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Good night
By Angus Dalton
That’s where we’ll leave today’s live coverage. Thanks for your company.
Here’s what you need to know this evening.
- Prime Minister Scott Morrison has ruled out holding a referendum on enshrining an Indigenous Voice to parliament in the constitution after the launch of an Indigenous-led campaign advocating for a national poll on the issue. Campaigning in Geelong this afternoon, Morrison spruiked the Coalition’s plan to expand access to the seniors’ health card, which could see an extra 50,000 people access cheaper medications and services. Labor has matched the plan. Morrison also attacked Labor’s new housing policy, saying voters “don’t want the government to own their home”.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison visited a retirement village in the marginal Victorian seat of Corangamite today.Credit:James Brickwood
- Labor leader Anthony Albanese has reiterated his commitment to boost wages at a Labour Day rally in Brisbane. “I say this to the workers here – you deserve more than thanks,” Albanese told the crowd. Albanese also said that he would negotiate with state premiers on hospital funding, but didn’t respond to calls to increase Commonwealth funding of public hospitals. Labor has also committed $500 million to help grow the uptake of electric vehicles.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese and Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk during a rally in Brisbane today.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
- One of NSW’s anti-corruption watchdog commissioners has labelled Scott Morrison’s comments that characterised ICAC as a “kangaroo court” as offensive, misleading and untrue, and said people who used the term were “buffoons”. Morrison doubled down on his criticism of the ICAC while campaigning in Tasmania last month.
- Tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes is making another move on AGL after the board knocked back his previous $8 billion takeover bid.
- About 100 Ukrainian civilians have been evacuated from the ruined Azovstal steelworks in the city of Mariupol, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said. Hundreds of Ukrainian troops and civilians took shelter in the steelworks after Russia claimed victory over Mariupol on April 21.
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Steggall responds to Deves ‘hypocrite’ comments
On ABC Radio Sydney this evening, Warringah MP Zali Steggall responded to Liberal opponent Katherine Deves labelling her a “hypocrite”.
Zali Steggall at a candidates’ forum in Manly last month.Credit:Jessica Hromas
In an article by The Daily Telegraph published today, Deves characterised Steggall as a female athlete who is failing to support other women in sport because she supports trans women’s right to compete.
“I have received over 30,000 emails over last three years and only Ms Deves has raised this issue,” Steggall told the ABC’s Richard Glover.
“No one has raised an issue or examples that shows these rules are not working in Australia,” she said, adding there are regulations already in place to make sport safe and fair. She said The Daily Telegraph’s article about her this morning was “playing into Scott Morrison’s grubby culture war”.
NSW Nationals MP Bronnie Taylor, who was also on the program, said she was concerned as the state minister for mental health because the debate involved a “vulnerable cohort of people”.
But she spoke at greater length about her concerns about public debate and that her constituents were saying to her that it’s “terrible you can’t say something any more without being vilified”.
Steggall and Taylor also debated cost of living measures with Labor frontbencher Ed Husic, who said the prime minister saying cost of living pressures and supply chain issues were caused by international events was “cold comfort” to voters paying more for goods and services.
Victorian Premier defends state debt ahead of budget
By David Escourt
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews had defended Victoria’s debt levels, saying the unprecedented economic impact of the pandemic required the government to spend at record levels.
Premier Daniel Andrews.Credit:Joe Armao
“You’ve got to go back to the circumstances that we faced,” Andrews told ABC radio.
“All of us, as governments, both national governments and sub-sovereign governments were told you need to borrow, you need to use your budget, the state budget or national budget, to protect household budgets.”
Pressed about the sustainability of the high-level borrowing, the premier said the Victorian government would ease their spending going forward.
“I’ve just indicated to you that we will not be continuing to borrow at those levels,” he said. “You’ll see some numbers there that show a strong underlying Victorian economy, we’ve had to borrow.”
He also brushed off suggestions his personal brand is being used against federal Labor candidates with ads seeking to connect Andrews and Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese.
“Well, I saw there was a bit of an ad put together by my political opponents the Liberal Party and as I said at the time, desperate people do desperate things,” Andrews said.
“I think Victorians know what this election is about. It’s about a federal Liberal government that’s been in power for nearly a decade, haven’t done much with that, the prime minister that’s never around when he’s needed [and] accepts responsibility for nothing.”
Chinese police will operate under Solomon Islands’ command, assures high commissioner
China’s police presence under a new security pact will boost the capabilities of the Solomon Islands but they will not use techniques seen in Hong Kong, the Pacific Island country’s top diplomat to Australia said in a radio interview on Monday.
Already on guard about the pact because of concerns it gives China’s military a strategic foothold in the Pacific, Western allies are also worried that Chinese police sent there may use the same “ruthless” techniques previously used to quell anti-government protests in Hong Kong.
The Solomon Islands is “beefing up capability” after local police were unable to contain anti-government riots in the Chinatown section of the capital Honiara in November, Solomon Islands High Commissioner to Australia Robert Sisilo told ABC Radio.
Manasseh Sogavare, the prime minister of Solomon Islands.Credit:AP
Under the pact, Sisilo said Chinese military police could be called on but will operate under the command of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force, just like Australian police that have deployed there.
“We will try and do our best in terms of dealing with them to make sure that what is happening in other countries where, like Hong Kong, doesn’t happen in our country,” he said.
While details of the security pact haven’t been disclosed, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has ruled out a Chinese military base and said it covers policing because an agreement with traditional partner Australia was “inadequate”.
“We are not seeking to move away from Australia but seeking more cooperation with China,” Sisilo said.
Unemployment was a factor in the November riots, he said. Canberra could “further advance our relations” by providing more work visas for islanders and permanent residency permits.
Australia had granted 3000 visas to Solomon Island citizens under a labor scheme that allows Pacific islanders to work in rural areas.
“If only the scheme could be extended to the whole of Australia’s metropolitan cities ... where the demand for plumbers, bricklayers, caregivers, domestic servants ... is huge,” he said.
Solomon Islands has a population of around 700,000 and relies on foreign aid from Australia, and increasingly China, to bolster its economy.
Reuters
ASX 200 drops 1.2% to close 88 points lower
By Colin Kruger
The ASX 200 dropped 1.2% to close 88 points lower at 7347 with all sectors lower.
Tech stocks led the decline, but travel was a bright spot with good news from Qantas and Helloworld providing a boost.
New York here we come. Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce resurrects plans for non-stop to NY and London from Australia’s east coast.Credit:Rhett Wyman
Australia records 13 COVID-19 deaths and 31,415 new cases
By Angus Dalton
There have been 13 COVID-19 deaths in Australia and 31,415 new cases recorded today.
There are 3218 people with the virus in hospital and 135 in ICU.
Here’s what happened in each state.
- NSW - five deaths and 7723 new cases.
- VIC - one death and 8109 new cases.
- QLD - no deaths and 4647 new cases.
- WA - no deaths and 5847 new cases.
- SA - three deaths and 3143 new cases.
- NT - no deaths and 248 new cases.
- TAS - three deaths and 900 new cases.
- ACT - one death and 939 new cases.
Virologists have warned that the virus’s rate of mutation remains steady and that more infectious variants are likely to continue emerging.
Morrison to revive religious discrimination bill without LGBTQ protections
By Lisa Visentin
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has written to religious organisations promising to revive the government’s religious discrimination bill in the next parliament, but with no added protections for LGBTQ students.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison campaigning in the Victorian marginal seat of Corangamite today.Credit:James Brickwood
Conservative Christian lobby group Family Voice has confirmed it received a letter over the weekend from Morrison, which contained the promise:
“If re-elected, we will pursue passage of the Religious Discrimination Bill as stand-alone legislation in the next parliament and will not accept any attempts to make changes to other laws that undermine protections for religious institutions.
“I want to assure you that guaranteeing Australians are safe from discrimination on the basis of their faith remains a priority for me and my government. I will also not allow this issue to be used by Labor and the Greens to undermine existing protections,” the organisation said in a statement, quoting the letter.
Morrison shelved the religious discrimination bill earlier this year after five moderate Liberal MPs crossed the floor to vote with Labor and crossbenchers to support amendments that strengthened protections for LGBTQ students.
Protesters against the federal government’s Religious Discrimination Bill in Sydney.Credit:Renee Nowytarger
The amended bill, which passed the lower house but was pulled before it could reach the Senate, would have abolished s38(3) of the Sex Discrimination Act - which allows faith-based schools to discriminate against students on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
This went further than the government’s own proposed amendment to the SDA, which would have prohibited religious schools from expelling students because they are gay, but not stopped broader discrimination against trans and gender diverse students.
In his latest pledge, Morrison has appeared to have abandoned that narrow commitment to strengthen protections for gay students at the same time as seeking to pass the religious laws.
He confirmed he had written to religious leaders on Saturday, telling reporters, if re-elected: “I’ll be taking [the bill] forward as standalone legislation. It will deal with the RDA, and won’t be dealing with other issues.”
On Monday, Family Voice spokesman Greg Bondar welcomed the commitment “as Christians Australia-wide consider how to vote wisely in just a matter of weeks.“
Of course, if the government is returned, it could face the same hurdles that caused it to pull the bill earlier this year - that is, a revolt from its own Liberal backbench.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese has also pledged to pass religious discrimination laws if Labor wins government, and will scrap s38(3) of the SDA, but has not outlined how soon it would move to enact this pledge.
This afternoon’s headlines at a glance
By Angus Dalton
Good afternoon and thanks for your company.
If you’re just joining us, here’s what you need to know.
- In a campaign day dominated by health, Prime Minister Scott Morrison used a press conference in Geelong to spruik the Coalition’s commitment to raise the income threshold for the seniors’ health card. He said an extra 50,000 older Australians would have access to the card and cheaper medications. Labor has matched the commitment. Morrison also criticised Labor’s housing policy and said voters “don’t want the government to own their home”.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison attends Eid Prayers at Parramatta Mosque in Sydney this morning.Credit:James Brickwood
- Labor leader Anthony Albanese said he will negotiate with state premiers on public hospital funding at a Labour Day rally in Brisbane today, but stopped short of committing more Commonwealth funding to hospitals. He also stepped up his pledge to deliver better wages if he takes power at the May 21 election.
- COVID-19 variants are likely to continue emerging, say virologists, as the virus’s mutation rate refuses to slow down. “This virus has probably got tricks we haven’t seen yet,” virologist Robert Garry of Tulane University said, noting variants would probably continue to become more infectious.
- Ultra long-haul flights will connect Australia’s east coast to London and New York from 2025, Qantas announced this morning. It’s the culmination of a five-year plan to offer 20-hour direct flights to the international cities from Sydney and Melbourne.
A new Airbus A350-1000 at Sydney airport as Qantas CEO Allan Joyce makes the major announcement of non-stop flights from Sydney to London and New York.Credit:Brook Mitchell
‘It’s not about politics’: Morrison chides media after rate rise question
By Lisa Visentin
Morrison was asked whether he’s concerned that an anticipated interest rate rise by the Reserve Bank tomorrow will harm the Coalition’s chances at the ballot box.
He had a dig at the press pack for “always see[ing] things through a political lens”.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison visited a retirement village in the seat of Corangamite this afternoon.Credit:James Brickwood
“It’s not about politics. What happens tomorrow deals with what people pay on their mortgages. That’s what I’m concerned about. It’s not about what it means for politics,” he said.
“Australians are focused on what they’re paying for and who they think is going to be best able to manage an economy and manage the finances so they’re in the best possible position to realise their aspirations.
“Now Australians know that there are pressures on interest rates. That’s why many of them so many of them have been switching to fixed rates.”
Is the Aussie dream dead? Morrison takes aim at Labor’s housing policy
Morrison took aim at Labor’s housing policy after he was asked by a reporter if the Australian dream of owning a home is dead.
“It has always been hard, and it is hard particularly today, but what the figures show is that 164,000 Australians last year [got] into their first home - that is up almost 70,000 on what Labor was achieving when they were in office,” Morrison says.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaking to party faithful yesterday at The NSW Liberal Party Rally at Accor Stadium. Credit:James Brickwood
“Labor has a plan where they want the government to own your home. It’s not only that, you are last in line when it comes to your home. The bank has the first call over it, the government has the second call over it, and you come last when it comes to your own home.“
Under Labor’s housing policy, announced over the weekend, the government would help 10,000 modest income earners co-buy a home each year by contributing up to 40 per cent of the purchase price.
After criticising the policy, Morrison was asked by a reporter why he supported a similar co-ownership scheme in operation in Victoria five years ago.
He says he made the comments in the context of the aftermath of the global financial crisis.
“There is a scheme like this in Western Australia. There is a scheme like this in South Australia. The take-up of the schemes is very limited and one of the reasons for that is people want to own their own home,” he said.
“They don’t want the government to own their home. If people want to go into a shared equity mortgage, those products have been around for a long time. The private sector provides those products and what I was referring to in 2011, I think it was, was in the middle of a global financial crisis when there was a squeeze on credit.
“So I was proffering sensible interventions that would enable the private sector to give people more choices.”
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2022-05-02 09:28:27Z
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