Key posts
ASX at noon
By Colin Kruger
The Australian sharemarket retreated from early losses but was still down 1.5 per cent at noon to 7072.8.
The market shed as much as $45 billion of value this morning, with the ASX down 2 per cent in early trading after poor results overnight from major US retailers such as Target triggered fears on Wall Street that the economic downturn is starting to bite.
Every sector of the ASX 200 was lower at noon aside from health care. Tech stocks, mining and the energy sector took big hits, down as much as 3 per cent.
But the biggest drop was from the consumer staples sector with Woolworths down as much as 5 per cent by 11am, and Coles down 3 per cent.
Morrison’s curious choice of campaign stop
By Latika Bourke
With two days to go until the polls, Scott Morrison has made a curious campaign stop on his final visit to Tasmania.
Two of the Liberals’ most marginal seats are Bass, held by Bridget Archer with a margin of just 0.4 per cent, and Braddon, held by Gavin Pearce with a margin of 3.1 per cent.
Scott Morrison visits Island Block and Paving in the Tasmanian seat of Lyons.Credit:James Brickwood
Last night, the prime minister stopped in Braddon, where he famously crash-tackled seven-year-old Luca Fauvette during soccer training.
This morning he stopped by the seat of Lyons. That’s a seat that Labor holds with a margin of 5.2 per cent, making it semi-safe.
How to explain this decision?
Reporter James Massola is travelling with the prime minister this week and notes that the MP who holds the seat of Bass may be part of the reason.
Advertisements for the independent-minded Archer, who has crossed the floor to vote against the government in parliament, have run in the Launceston Examiner under the tagline “Keep Bridget in Bass” – and have been shorn of Liberal Party branding, Massola reports.
Further, he adds that there have been suggestions the prime minister’s personal standing could damage Archer’s chances of retaining the seat.
So this makes Morrison’s absence in Bass notable, particularly given we are approaching the final hours of the campaign.
But it could also spell confidence on the government’s side.
While Labor has high hopes of being able to win one or both of the two Liberal Tassie seats, the Liberals believe they could snatch Lyons held by Brian Mitchell.
This morning the Coalition’s Lyons candidate Susie Bower joined Morrison for visits to the Whitemore Tennis Club and then to a local business, Island Block and Paving.
Sarah Hirst, a member of the tennis club, said it was the first time a prime minister had visited Whitemore.
Agriculture was a “centrepiece” of the local community, she said, an investment in irrigation by the local and federal governments had been welcomed.
“This is a conservative community, they really want people who are happy to stand up for the local community.”
Unemployment drops to lowest rate since 1974
By Latika Bourke and Shane Wright
Just in.
The latest unemployment figures show that the unemployment rate has dropped from 4 per cent to 3.9 per cent.
That’s the lowest level in half a century or since mid-1974 and it comes after a small increase in the number of people working through April.
Officially, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) says the unemployment rate held steady at 3.9 per cent that’s because it revised down March’s rate of 4 per cent to 3.9 per cent, the same figure for April.
It is the lowest jobless rate since August 1974 when it was 2.7 per cent.
Total employment increased by only 4000 for the month but there were huge swings involved.
Full-time employment increased by 92,400 but part-time employment dropped by 88,400.
Underemployment dropped by 0.2 percentage points to 6.1 per cent while the hours worked lifted by 23 million across the economy.
“The number of people working fewer hours than usual due to bad weather dropped from its March peak of over 500,000 to around 70,000 people in April,” ABS head of labour statistics Bjorn Jarvis said.
Morrison says he came off worse from crash-tackle with Luca
By Latika Bourke
Morrison has ended his news conference on a happier note when asked about last night’s crash-tackle of seven-year-old Luca Fauvette.
Seven-year-old Luca Fauvette, appearing on the Today show with his grandmother, Jo, thinks the prime minister should have been given a red card.Credit:Nine News
Morrison said he had chatted to the youngster since the encounter went viral and that he was fine and already looking forward to his next training session.
And Morrison, who isn’t thought to spend as many hours in the gym as one of his predecessors, Tony Abbott, said he thinks he came off worse from the episode.
“Luca’s in great shape and he probably came off a little better than I did last night because I hit the ground with quite a thud,” he said.
“He’s got a story to tell his mates, and I suspect a yarn to spin for many, many years to come.”
COVID-19 prevented me from visiting Pacific countries: Morrison
By Latika Bourke
Asked if he would visit Honiara next week if re-elected, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he would not be able to go next week but would plan to go there quickly.
Scott Morrison speaks in Tasmania on Thursday morning.Credit:James Brickwood
He revealed that he had had to “raincheck” several visits to the Pacific, as well as to Vietnam, during the past three years, while Australia had closed its borders to try to keep out COVID-19.
The early stages of this campaign were dominated by the Solomon Islands security pact that the Pacific state signed with Beijing.
Rhyming Albanese ads aren’t racist: Morrison
By Latika Bourke
Scott Morrison has rejected Albanese’s suggestion that the Liberals’ rhyming ads are mocking people with ethnic names.
The ads carry the jingle “It won’t be easy under Albanese,” and Albanese has said members of the Italian community have raised concerns with him.
Albanese himself said the ads weren’t racist but questioned who would still think it was amusing to make fun of people’s surnames.
Morrison said the ad was no different to the ones the Liberals launched last election which also highlighted Bill Shorten’s name. Those ads carried the slogan “The bill you can’t afford.”
Morrison said Albanese was a “hypocrite” as he had recently poked fun of Liberal frontbencher Zed Seselja whose family is originally from Croatia.
Morrison pounces on Albanese’s aborted plan to ditch media
By Latika Bourke
Taking you now to the prime minister’s news conference.
Scott Morrison began speaking while Albanese was holding his media event in Sydney and pounced on the story we’ve been reporting on this morning, about the opposition leader’s now-aborted plans to ditch the travelling media pack, after Labor’s costings are released.
Scott Morrison visits Island Block and Paving in the seat of Lyons on Thursday morning.Credit:James Brickwood
“We’ve seen Labor running away, and Mr Albanese running away from scrutiny,” he said.
“He wanted to run to the other end of the country, away from his own media travelling pack so he wouldn’t have to face questions.”
Albanese had planned to leave the media in Canberra and campaign in Brisbane. At his news conference earlier he said this plan originated because it was thought that they would want to attend a news conference on costings instead.
Unvaccinated One Nation leader contracts COVID-19
By Amelia McGuire
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has told KIIS FM’s Kyle and Jackie O show that she has contracted COVID-19.
“I’m up to shit, I’ve got COVID,” she said through a bout of coughing.
“I travelled to five states around Australia but I go to the most locked down state, Western Australia, and I get it.”
When questioned whether she was vaccinated, the senator chastised co-host Sandilands saying: “I’ve told you before I’m not getting vaccinated. I haven’t been to hospital. I’m still kicking. I’m alive.”
Hanson said she thinks she contracted the virus last Saturday and is disappointed she will be unable to campaign ahead of the federal election on May 21.
Today, NSW has reported 10,964 further COVID-19 infections and 22 additional deaths. In Victoria, 13,201 people tested positive and 14 have died with the virus. The Sydney Morning Herald is calling on both parties to commit to an inquiry into the handling of the pandemic.
Market down tens of billions this morning
By Colin Kruger
The Australian sharemarket has shed tens of billions of dollars this morning, with ASX down 1.9 per cent in early trading to a low of 7047, after poor results overnight from major US retailers such as Target triggered fears on Wall Street that the economic downturn is starting to bite.
All sectors of the ASX 200 were down, with tech stocks, mining and the energy sector taking the biggest hits, falling as much as 3 per cent.
The S&P 500 slumped 4 per cent overnight, its sharpest decline since June 2020. The US benchmark is now just shy of a 20 per cent decline, which is considered a bear market.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq tumbled 5 per cent, which sent local tech stocks slumping.
Trio of Labor frontbenchers would form week-long interim government
By Latika Bourke
Anthony Albanese has revealed that if he is elected on Saturday night, he will form an interim government comprising himself and Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who would immediately fly to Tokyo for the Quad leaders meeting, as well as deputy leader Richard Marles.
So, who would run the country in their absence?
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese meets children in West Ryde with Bennelong Labor candidate Jerome Laxale on Thursday.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
Albanese says Marles would also be sworn in immediately, meaning the trio of Labor frontbenchers would form an interim government.
Asked how long that might last, he said: “No, we’re not looking at weeks at all.”
He said he envisaged the Labor caucus holding its first meeting following re-election the week after next.
Most Viewed in National
https://news.google.com/__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?oc=5
2022-05-19 07:44:07Z
1428449487
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Election 2022 LIVE updates: Anthony Albanese releases Labor’s costings; six million Australians voting early as campaign enters final days - Sydney Morning Herald"
Post a Comment