Scott Morrison has said Labor's net zero plan is an attempt to revive the carbon tax. In response, Labor campaign spokesman Jason Clare said this was simply a sign that the Liberal Party was getting desperate.
Look back on Wednesday's updates as it happened.
Key events
- What is Labor's stance on net zero and what is this 'sneaky carbon tax'?
- PM says there is 'no news' in Matt Canavan's net zero comments
- What was in the net zero deal between the PM and the Nationals?
- What is net zero anyway?
- Josh Frydenberg has played down Matt Canavan's comment that net zero is 'dead'
Live updates
By Emily Sakzewski
That's all we've got time for today, thank-you for joining us.
The election blog will be back again tomorrow morning.
In the meantime, catch all the latest federal election coverage on our Australia Votes page.
By Emily Sakzewski
Some pictures from the campaign trail in Rockhampton
ABC Photographer Matt Roberts earlier snapped these shots of the PM and deputy PM on the campaign trail in Rocky.
By Emily Sakzewski
Why won't the Coalition legislate net zero by 2050?
A reporter asked Bridget McKenzie at the National Press Club earlier why the Coalition, if it is committed to net zero by 2050 as it says it is, doesn't simply legislate the committment.
Senator McKenzie said the government wouldn't be legislating it and that it couldn't be clearer.
"We put our plan to Glasgow, we're committed to it, we can't be clearer," she said.
"Both parties of Government in the Coalition are absolutely committed to moving to net zero by 2050 [and] we've got the long-term plan to achieve it."
By Emily Sakzewski
Net zero isn't about the science, it's about the cost, Bridget McKenzie says
The Nationals Senator spoke today at the National Press Club and she was asked about the government's net zero by 2050 committment and the comments by her Nationals colleague Matt Canavan about net zero being 'dead'.
"It's not about whether you believe the science or not," she said, clarifying she personally believes the "science is settled".
"It's about who pays the cost, and for rural and regional Australia - because we are out of sight, out of mind and we're in industries that political elites and cultural elites don't like, places of power don't like - it's very easy for them to make sure that we pay the cost."
By Emily Sakzewski
Home Affairs Minister says China timed Solomon Islands security deal to damage Coalition's election chances
Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said it is "very likely" China will station troops in Solomon Islands on the back of a controversial security pact.
The deal will see Beijing help Honiara with issues including national security.
But there are fears the pact could open the door to a Chinese naval base in the South Pacific.
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson has dismissed that as "disinformation."
But Karen Andrews told Nine Radio she believes Beijing will position personel in the region.
"It's likely that will be the path China will be taking in the pacific region," she said.
"I think there's a number of things we should be looking at, with what is happening with China in the pacific region."
Ms Andrews also suggested the timing of the announcement might have been deliberate, saying Beijing was "clearly very aware we are in a federal election campaign at the moment".
"Why now, why right in the middle of a federal election campaign, is all of this coming to light? I mean we talk about political interference and that has many forms," she said.
By Georgia Hitch
That's a wrap on Labor
You can read more about their economic strategy and the plans to crack down on multinationals here.
By Georgia Hitch
Thoughts on the Business Council's statement on the safeguard mechanism
There's been quite a bit of chatter in the last day or so about Labor's plan to change the safeguard mechanism and the lower the emissions threshold for the big emitters covered by the scheme.
It's an idea the Business Council of Australia and other big industry groups support.
The last question to Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers is what he made of a statement put out by the BCA saying the mechanism is the "right incentive to drive investment, deliver more jobs and meet our net-zero commitments".
"The BCA is a force for good when it comes to dealing with climate change," he said.
"What they've said today is just the truth which is that they have asked for improvements to the safeguard mechanism, that is central to our policy."
By Georgia Hitch
Labor will have more to say on housing
The Shadow Treasurer said it was clear from today's inflation figures that the cost of housing - both buying houses and renting - was one of the key pressure points for a lot of Australians.
Jim Chalmers said the party would have more to say about it during the campaign.
By Georgia Hitch
Engagement in the Pacific
Yesterday Labor announced its plan to boost the spend in the Pacific, to $525 million over five years.
A question's been asked about whether a Labor government would look at using Treasury or the public service to help engagement in the pacific.
"We want to be the partner of choice for the Pacific and if that can be assisted through APS or public sector engagement or advice then of course that would be what we'd implement," Katy Gallagher said.
Jim Chalmers was also asked about Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews effectively alleging China timed the announcement of its security pact with Solomon Islands to hurt the Coalition's chances at the federal election.
"Even by the incredibly low standards of this government I thought the [comments] by Karen Andrews were unhinged," he said.
Chalmers' said Australians would be the people to decide who is the next government.
By Georgia Hitch
How will Labor bring energy prices down?
A question now on whether Labor will guarantee energy prices will come down if its elected, given its plan relies on boosting the availability of renewable energy which doesn't guarantee wholesale prices will fall.
Jim Chalmers' didn't answer the question directly, but pointed to Labor's energy plan which forecasts prices coming down by the middle of the decade.
"If people aren't prepared to take our word for it they should take the word of the most respected energy economists in Australia," he said.
By Georgia Hitch
Won't wage growth lead to higher inflation?
Chalmers: "The key here is to get the economy going in a way that's not adding to those inflationary pressures."
"The absence of wages growth under this government for the last decade has been a deliberate design feature of their economic policy."
By Georgia Hitch
How much will the multinational tax changes make?
Labor says it hasn't put a cost figure on some of its proposed multinational tax changes for a few reasons, including that the start date of the policies are still a while down the track.
The changes, which are part of an OECD plan that the government has also committed to, wouldn't come into effect until next year at the earliest.
By Georgia Hitch
Labor's thoughts on interest rates rising
Jim Chalmers says he's reluctant to make a poltical point on interest rates going up.
But that hasn't stopped him from describing interest rates as being the final part of a "triple whammy" - cost of living pressures, wages not growing and an expected interest rate rise - that the Prime Minister has presided over.
By Georgia Hitch
Will the audit mean axing promises to communities?
Labor's promising to audit spending promised by the Coalition and look at saving measures it can make.
So, what does that mean for some of the promises made to commmunities, like upgrades to ovals and other facilities?
Jim Chalmers says Labor's audit will look at the "accumulated damage" done to the budget over many years.
"We've said where we think it's responsible and where we'd match it," he said.
"If the commitment has merit we will support it and match it."
By Georgia Hitch
When does the fiscal discipline start?
The Shadow Treasurer's been asked given the state of the budget, when will the fiscal displicine start to try and being to repair the debt levels.
"We think fiscal discipline is a budget that reflects the economy," Jim Chalmers said.
"Our priority now is away from waste and rorts to productive investments and beginning to deal with the legacy on the fiscal side."
Katy Gallagher said repairing the budget wouldn't be an easy job, but Labor's focus would be on ensuring money was spent in the right way.
"Getting bang for your buck in terms of the investments you're making in aged care ... in the nbn ... in housing, the things that will deliver for the community," she said.
By Georgia Hitch
How much will wages grow under Labor?
Jim Chalmers' been asked, given his criticism of the government's wage forecasts, what they'd be under a Labor government.
"First of all the government's made 55 forecast of wages growth and they've been wrong 52 times," he said.
"We won't make the same mistake.
"It is not for us, in Opposition, to create new Treasury forecasts.
"What we have said in the plan today is that there are at least five ways we'd get wages growing again."
The five ways include making it easier for people to work more with increased childcare subsidies, investing in industries with flagging wage growth like the care economy and supporting wage cases.
By Georgia Hitch
Can't turn the budget ship around quickly
Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers says Labor isn't under any impression that they'll be able to "completely fix" the economy, given whichever party that wins the election is looking at $1 trillion in debt.
"We do not pretend that a new government can click its fingers and clean up all the mess this government's created in its budget," he said.
By Georgia Hitch
Are Treasury and Finance the best departments to audit spending?
First question to Katy Gallagher is whether the Department of Treasury and Department of Finance are the best bodies to do the audit of Coalition spending to find budget savings.
"We have a lot of faith in the independence of those departments and the leadership of those departments," she said.
"We want to get moving on this audit we want it done straight away, within the first year.
"There is a budget repair job for us, we're aware of that."
By Georgia Hitch
Labor inheriting the worst budget books in history
Shadow Finance Minister Katy Gallagher is up now and says the party recognises that if Labor wins the election it'll inherit record debt and deficit levels.
It's worth noting that while that may be true, a big part of that is because of the government's emergency COVID measures - like JobKeeper and the COVID supplement - that are credited with Australia avoiding the dire economic fate of other country's overseas.
Katy Gallagher says best way to improve the economy is to make "smart and responsible invesetments" and Labor's policies are "modest".
By Georgia Hitch
Labor announcing $5 billion in budget improvements
Jim Chalmers says Labor's economic strategy will see $5 billion in budget improvements that won't come at the expense of taxpayers.
The three key parts of its strategy is:
- Auditing the spending by the Coalition to find budget savings
- Cutting back on the amount the Commonwealth spends on contractors and consultants
- Close loopholes that allow multinational corporations to avoid paying tax
Chalmers says Labor would focus on managing rising inflation and lifting wages.
