Record inflation and cost-of-living pressures continued to dominate the campaign trail, as the major parties took their election pitches to Sydney and Cairns.
Look back on how Thursday's updates unfolded in our blog.
Key events
- Labor says Liberal Party has knocked back request to debate at National Press Club
- Marise Payne says Australia remains the security partner of choice for Pacific countries
- Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers calls PM a 'pathological liar'
- Morrison 'happy' to debate on Seven and Nine
- Greens to try to convince major parties to put levy on coal exports
- Morrison takes swipe at Albanese's week of COVID-isolation
- PM's economic credibility has been 'shredded', Labor Senator says
- PM argues inflation rate driven by external factors
- Liberal senator insists cost-of-living pressures are out of government's hands
Live updates
By Jessica Riga
We'll wrap up our live coverage here
Take two! Thank you for joining us today.
You can continue to stay up to date with the latest federal election news here on the Australia Votes page.
See you tomorrow. Bye!
By Jessica Riga
Is childcare the only policy that Labor has to alleviate the cost of living crisis?
"Don’t underestimate the childcare policy in terms of the impact that it’s going to make on more than a million Aussies," Jason Clare says.
"I know myself as the father of a child who has just moved from childcare to primary school, it felt like you got a pay rise when they leave day care. It’s expensive.
"This policy ticks two of the big boxes to tackle two of the big challenges in this country. Cost of living and getting skilled workers into the workforce. You talk to employers who are tell you all the time they can’t find skilled workers. The childcare policy will give the average family on $100 another $1600 back in their pocket every year but it also means they can go back to work."
By Jessica Riga
Labor says Liberal Party has knocked back request to debate at National Press Club
Q: Labor wanted to do a debate at the press club, last week of the campaign. PM said he’ll do one on Channel Nine. Channel Seven want do one as well, the ABC wants to do one. What is the ALP’s position, Mr Albanese’s position, on doing debates. How many debates is he prepared to do and who with?
Jason Clare says the Labor party has written to the Liberal party requesting a debate at the National Press Club, which the Liberals have declined.
"There are going to be more debates. I can’t wait for them. I’m sure Albo can’t wait for them either," Clare says.
"There’s a bit of back and forth that’s happening at the moment between the parties.
"We have written to the Liberal Party recommending a debate at the press club. They’ve knocked that back.
"I expect that over the course of the next few days we’re going to get a result here so we sort it out and organise these debates and get them together head to head. We won the first debate."
By Jessica Riga
On the topic of the NDIS
Q: Reports are showing the NDIS is going to be $64 billion by 2030. When you’re sitting around the cabinet table after May 21, if you win the election, the cost of this scheme is getting bigger and bigger, is $64 billion affordable or will tough decisions have to be made about reining in the NDIS to bring it in budget?
Here's Jason Clare:
"I think Bill (Shorten) talked about that last week. He made the point that there are costs you can take out through consultants and lawyers and so forth. We need to make sure we’re helping the people who need help.
"The things that this government is doing to it at the moment are hurting real people. So you can manage it properly and you can make sure that you don’t hurt people along the way and that’s what Bill was talking about last week.
"There are two types of people when it comes to the NDIS. There are people who have had their funding cut and there are people who are terrified of having their funding cut."
By Jessica Riga
Has Anthony Albanese confirmed Kristina Keneally will be Home Affairs Minister should Labor win the election?
"Of course all of these decisions are made by the leader but yes I've had every indication that the portfolios I currently hold are the ones I'll take into government," Kristina Kenneally says.
By Jessica Riga
What has Labor pledged or promised for the Fowler electorate should they win?
Here's Kristina Keneally's reply:
"There’s a lot I can talk about here. And it’s good to see interest - it’s good to see interest from the Daily Telegraph finally in south-west Sydney and I welcome that, because this is an area of Sydney that’s got double unemployment rate," she says.
"It has people who are earning about $500 a week when the average average is about $660 a week and yet they’ve got the same housing costs as the rest of Sydney.
"It’s an area of Sydney where only 8% of the population has achieved university education. Where the cuts to apprenticeships and TAFE, the cuts to university and the failure to act on flat wages and rising cost of living bites really hard.
"The housing affordability crisis that we’re seeing in this country bites exceptionally hard in Fowler. Which is ranked fourth out of 151 electorates for houses where they need more bedrooms, housing overcrowding is a significant problem. Now, as we come to this election, there is a choice to be made between an Albanese Labor government or three more years of the same tired, out of puff and out of time Liberal government. So this is what I say to you.
"If people want action on housing affordability they need to vote Labor. If they want 465,000 fee free TAFE places they need to vote Labor. If they want 20,000 more university places, they need to vote Labor. If they want cheaper childcare they need to vote Labor. If they want cheaper electricity costs, they need to vote Labor.
"This, I know you’re gonna say, “Oh, gosh, but is that specific to Fowler?” And I say to you, hell yes it is because the people of Fowler of south-west Sydney have been done over by this Liberal government and they deserve a strong and experienced voice in the heart of government and that’s what they’ll get in an Albanese government."
Has Labor pledged any specific projects for the seat of Fowler?
"Yes," Keneally says.
"In fact we announced and I’m sorry you missed it half a million dollars to the Assyrian National Committee and we have some more announcements coming."
By Jessica Riga
'We have no negotiations at all with One Nation', Labor says
Q: Do you welcome One Nation preferencing Labor above Liberals in key seats? Are you grateful or worried?
"I make three points on that," Jason Clare says.
"We have had no negotiations at all with One Nation on this. We have a long-standing principle of preferencing One Nation last and that has not changed. What One Nation does in terms of who they preference, frankly that is just a matter for them."
By Jessica Riga
Jason Clare on having an Indigenous voice to Parliament
Q: Just on another issue, senior Indigenous leaders have spent more than a decade advocating for a referendum on constitutional recognition. Labor recently said it wanted a referendum in its first term if elected but is that an election commitment and will you see yourself as having failed if that doesn't happen?
Here's Jason Clare's reply:
"I think Indigenous Australians have been extraordinarily patient. They're desperate for this to happen and we want there to happen. I think Linda's (Burney) made that point, Albo's made this point.
"The first and most important change we want to make to the constitution is to recognise our Indigenous brothers and sisters in it but not just that, to create an Indigenous voice to Parliament. This is long overdue. This is the party of native title. This is the party of the apology. We want to be the party of the Indigenous voice to Parliament.
As for the timing, Jason Clare said "as soon as possible."
"You know, the Prime Minister made the point this morning, and I think it's a fair point that, you've got to make sure that you've got bipartisanship. You want to make sure that you've got Indigenous Australians and non-indigenous Australians together in this task.
"The worst thing that could happen would be for Australia to vote no but I've got extraordinary confidence that Australia will vote yes to this. It takes a bit of political will, lean into this and make it happen. We can make this happen and Labor will make it happen."
By Jessica Riga
Keneally on Solomon Islands
Q: Should China allow the Solomon Islands to release that security pact and if there are Chinese troops in the Solomon Islands what does that mean potentially for Australian security detail in the region?
Here's Kristina Keneally:
"First of all, the Solomon Islands are a sovereign nation. I’m going to let them make their own decisions about what they release and don’t release.
"But I make this point. The Australian government, the Morrison government, was warned that China was seeking to strike a deal with the Solomon Islands. We saw yesterday the extraordinary commentary from the head of the office of national intelligence, Andrew Shearer, saying this was not an intelligence failure.
"That means it was a government failure. It was a failure by Mr Morrison not to seek to speak to Prime Minister Sogavare. It was a failure by Mr Morrison not to send his Foreign Minister to the Solomon Islands.
"Mr Morrison dropped the ball here in what has been the most significant national security failure since World War II – World War II and as a result Australia is less safe. Now, China does have a foothold now, just 1600km from Cairns. And all the chest thumping and empty rhetoric we saw yesterday from Mr Morrison about [red lines] Is just tough talk with nothing behind it.
"That’s why Labor this week announced our plan to strengthen Australia’s relationship with our Pacific family. Mr Morrison has been caught asleep at the wheel. And as a result Australia is less secure."
By Jessica Riga
Keneally on refugees
Q: You mentioned you want to be Home Affairs Minister if Labor wins government. On that issue ... why then did you tell Labor for refugees at the 2021 conference that you would welcome an approach by that group, Labor for refugees, to end the offshore processing regime if Labor wins government?
Here's Kristina Keneally:
"Well, I haven't seen that information that you're sharing there with me, and I said this, this morning on Sky News. But let me be clear. Our policy is Operation Sovereign Borders. Regional resettlement, boat turn-backs where safe to do so and offshore processing ... Let me be clear. If you attempt to come to Australia by boat you will not make it. You will be sent back or sent to offshore processing in Nauru."
By Jessica Riga
Keneally on Karen Andrews' comments on China
Q: Can I ask for your response to comments of Karen Andrews saying that China has made these comments to coincide with the campaign. I know you’ve written a letter to her. Has she responded?
Here's Kristina Keneally's reply:
"No is the answer to that. Yesterday we saw Karen Andrews indulge in conspiratorial fantasies and unhinged commentary about foreign interference in our election campaign. Offered with no proof, offered with no reference to intelligence. I make this point.
"If Karen Andrews does not have intelligence briefings suggesting that there has been attempts at foreign interference in our election campaign, then she needs to clarify that to the public right now.
"And if she does have such briefings, we are in caretaker mode, and I’d remind her that the Asio Director-General has already made clear that such should be provided to both the Opposition and the government during the caretaker period. Now, this is not the first time Karen Andrews has done this."
By Jessica Riga
Would Kristina Keneally like to be Home Affairs Minister if Labor is elected?
Very short answer here.
"Yes," Kristina says.
By Jessica Riga
'Where is Alan Tudge?' Jason Clare asks
Jason Clare was asked where Tanya Plibersek is, and he switched it around to ask where Alan Tudge is.
"You’ve been so busy on the bus you’ve not been watching Sunrise or the Project. I know there are a lot of people watching this, but I guess the audience on Sunrise is bigger and so is the Project.
"Tanya’s been out there. If you watch the things she’s been saying. She’s been making a real big impact on this campaign. I think what we have seen over the course of the last two weeks are two things.
"One, we have seen the government stuff up on things they tell people they’re good at, national security and the economy. The other thing is you’ve seen Albo’s team.
"You’ve seen we have a strong, united team and we’re ready to govern. We’re ready to earn your vote and we’re ready to get started on fixing the problems that Australians want us to fix."
There's then some cross talk as reporters try to ask more questions.
"Whoa, hang on. Compare and contrast that with the other side. Scott Morrison talks about his team. Where are they? Most are in hiding, some are in witness protection. Where is Alan Tudge? Can anyone find Alan Tudge? I don't think Scooby-Doo could find Alan Tudge at a moment."
By Jessica Riga
Would Labor support more cash handouts if elected?
Jason Clare says "we support that [the government's $250 handout]."
"What we’re saying is there is a crisis. There are Australians that need help right now and those cash payments are welcome because they help people right now.
"But we need more than just short-term help, you need long-term help. You were at a childcare centre today, this is a big part of providing help to more than a million Australians. I think Amanda made the point in the press conference that the changes we make there will help an average family cut the cost of childcare by $1,600 a year. Now, that’s a lot of money.
"We're saying you need a plan that losts more than six months so you've got to change changes to childcare to cut the cost of childcare."
By Jessica Riga
Labor has stepped up for a second press conference.
We're hearing from Kristina Keneally and Jason Clare.
You can watch it using the live stream above.
As always, key updates will be here in the blog.
By Jessica Riga
Marise Payne says Australia remains the security partner of choice for Pacific countries
Foreign Minister Marise Payne says she's confident Solomon Islands will turn to the Pacific first for security assistance.
The federal government has been rattled by a security pact the Pacific Island country has signed with China.
Some officials fear it could be used to establish a Chinese military presence in the future.
But Ms Payne says Australia remains the security partner of choice for Pacific countries.
"The Pacific family is best placed to provide security assistance in the region," Ms Payne said.
"We have done that successfully we will continue to do that, and no document signed and kept away from public view is going to change that."
By Jessica Riga
Vote Compass shows Australians support more foreign aid, tougher stance on China
China's influence in the Pacific has become a focal point of the federal election campaign, and new data shows many Australians think the government should be harsher in its dealings with the country.
The ABC's Vote Compass asked whether people agreed Australia should take a tougher stance when dealing with China.
Almost 60 per cent of voters said they agreed (58 per cent), while 24 per cent of people were neutral and 12 per cent said they disagreed.
Sentiment was strongest among Liberal-National voters, 72 per cent of whom said Australia should be tougher on China.
More than half of Labor voters and 47 per cent of people intending to vote Green also agreed.
What do you think of the findings?
By Jessica Riga
By Jessica Riga
Greens hot on the heels of the LNP in Brisbane seat as Canavan's misstep could prove costly
The LNP's Trevor Evans campaigned hard on climate change at a town hall debate in the seat of Brisbane last night after Labor and the Greens doubled their vote last election in what is the "youngest" electorate in the country.
By Jessica Riga
Another comment from one of our readers
I am a young student who relies on youth allowance to afford to live (my payment doesn't even cover my rent). Last year in the period between finishing high school and starting uni i was automatically regarded as not studying and held to the $200(rough) per week max employment income before my youth allowance was cut. The income-means tests for all payments needs to be reviewed, especially when the cost of living keeps rising but if we work more to keep up with it we earn less - even if we still need that money to afford to live
-Bambi
Thank you for sharing your experience and perspective with us, Bambi.
