

They shouldn’t do it because ultimately it’s the Liberal party with the long term economic plan. I’ll be out today asking people to vote one Liberal, to back in our plan to protect them and their family. That’s what this election is all about. It’s a clear choice.

The QR code on the Liberal corflutes at the prepolling booth sends users to a broken link.

Updated

Matt Kean makes pitch to voters a day before NSW election

As NSW prepares to head to the ballot tomorrow, the state’s deputy Liberal leader Matt Kean has been speaking to ABC News Breakfast.

His answer on what voters will think of the revolving door of the premier’s office the past 12 years, the scandals (including the most recent revelation the ambulance commissioner arranged an ambulance on the premier Dominic Perrottet’s behalf) and the threat of the independents is largely the same:

People understand only the Liberals and Nationals will deliver a strong economy and keep moving New South Wales forward.

Michael Rowland:

The final week is very important for any election campaign and it’s been a bit of a rocky one for your side. The premier revealing that the boss of the Ambulance Service called an ambulance for his ill wife. That wasn’t a good look, for voters?

Kean:

Well, the premier has been focused every day on ensuring that we keep the economy strong, we keep building infrastructure, we keep delivering vital services.

NSW treasurer Matt Kean.
NSW treasurer Matt Kean. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP

Updated

Marles and Littleproud dismiss Keating’s criticisms of Aukus

On the Aukus submarines, both Marles and Littleproud don’t believe Keating’s criticisms of the submarine deal are correct.

Marles maintains the need to move to a new technology as the region sees “the biggest conventional military build-up since the end of the second world war”.

Littleproud is saying Marles needs to “bring his mob with him”, referencing discontent within Labor’s backbench on the Aukus deal:

We’re disappointed with Paul Keating’s comments. He’s living in a 1990s utopia that doesn’t exist any more. Richard is spot-on. Unfortunately, I think he’s channelling the anger of some of Richard’s backbench which will tear this mob apart and this is what is holding us us back on talking sensibly about nuclear in our Australia. This is going to blow the Labor party up. We have to use some common-sense here. Richard has proudly continued on the trajectory that we did with Aukus and the government should be congratulated for that but he needs to make sure he can bring his mob with him.

Updated

Littleproud says Indigenous voice ‘simply adding another layer of bureaucracy’

The deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, and the leader of the Nationals, David Littleproud, spoke to Nine’s Today Show following the announcement of the wording on the voice.

Marles said:

This isn’t radical in the sense that when people who are affected by our policies, are listened to, often you get the policies more right. It is about recognising our First Nations people in a practical way to hear their voice.

Littleproud maintained the criticism of the voice to parliament which saw his party declare their opposition at the end of the last year. He says the voice is “simply adding another layer of bureaucracy”.

We don’t need bigger bureaucracy. We don’t need bigger bureaucracy but better. This has been a failure of governments of all persuasions in the past. This is about making sure you get the bureaucracy out of Canberra where the most disadvantage is in the small communities. You need bespoke solutions.

Leader of the Nationals David Littleproud.
Leader of the Nationals David Littleproud. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Updated

Thorpe’s treatment by AFP ‘disturbing and concerning’, Burney says

Burney is asked whether she believes the Australian federal police’s response to Senator Lidia Thorpe trying to take to the stage during the anti-trans activist protest outside parliament was heavy-handed:

I’ve seen the footage and it’s disturbing and concerning.

The incident has been reported to the AFP professional standards unit and they will make a determination about that.

My concern is for Lydia. I hope she’s getting the support that she should get. And I think that the fact that it has been referred to the professional standards unit is absolutely appropriate.

Karvelas:

Do you think if she’d been a white male senator, she would have been treated differently?

Burney:

I have no idea. I think that the real issue is to make sure that her wellbeing, her welfare is OK. And that she’s seeing the support that she needs.

Earlier on ABC Radio the attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, said he has yet to receive to the urgent advice he has sought from the Australian federal police commissioner about the incident. Dreyfus said “the footage was concerning”.

Updated

Solicitor general’s advice supports government’s wording of referendum question: Burney

Burney says the solicitor general’s advice supports the ultimate wording of the referendum question which the government released yesterday.

Patricia Karvelas:

I know you’ve said that on the solicitor general’s advice – which the opposition leader is demanding is released publicly – that it’s up to the prime minister.

… But you know about the advice. Does the advice of the solicitor general support the ultimate wording you’ve landed on?

Burney:

Yes it does.

Updated

Liberals are looking for excuses and they’ve almost run out, Burney says

The minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, is now speaking to ABC Radio. She’s confident the government has got the wording of the referendum question right after “an absolutely rigorous process” involving the “best legal experts in the country”.

I am absolutely confident that we have got the words and the amendments correct. They are simple. They are understandable for the Australian public.

Burney dismisses the idea that the wording has made it harder to get the opposition on board:

I think that the Liberals are looking for excuses, and I think they’ve almost run out.

Updated

Attorney general tells Dutton to have a ‘long hard look’ at simple referendum question

On the opposition leader Peter Dutton’s continued calls for more detail, Dreyfus has called on Dutton to have a “long hard look” at the simple referendum question:

In many ways, details or the asking of questions, we’re asking questions that Mr Dutton already knew the answers to. So you do have to think well, why are all these questions still being asked?

I’d invite Mr Dutton to have a long, hard think and a long hard look at the simple words that we’ve unveiled yesterday and the simple question that will be put to the Australian people on referendum day and look into his heart and think about tremendous improvement that this will be for our country.

If we have recognition of our first peoples in the constitution, and a voice to make representations to the parliament and the executive on matters that concern Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. That will be a tremendous step forward. Putting this in the constitution is a tremendous step forward and I hope he can bring himself and his party to support this.

Dreyfus said a “no” vote would lead to long periods of inaction on reform:

It would be a very long time before we returned to any question of recognition. I think it would be a tremendous setback for relations with our First Peoples. I’m focused on success because the consequences of failure would be dire.

Dreyfus also shared that the referendum “weighs” on him:

It’s a tremendous opportunity for our country … It very much weighs on me. My very first job out of university was working with the Northern Land Council, a land rights organisation in the Northern Territory, and I’ve been working with Aboriginal organisations not continuously but on and off for about 40 years and this is a really important moment for our country.

Updated

Dreyfus renews call for Dutton to condemn the actions of Victorian MP Moira Deeming

The attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, has told ABC Radio he does not regret his attack on the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, earlier this week accusing him of silence regarding the protests in Victoria where Nazis were present.

There’s no place in Australian society for public displays of Nazi symbols or the Nazi salute. And Mr Dutton has still not uttered a word of condemnation of a Victorian Liberal member of parliament, Moira Deeming for her attendance at that disgraceful rally in Melbourne.

The leader of the opposition, the Liberal leader of the opposition in Victoria, Mr Pesutto moved immediately to expel Moira Deeming from the Liberal party. Mr Dutton can’t even bring himself to mention her name.

Attorney general Mark Dreyfus (centre).
Attorney general Mark Dreyfus (centre). Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Sabra Lane:

He sought to bring forward a private member’s bill in parliament this week banning Nazi symbols.

Dreyfus:

That is not the point I made in the parliament. I called on Mr Dutton to join the leader of the opposition in Victoria in condemning the actions of a Liberal member of parliament in Victoria and he’s still hasn’t done this.

And meanwhile, senior members of his frontbench – I’m talking to Senator Henderson, Senator Antic and Senator Canavan – are endorsing Ms Deeming, and apparently working to undermine the Liberal leader of the opposition in Victoria for daring to stand up to the rightwing extremists in the Liberal party.

So no, I don’t regret what I said about them at all. And I’m still calling on him to condemn the actions of the Liberal in Victoria. He is the senior Liberal in Australia, and it’s up to him to stand up to this kind of behaviour.

Updated

Indigenous voice referendum ‘is about all Australians’

Asked about whether Burney believes the referendum can succeed without bipartisan support, the minister says regardless of the decision the Liberal party room will make next week “this is about all Australians”.

I would like to see Mr Dutton come on board. But this is about all Australians and every single person will have a vote.

The referendum is going to happen and I understand that the Liberal party room will make a decision next week. At the end of the day, that’s their decision.

What I do know is that the party that I’m part of, the government and First Nations people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across this country want this to happen to improve life outcomes and to also unify us as a nation.

Updated

'Nothing to fear from this referendum,' Linda Burney says

Good morning! Natasha May on deck with you.

The minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, is speaking to ABC News Breakfast following the unveiling of the wording of the question Australians will be asked later this year at the referendum to enshrine an Indigenous voice into the constitution.

It was an incredibly emotional and important day. I think that was obvious from just watching the news conference.

The next step is introducing the alteration bill into the parliament next week. It is about recognition and listening.

There is absolutely nothing to fear from this referendum and for people watching this morning, it is about finally recognising the incredible history that we have in this country of 65,000 years.

And it is about making sure that we put something in place that is going to mean a change in the life outcomes of First Nations people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in this country.

Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney.
Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Updated

After receiving thousands of submissions, the Therapeutic Goods Administration has decided we need much bigger restrictions on the sale and importation of vapes.

Some of the most urgent calls for help came from groups that work with children, or from young people themselves.

A submission to the TGA review from the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia said “the most powerful sanctions possible should be applied to the importation and sale” of the products. It also supported reforms to restrict the packaging and contents of vaping products.

A 17-year-old told the TGA: “I’ve tried to quit and I couldn’t think straight. I had the worst ever headaches of my life and I found it to be much too difficult to quit.”

Read more from our medical editor, Melissa Davey, here:

Roundup of reads on the Indigenous voice to parliament

There was plenty of emotion at yesterday’s announcement of the referendum question – and more importantly the constitutional changes – that open the door for an Indigenous voice.

But the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, was apparently unmoved and repeated his mantra of wanting to see more “detail”. Here is the state of play on the voice.

Here you can read an explainer on what it all means, and what happens over the coming months.

This analysis, from former high court judge Kenneth Hayne says there is nothing to fear from what is proposed, which will recognise the proper place that the First Peoples have in the long history of this land.

And Lorena Allam, Guardian Australia’s Indigenous affairs editor, captures this historically significant day in Canberra.

Updated

Funding boost for homeless

Homelessness services will get a funding boost as demand continues to soar, Australian Associated Press reports.

The Albanese government will give $67.5m to states and territories in the next year to fund the crucial services, after census data released earlier this week showed nearly 123,000 people were homeless in 2021.

That’s a 5.2% increase since 2016, with the majority of newly homeless people women and one-third of them aged less than 24.

The one-off funding is an extension of the existing National Housing and Homelessness Agreement as the government develops a new National Housing and Homelessness Plan to begin in 2024/25.

Welcome

Good morning and welcome to our rolling news coverage. I’m Martin Farrer bringing you the best overnight news before my colleague Natasha May comes along to take charge.

The fallout from yesterday’s memorable announcement about the voice to parliament is likely to continue as pressure increases on Liberal leader Peter Dutton to reveal which way he’s going to jump. He says he won’t be rushed and wants to wait until the bill is introduced in June, but some Liberals privately fear that the delay means he will come out against the plan described as “modest request”.

After health minister Mark Butler’s dramatic intervention yesterday morning about the vaping emergency, the Therapeutic Goods Administration has revealed that an “overwhelming” number of health experts and authorities support tightening border controls around nicotine vaping products, with many wanting an import ban on non-nicotine vaping products as well. Some submissions included comments from children, including a 17-year-old who said: “I’ve tried to quit and I couldn’t think straight.”

The political focus will move from Canberra to New South Wales today and tomorrow with less than 24 hours to go before polls open in what is shaping up to be the closest state election for 16 years. Labor are trying to muster the magic nine new seats required to form a government, while the Coalition is clinging on for dear life. Our state reporter, Michael McGowan, looks at the key seats that could determine the result such as Penrith, Parramatta and Heathcote, and Dominic Perrottet’s must-holds such as Lane Cove and South Coast.

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