| No images? Click here Quote to note“He even said that I was in extraordinary health, which made me like him even more. Although he also said I should lose a couple of pounds!" Donald Trump has thrown his support behind “America’s Doctor” Dr Oz in the Republican Primary contest for a Senate seat in Pennsylvania. Dr Mehmet Oz was a regular on Oprah for years – not that she’s endorsing him… Making news this morning1. LNP MP George Christensen isn’t retiring – he’s seeking reelection in the Queensland seat of Dawson as a One Nation candidate (PW). He says his beliefs and views better align with Pauline Hanson’s. 2. Labor will not commit to a review of the rate of Jobseeker payments. It avoids a clash with the Coalition but has disappointed advocates who say the base rate of the unemployment payment of $46/day is too low. 3. Senator Zed Seselja is on an emergency mission to the Solomon Islands. Flying in last night, he’s holding emergency talks with the Pacific island nation over its plan to sign a security pact with China. 4. New US inflation figures are out, and they’re high. Prices rose 1.2% in March compared with February, taking the annual rate to 8.5%. 5. UK PM Boris Johnson has been fined over his surprise birthday party in mid-2020 that broke COVID rules. It makes him the first serving PM to be sanctioned for breaking the law. Going deeper: Albanese’s day one blunder dominates day 2A single day doesn’t make an election campaign, but it can set the tone for what follows. Labor leader Anthony Albanese faced another day of being pressed by journos after not remembering the unemployment rate (4%). He says he’s determined to “shake it off” and own his mistakes. Meanwhile, PM Scott Morrison says anyone can slip up on a number, but it shows his competitor doesn’t have a command of the economy. ● The Coalition kept the focus firmly on jobs after Albanese’s misstep. The PM has promised to create 1.3 million jobs over the next 5 years. ● It’s contested territory just how much of a role governments have in actually creating those jobs. Still, Morrison says tax incentives for small businesses, more money for apprentices and billions invested in manufacturing and infrastructure help with jobs growth. What it means: Labor’s spent the early days of the campaign fighting on the Coalition’s preferred turf (the economy), and Albanese has spent 2 days defending himself against claims of inexperience. What’s next: The latest employment data from the Bureau of Stats is out tomorrow, and economists are tipping unemployment could fall even further… You can bet the Coalition will be shouting it from the rooftops if it does. Remember, it’s not a popularity contest…Unless you’ve been living under a mossy rock, you’d know the 2019 opinion polls got it wrong. The big national surveys had all but given the keys to the Lodge to Bill Shorten and Labor, and written off the Coalition. But as bad as those polls were for the Libs, Morrison always had a big lead over Shorten as preferred prime minister. So does that head-to-head contest matter in 2022? ● In recent polls, Albanese has managed to match Morrison in the preferred PM stakes (Ipsos: Albanese 38/Morrison 37; Resolve: Albanese 37/Morrison 36), but Monday’s Newspoll had Morrison ahead 44:39. ● Yesterday, Scott Morrison said this election is “not a popularity contest” in response to a question if he was “on the nose” with voters. What it means for Morrison: Morrison has been making more of his “team” since calling the election and appeared with his Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Foreign Minister Marise Payne at events yesterday. It’s a tacit acknowledgement from the Libs that he’s carrying more baggage than last time and doesn’t hold the same appeal for voters. What it means for Albanese: The SMH/Age chief pollster Jim Reed says: “Policy is not Labor’s vulnerability right now, but leadership is.” After a Day 1 shocker, Albanese can’t afford to lose too much more bark. Nordic countries upset Russia with a bid to join NATO Finland and Sweden have traditionally stayed out of conflicts in Europe. But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could be about to spook both countries out of their famed neutrality. Finland shares a 1,340km border with Russia and its PM Sanna Marin says a rethink is necessary because “Russia is not the neighbour we thought it was. ” ● Russia has warned both countries not to join the western military alliance saying NATO is “geared towards conflict.” ● Both Finland and Sweden are expected to decide by the European summer. What does it mean: The US says the fact NATO could expand from 30 to 32 nations shows Russia made a massive strategic blunder invading Ukraine. Note: Putin has been trying to shrink and diminish the alliance. What’s next: Russia is already suspected of launching a cyberattack on Finnish banks. And it’s threatening more “retaliatory steps” if Finland and Sweden go down this path. Quick shotsTwo Aussie refineries will be promised $250 million to expand production and make a better quality fuel if the Coalition is reelected. PM Morrison will announce the funding for the plants in Lytton (Queensland) and Geelong (Victoria) today, reports say (PW). Labor will promise to fund 50 urgent care clinics to take the pressure off hospital emergency department. It comes in at $135 million over 4 years, and Albanese will make the announcement in Melbourne this morning. The Coalition’s promise to create 1.3 million jobs in 5 years is “hollow”, says the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The business sector is calling on permanent skilled migration levels to be raised urgently. PM Scott Morrison had an encounter with another loud heckler last night. The ‘progressive activist’ was sweet to start but ended up yelling about the 2019-20 bushfires in the Blue Mountains. Albanese needs to rein in the unwieldy press conferences and sharpen up his performances, Labor sources have told the Financial Review (PW). They say he cannot afford another misstep. Activist outfit GetUp! is backing some Climate200 candidates (PW). It is particularly interested in ousting Liberal MPs in the seats of Goldstein (Tim Wilson), Kooyong (Josh Frydenberg) and Mackellar (Jason Falinski). Cowan MP Anne Aly has picked up the karaoke mic to mark Labor’s commitment to $1.6 million towards a Vietnamese Cultural Centre in Perth. That’s a new one… Pic of the day This is the map that gets Russian President Vladamir Putin’s goat. NATO started with 12 members but now has 30 (and counting). If Finland joins, it will put another country in the western alliance right on Russia’s western border.
What’s on todayPM Scott Morrison is expected to continue to campaign in Western Sydney Labor leader Anthony Albanese starts the day in Melbourne and will announce a new policy for urgent care clinics to take the pressure off hospital emergency departments Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce starts the day in Darwin and moves on to Alice Springs (Lingiari, ALP/5.5%) 9.30am (9.00am local time) – A press conference with Liberal Democrat Senate candidates Campbell Newman and Sam McMahon – Darwin 12.00pm – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand announces the decision of it Monetary Policy Review on the country’s official cash rate 12.30pm – Greens leader Adam Bandt delivers his ‘Leaders 2022 Election Address’ to the National Press Club – Canberra 6.00pm – Former Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove will launch Gary McKay’s book After the Blood Cools: The Warrior’s Dilemma – Sydney ABS Data Release – Building Activity, December 2021 quarter *All times in AEST unless noted |
