| No images? Click here Quote to note"There’s no need for him to be nice to me." Bill Gates used to be the world’s richest man, but he lost that title to Elon Musk, and it’s pretty clear the pair aren’t mates. In a wide-ranging interview with the BBC, Gates denied he was trying to reduce the value of Tesla stock. And he shrugged off Musk’s mean tweets. Making news this morning1. Labor leader Anthony Albanese says elections shouldn’t be “some bureaucratic gotcha game”. During a solo appearance on ABC TV’s Q&A, he defended yesterday’s stumble on his NDIS policy that has led his critics to claim he’s not across the brief (PW). 2. PM Scott Morrison has sat down with the Financial Review (PW) and says don’t write him off yet. And he’s adamant he won’t make deals to secure government. "I’m not interested in supporting policies that we don’t support," he said. 3. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has taken offence at hTeal candidate Monique Ryan’s caricature of him as the ‘Treasurer for NSW’. The pair faced off in the Sky News Kooyong debate yesterday, and The Age says the “dislike of each for the other was at times apparent.” 4. Former Liberal PM Malcolm Turnbull says voters can “escape from the thrall of the dominant faction" and get action on climate change and socially progressive issues if they vote independent in this election. He is addressing the Washington Harvard Club in the US this morning. 5. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has been questioned in a second secret anti-corruption hearing, according to The Australian (PW). The state’s Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission has looked into Andrews’ association with a property developer who is currently under investigation for corrupt land deals. Going deeper: In the home straight… pre-poll voting starts next weekThe election campaign is getting to the pointy end… Pre-poll voting opens on Monday, and given the pandemic, the Electoral Commission expects record numbers of Aussies to cast their vote before election day on 21 May. ● Anthony Albanese copped a lot of heat yesterday after he couldn’t recite his party’s 6-point NDIS plan. It was an extra sensitive moment for the Labor leader after his early campaign blank on the unemployment rate. ● PM Scott Morrison was on his 5th visit to Parramatta and defended why he hadn’t been to seats of North Sydney and Wentworth where moderate Libs are under threat from Teal independents. He says he’s focused on the “contest between Labor and Liberal”. What it means: With 2 weeks left, it’s extra important to the parties that their campaigns are disciplined, and they don’t want to give free fodder to the other side. What’s next: It’s a big week for debates where they need to be sharp. Nine has ScoMo v Albo on Sunday night at 8.30pm AEST. Then Seven gets its turn on Wednesday. The Solomons spray that’s fuelling a big national security issue It was almost unthinkable a few weeks ago that the Solomon Islands would become one of the hottest topics of the election campaign. But its controversial security pact with China has sparked a robust political debate that got even more heated after a furious tirade from Solomons PM Manasseh Sogavare this week. ● Sogavare told his parliament that Australia and its allies were deliberately trying to undermine him. He also offered up a defence of Russia and praised China’s treatment of Christians. ● Morrison says "we need to be calm and composed", and hinted he hasn’t picked up the phone to Sogavare on the advice of security officials. ● Albanese says it’s “extraordinary” Morrison hasn’t called – and that Labor would fix the relationship with increased aid, action on climate change and more in-person visits. What it means: NZ’s (Labor) Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta says the whole region has been blindsided by the security deal, but the Solomons must take responsibility for this "relationship failure" and be transparent about its dealings. What’s next: The Pacific Islands Forum will be held in Fiji as early as next month. It will be a pretty important date in the diary for PM Morrison/PM Albanese. The shadow of a despot looms large in the Philippines electionBack in 1986, Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos fled the country, accused of orchestrating the killing or torturing of his opponents and stealing billions from his people. Now his son and namesake Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Jr might just be the next president… ● 64-year-old Marcos Jr leads his nearest rival Vice President Leni Robredo in the opinion polls. ● He’s run his campaign mainly through social media – creating a nostalgic version of his father’s rule, which relies on the fact more than half of the country’s voters weren’t even born when his family went into exile. ● Dynasties run deep in the Philippines… Marcos Jr’s running mate Sara Duterte-Carpio is the daughter of the current president Rodrigo Duterte. Marcos is also drawing on his disgraced 92-year old mother Imelda, who lives in Manila. What does it mean: Nobel Prize-winning journalist Maria Ressa believes Marcos’ disinformation campaign – much of it on Facebook – has changed the course of the election. "He looks set to win, and the only way that is possible is because history shifted in front of our eyes,” she said. What’s next: 65 million Filipinos will get their say on Monday… The polls open at 6am. Quick shotsVoters have turned against the Coalition in Victoria, NSW and Queensland, according to the latest state-by-state primary vote cut of the SMH/Age Resolve Political Monitor. But it also reveals a challenge for Labor in Victoria and Queensland. Information on the United Australia Party’s website shows the party will preference the Liberals ahead of Labor in 30 of the 34 seats in the House of Representatives that have a margin of 5% or below. The how-to-vote cards were published accidentally, the West Australian says (PW). Former croc farmer/FNQ MP Warren Entch had COVID but kept it a secret from his staff, the general public and Queensland health authorities. The veteran politician chatted about a previous infection with journalists this week, which led to more questions (PW). Facebook is doing pretty well out of the election campaign in NSW. A study from Queensland Uni shows the campaigns have bought $646,000 worth of ads on the platform since the election was called, and Wentworth voters are being targeted the most (PW). NZ’s Reserve Bank Governor has told MPs to “step back and breathe” when considering the Bank’s track record on inflation. Adrian Orr says government spending is no longer fueling inflation, and he’s "positively surprised" how the Kiwi economy has come through the pandemic. North Korea has fired another ballistic missile off its coast, vowing to step up its nuclear capability "at the fastest possible speed". South Korea’s incoming President Yoon Suk-yeol takes office next week and has promised stronger deterrent measures. The mayor of Port Hedland Peter Carter has resigned from his local school board and apologised for making a “stupid mistake” (PW). He was seen being fed strawberries by a woman in a Vietnam hotel room during an online meeting. Chart of the day If you had any doubt the cost of living was a big issue in Australia – here we are on a list showing we’ve Googled it more than any other country over the past week. Keep in mind that Sri Lanka – the nation that comes in at #2 – is on the brink of bankruptcy with severe shortages of fuel, medicine and food. What’s on todayUnited Australia Party leader Craig Kelly is campaigning in Perth and Kalgoorlie 11.30am – The Reserve Bank releases its statement on monetary policy following Tuesday’s board meeting More than 1,500 Transport Workers’ Union members in Victoria and Tasmania will hold a 24-hour stoppage over stalled negotiations with bus operators Dysons and Ventura *All times in AEST unless noted Today’s quote for the subject line comes from Scottish essayist and philosopher Thomas Carlyle. |
