Another kind of grand final
Make sure to check out this from our cartoonistDavid Squiresin which he reimagines the election as a grand final playoff between the Reds and the Blues, with some teals and Greens too.
The poll we mentioned earlier is theAFR/Freshwater Strategypoll, which has Labor leading the Coalition on a two-party preferred basis by 51.5% to 48.5%.
It represents a swing against Labor of 0.6% since the last election – but it’s a 1.5-point swing towards the ALP in the last fortnight, and 2.5% since the campaign began.
The paper says it would “most likely be enough for Labor to form government” – if that swing is replicated across all electorates (which never happens) it would see Labor lose two seats to a bare majority of 76, and theCoalitionup two to 59.
Freshwater’s “more granular” analysis of the numbers predicts Labor in minority government with 74 seats, the Coalition 64 and the crossbench 12.
Campaign trail chuckles
And who said the last five weeks hasn’t been fun? Provided you didn’t watch the television debates, writesCaitlin Cassidy, there has been enough to keep us amused – from theCoalitionleaders getting lost in Melbourne to Albo’s tumble to the Coalition rap described as “Kendrick Lamar meeting question time”.
Blue signs will once again populate outside a battleground seat early voting centre after the Liberal Party won a last-minute court order preventing the local council from limiting it to one per candidate, Australian Associated Press reports.
Dozens of the party’s A-frame signs were removed from outside an early voting centre at Kew in the inner-east Melbourne electorate of Kooyong on Wednesday, three days out from the poll.
Liberal candidate Amelia Hamer was earlier directed to comply with a local council rule that limits candidates to just one sign each on public land.
The City of Boroondara argued the signs were a risk to pedestrians and road users.
Supreme Court Justice Kerri Judd on Thursday ruled in favour of the party’s injunction, brought by State Director Stuart Smith, that restrains the council from removing Hamer’s signs outside the voting centre.
“I am satisfied the plaintiff would suffer greater damage if an injunction were refused and his claim were ultimately upheld,” she said in her ruling.
Hamer’s main rival for the seat, teal independent MP Monique Ryan, and all other candidates abided by the one-sign requirement.
Has either major party earned your vote? – podcast
With one day to go before the election, the polls paint a rosy picture for Labor. Governing with a majority is still a live option for the incumbent government – but pollsters have been wrong before, and a late night surprise is not off the table. So, after a long campaign which left many voters frustrated with the lack of big promises and big policy – have the major parties earned your vote?
In our Full Story podcast Newsroom edition,Bridie Jabourtalks to editorLenore Taylorand head of newsroomMike Ticherabout the choices progressive voters face as they head to the polls.
Listen here:
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’mMartin Farrerwith some of the best overnight stories beforeKrishani Dhanjiwill take you through the last full day of campaigning.
It seems likepolitical tensions have boiled overin some areas with New South Wales police launching multiple investigations in the last week into alleged violence, intimidation, harassment and antisocial behaviour related to the election. This has included the smearing of poo across a truck carrying an ad for the Liberal party. More coming up.
A Liberal-aligned thinktankrunning last-minute anti-Greens advertisementstargeting young voters received more than $600,000 from the coal industry during last year’s Queensland election, disclosures show. At the same time, Labor and the Coalition have been accused of going to the election on a “unity ticket” to protect fossil fuels.
In what might well be the last poll before the one that really counts, Labor has a two-point lead over theCoalitionon a two-party preferred basis. The Fin Review/Freshwater Strategy poll shows that Labor is on 51.5% to the Coalition’s 48.5%. If replicated tomorrow that puts Labor on track for a minority government. More campaign reaction coming up.