What we learned, Friday 28 March
It’s certainly been a big day – we finally have a date for the upcoming federal election! Here’s everything we learned today:
Anthony Albanese announced the federal election will be held on 3 May.
Making his pitch, the prime minister said the choice was clear and “your vote has never been more important”.
The influence of Donald Trump on the Australian election is already evident, with Albanese saying “we do not need to copy from any other nation to make Australia even better and stronger”.
The PM also said he is aiming for a majority, something his ministers repeated through the day.
This comes as the Greens leader, Adam Bandt, says a “minority government is coming”.
The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, too, noted the influence of independents, arguing they were the “nation’s biggest threat in the regions.”
Peter Dutton also made his election pitch, telling voters the election is “a choice about who can better manage our economy”.
The press pack trailing Albanese touched down in Brisbane this afternoon in the first stop of the five-week election campaign. Dutton’s plane is expected to leave Canberra tomorrow morning.
The Australian Electoral Commission announced more voters are on the electoral roll than ever before.
Updated
Qatar deal helping cheaper fares take off: Virgin boss
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has given Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways the final go-ahead for a five-year partnership expected to double flights between Australia and Doha.
As AAP reports, Virgin Australia CEO Dave Emerson says the “positive benefits” are already being seen:
Already we are seeing some of the positive benefits of the partnership, including increased sale activity on air fares between Australia and Europe, the Middle East and Africa thanks to increased competition.
We are pleased to welcome Qatar Airways as not just a strategic partner, but a part owner in Virgin Australia.
For more on how this deal affects the overall Australian aviation industry, you can read our analysis from Elias Visontay and Jonathan Barrett below:
Updated
