What we learned, Monday 31 March
Many thanks for joining us on the live blog, that’s where we’ll leave things for today. Here’s what made headlines:
Anthony Albanese visited Perth for his first visit west as part of the election campaign.
The prime minister pledged that Labor would help fund a $355m upgrade of St John of God Midland public hospital if re-elected on 3 May.
He ruled out forming a coalition with the Greens in the event of a minority government.
Albanese also said he “would prefer” a Chinese research vessel was not sitting off the coast of Victoria, and stressed it will be closely monitored by the ADF.
Meanwhile, Peter Dutton toured a mining business in the NSW Hunter region this morning, where he refused to say how much power prices would drop under the Coalition’s gas plan.
Dutton confirmed he and his family would move into Sydney’s Kirribilli House rather than the Lodge in Canberra if elected.
The Dutton campaign then travelled to flood-affected Queensland, pledging $10m for a new weather radar for western Queensland if the Coalition is elected.
Liberal MP Jason Wood was heckled by protesters at a mosque in Melbourne after announcing $6.5m for the Afghan community on behalf of Dutton.
The latest Newspoll in The Australian put Labor ahead 51-49 two-party preferred.
Krishani Dhanji will be back with you bright and early tomorrow morning, as the election campaign continues. Until then, take care.
Treasurer joins chorus in hosing down rate-cut hopes
The treasurer Jim Chalmers has downplayed hopes of a second successive interest rate cut, mirroring market expectations that a new monetary policy board will stick with the status quo.
AAP reports that the new board met for the first time today, and is tipped to keep the cash rate on hold at 4.1% when the two-day meeting concludes.
Chalmers told reporters in Brisbane earlier:
Almost nobody in the market expects there to be an interest rate cut tomorrow, so we’re upfront about that.
Labor had made “substantial progress” on inflation, which was above 6% and rising when it came to office, he said.
We got new numbers last week which said that inflation is 2.4% and underlying inflation is 2.7, so well within the Reserve Bank’s target range.
The progress that we’ve made in the last three years ... is inflation is down, real wages are up, unemployment’s low, debt is down, interest rates have started to come down and growth is rebounding solidly in our economy as well.
Updated
