Good afternoon readers, and welcome to today’s election edition of Afternoon Update. We’ve got just one day ofcampaigning to goand five million Australians have already voted – which is, in the Coalition’s eyes,the perfect timeto release their costings. (For the record, Labor opted for similar timing in 2022.)
The shadow treasurer, Angus Taylor, told reporters this afternoon the Coalition wouldimprove the budget bottom line by $14bnover the forward estimates and deliver a $40bn improvement in the level of gross debt, declaring: “You will not see a permanent cost-of-living crisis under a Dutton government”.
But the long-awaited costings of more than 200 policiesshowed that if returned to power, the Coalition would gut a long list of environment and clean energy programs, including scrapping the Net Zero Economy Agency, reversing Labor’s tax breaks for electric vehicles, and redirecting money slated for the home batteries program.
Anthony Albanese spent the second-last day of the campaignhigh-fiving children in Perthalongside Labor MP Sam Lim (also known asthe first dolphin trainer to be elected to parliament), while Peter Dutton visited an agriculture field day in Tasmania andchecked out a mobile petrol bowser.
The opposition leader is facing pressure internally and externally over the Coalition’spublic service policyand a“backflip” over reforms to the curriculum. But Albanese is not getting too cocky – noting if he wins on Saturday, he’d be the first PM to be re-elected since the early 2000s.
One of the architects of Donald Trump’s 2024 victory has claimed in video calls with undercover reporters from Europe-based organisations Correctiv and the Centre for Climate Reporting that hemade an unpublicised visit to Australiato advise theLiberal partyabout “structural issues” related to the opposition leader ahead of the federal election.
ACoalitionspokesman has denied LaCivita had any connection to the Dutton campaign. This afternoon, Liberal senator Jane Hume said such advice“wouldn’t be unusual”, and that campaign teams “talk to each other all the time, particularly centre-right campaign teams, from right around the world”.
In a statement, LaCivitatold Guardian Australiahe doesn’t work for the party but provides consulting to a “wide variety of business interests”.
Campaigning in Western Australia, Albanese said Dutton was concerned with fighting “culture wars”.
Meanwhile, Dutton has walked back on his previous comments about a “woke agenda” in schools, telling reporters today the Coalition hasno proposals to reform what students are being taught. He says has been “very clear” on the topic, as he has been on a range of issuesmany, many, many times this campaign.
And the lead Senate candidate for the Canberra Liberals, Jacob Vadakkedathu, hashammered Dutton’s policy to slash 41,000 positions from the Australian public service in the ACT, calling the Coalition’s plan “unrealistic” and “not practical”. In Sydney, Bennelong candidate Scott Yungappears to be distancing himself from the Liberals, as a paid ad on WeChat spruiks his “independent thinking”.
“I know we’ve got a mountain to climb.”
If Labor wins the election on Saturday, Anthony Albanese will the first leader since John Howard to retain office for two consecutive terms. Speaking on ABC radio Sydney on Thursday morning, the PM was asked about the latest YouGov poll,which showed Labor would win 84 seats– a clear majority – if an election was held immediately.
Hedidn’t understate the battle it would take to win over Australians, telling Hamish McDonald he had “no expectations” of securing victory after the “shock” election loss for Labor in 2019.
Joe Exotic, also known as Tiger King, iscontinuing to hit the socialsin support of Anthony Albanese’s federal election campaign. This time, he’sgenerated an image of the pair of them with some kangaroos, which has done something deeply disturbing to the prime minister’s head.
Exotic, who is in prison in the US, said on X he was not paid for the endorsement but made a “public offer to work for their zoo for free for six months or any other wildlife conservation if he would call president Trump and ask for me to be released”.
Asked about the update on Triple M Perth, Albanesemused whether he had heard about “what we were able to do with Julian Assange”, but added: “I’m not sure that the Joe Exotic issue is within my remit”.
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Peter Dutton popped down to Melbourne on Wednesday evening to assist with the campaign of Liberal candidate for Kooyong, Amelia Hamer. While there, the pair enjoyed (or not) a beer at the Tower hotel in Hawthorn with senator Jane Hume.
Sometimes an expression is worth a thousand words. I’m sure we have all identified, at some point in our lives, with everyone in this picture.
As we rapidly approach the election finish line and collapse to the ground like a dehydrated runner, it’s nice to take a moment to look back.
With five weeks of formal campaigning, four live debates (arguably several too many), three crashed trucks, one dead salmon and an injured cameraman, there have been many highs and lows.
Cast your eyes over themost memorable moments of the election campaign, packaged up in two minutes flat.
Officer in charge of specialist paramedics found out about Bondi Junction stabbings ‘by accident’, inquest told
US and Ukraine sign minerals deal that solidifies investment in Kyiv’s defense against Russia
Text messages in lead up to deadly mushroom lunch revealed as Erin Patterson’s estranged husband testifies
Kim Williams now ‘very clear’ on responsibilities, ABC managing director says after Media Watch allegations
Israel facing ‘national emergency’ as it battles worst fires in a decade, says Netanyahu
Archibald prize 2025: Jason Phu portrait by Abdul Abdullah wins packing room prize
Today’s starter word is:ERGO.You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word.Play Wordiply.
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