Cost of living was the biggest issue on the political agenda today, after new figures showed a huge jump in wholesale electricity prices. Iceberg lettuce also became a surprise talking point.
Anthony Albanese emerged from Covid isolation and Scott Morrison ratcheted up a war of words with the prime minister of Solomon Islands. Meanwhile the debate about debates continued to be a sideshow.
Where the leaders were
Morrison travelled to the marginal Tasmanian seat of Bass – which Liberal MP Bridget Archer is attempting to hold on to at the election – to reannounce Bell Bay as the site of a clean hydrogen industrial hub. The Liberal party is also attempting to hold on to the Tasmanian marginal seat of Braddon and to win Lyons from Labor.
The prime minister said the government was providing up to $70m for the Tasmanian government’s Green Hydrogen Hub Project, and up to $3m for Origin Energy’s Green Ammonia Project for Export (GRAPE) project at Bell Bay. He also said Lark Distilling had received $4.5m for a new single malt distillery.
Albanese started the morning in Sydney – out from Covid isolation – with three breakfast TV interviews and a walk with his dog, Toto. The Labor leader also spoke to media briefly before boarding a plane to Perth. Albanese will campaign in Western Australia – where Labor is hoping to win up to three seats from the Liberal party. In a sign of the importance Labor is placing on WA for its electoral prospects, Albanese is preparing to launch the Labor campaign in Perth on Sunday.
Today’s big stories
Solomon Islands: The prime minister of Solomon Islands accused the Australian government of hypocrisy over his country’s security deal with China, saying Australia’s own Aukus pact was far from transparent but he “did not become theatrical and hysterical”. Manasseh Sogavare said Solomon Islands “should have been consulted to ensure that this Aukus treaty is transparent since it will affect the Pacific family by allowing nuclear submarines in Pacific waters”. Morrison returned fire, suggesting that Sogavare had changed his view based on “other influences” and that there was a “remarkable similarity between those statements and those of the Chinese government”.
Lettuce price shock: Morrison was asked about the cost of living at his press conference today, including how long Australians would be confronted with paying $5 for lettuce. He emphasised “external influences on the economy are going to continue for some time”, adding: “You can’t necessarily change the price of a lettuce, but what you can do is you can halve petrol tax, and that’s exactly what we did.” That is a six-month temporary measure. Albanese had raised the issue earlier in the day, saying “the cost of everything is going through the roof, and everything’s going up except people’s wages”. Albanese said he had “done some online shopping this week” and it cost $5.50 for an iceberg lettuce.
Border force video: The commander of Operation Sovereign Borders released a video in multiple languages warning against unauthorised boat journeys. Rear Admiral Justin Jones said in the video that “no one who attempts to travel illegally by boat will settle here”. News Corp reported that the video was prompted by intelligence including online chatter in recent weeks pointing to a renewal of interest by people smugglers. Labor frontbencher Chris Bowen, a former immigration minister, later told the ABC such chatter was “constant”. Bowen said it was “deeply irresponsible” for Scott Morrison to cast doubt over Labor’s commitment to maintaining Operation Sovereign Borders.
Messaging wars: A majority of voters agree with key Labor campaign messages that Scott Morrison is “all announcement no delivery” and Labor will “put the care back into aged care”, according to new research. A poll of 1,000 voters, commissioned by the progressive thinktank the Australia Institute, suggests Labor’s messages are the most effective of the campaign so far, although Coalition claims about handling of the economy also test well.
Quote of the day
It’s 100% not my fault.
– Malcolm Heffernan, a candidate for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party who said he was “massively annoyed” after being referred to the Australian Federal Police for allegedly nominating to run in two different seats on opposite sides of the country. He told Guardian Australia he had “no idea” he was a candidate for the far-right party.
By the numbers: 141%
The increase in wholesale prices in Australia’s main electricity market in the first three months of 2022 compared with a year earlier.
How social media saw it
The fresh dog poo bag is a real treat https://t.co/DXXsKMYphF
— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) April 28, 2022
The big picture
Watch: Factcheck on energy jobs
The Australian government signed up to a target of net zero emissions by 2050, which means transitioning from fossil fuel to renewable energy if we’re going to address the climate crisis. The deputy prime minister and leader of the Nationals, Barnaby Joyce, has come out saying he’s refusing to use the word “transition” because he thinks transitioning to cleaner energy means job losses and unemployment, but is this true? Antoun Issa checks the facts in this video.
Listen: Full Story’s campaign catchup
Cost of living is a key issue this election and Labor has argued its policies will lead to higher wage growth in Australia. In today’s episode, Paul Karp joins Jane Lee to discuss the details of the policies and how they compare with the Coalition’s plans.
