| No images? Click here Quote to note“The loudest yeller doesn’t get the next question.” Said Labor leader Anthony Albanese to the press pack yesterday in one of several testy exchanges. And hasn’t he been on a journey with the media this campaign… Starting out with an ‘ask me all the questions’ posture, he’s become more firm with the journos on tour as time has gone by. Thirty-two days of campaigning will do that… Making news this morning1. PM Scott Morrison is unveiling a six-point border protection policy today (PW), including a plan to force foreign criminals to pay for their own immigration detention. The Australian says to comes as intelligence points to a “heightened risk environment for maritime people smuggling”. 2. Labor leader Anthony Albanese is continuing his Queensland stint. Today he will outline a $194 million/4-year package of measures to protect the Great Barrier Reef from climate change. 3. Deputy Labor leader Richard Marles held 10 meetings with the Chinese embassy or officials in the past 5 years, The Australian reports. It says his contact with the embassy sparked concern amongst his colleagues and was “raised with the national security apparatus”. 4. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has pledged budget repair as Labor gets comfortable with delivering “moderately higher deficits”, the Financial Review says. The Coalition is taking aim at Labor over its unreleased policy costings. 5. Warringah Liberal candidate Katherine Deves has given a tearful interview to the SMH/Age. She says she will not be blamed if moderate Libs lose their seats because of her controversial views on transgender children. Going deeper: Suspicion over China’s assurancesYesterday’s Financial Review carried an op-ed (PW) from China’s Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian where he said Beijing’s growing cooperation with the South Pacific is not a security threat to Australia. ● PM Scott Morrison responded yesterday: "I don’t want to give any amplification for the views of the Chinese Government. I support the Australian national interest, not the Chinese Government’s view of what national interests are, whether it be in Australia or across the Pacific. And that’s why I’ve always taken a very strong stance on this." ● And Anthony Albanese: “What I say is that China has changed its posture. They are more aggressive in the region. We need to, in the words of the Biden administration, have competition without catastrophe." What it means: Whatever China’s selling, neither leader is buying. But where Morrison has gone hard on China’s “interference and intrusion” in the region, Albanese has held off on the direct criticism and has focused on getting Australia ready for a “new era as strategic competition”. What’s next: China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to visit the Solomon Islands next week (PW) to officially sign the new security pact. He’s also expected to visit other Pacific nations. All on the eve of the election… A new pitch from the Liberals… Voters have been called on to save the party from a catastrophic shift to the right. NSW Treasurer/leading moderate Matt Kean was campaigning with Wentworth MP Dave Sharma yesterday. Sitting on a slim margin of 1.3%, Sharma is in a tussle with Teal independent Allegra Spender. ● Kean has appealed to voters to back Liberal candidates who are being targeted by Team Teal because there’s a need to “make sure the Liberal Party remains reflective of the communities that we’re hoping to serve.” ● He added: “We’ve seen the impact of what happens when the centre-right parties lose moderate voices. Look at the Republican Party – the party of Lincoln, the party that has abolished slavery has now become the party of Trump, the party of Putin sympathisers and anti-vaxxers.” What it means: It’s not just Liberal moderates making those points. NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet – a conservative – supported his treasurer’s plea (while downplaying the idea that the party houses any Putin supporters…). What’s next: Several Coalition MPs are under threat from Teal independent candidates, including Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. Yesterday, John Howard joined the chorus of Liberals urging voters to stick with them and resist the urge to send Morrison a message. Meanwhile, the Teal independents are getting on with their campaigns… To Queensland, with love The Sunshine State’s status as federal election ‘do or die’ territory is still a thing in this election. In 8 of the last 9 elections, the Coalition/LNP has won 19 or more lower house seats in the state, aka double Labor’s representation. And this time around, Queensland again poses risks/opportunities for the major parties. ● Albanese was in the mining mecca of Gladstone yesterday to announce a $100 million equity injection for a battery manufacturing precinct. Asked why he hasn’t been in Flynn (LNP, 8.7%) much, he spruiked his 5 visits since becoming opposition leader. “You know, if I was an LNP candidate for Lilley, I would’ve changed my address to here, I’ve been here so often.” And today, he’s talking about the Great Barrier Reef. ● Meanwhile, the Coalition is gearing up for its campaign launch in Brisbane on Sunday (PW). It hasn’t held its launch in the state since Tony Abbott’s successful 2013 campaign. ● This is not Teal territory, although the Greens are popular in some parts of inner Brisbane, like Kevin Rudd’s old seat of Griffith. The minor parties to look out for are One Nation and the United Australia Party, where their primary vote could hit double digits in some regional areas. What does it mean: The Coalition needs to hold the 23 seats (out of 30) in Queensland. If it drops them here, it will have to pick them up in less friendly states – and that’s going to be hard. And if Labor is to win, it needs to improve on its 6 seats. What’s next: Get your flight tracker warmed up… Where the leaders spend their time next week is the best indicator of the seats they think they can win or are fighting hard to hold. Quick shotsAustralia’s first High Commissioner to the Solomons Islands was stopped from approaching Morrison during a visit to northern Tasmania yesterday. Trevor Sofield doesn’t like how the government has handled relationships in the South Pacific. Speaking of Katherine Deves earlier, former PM Tony Abbott has asked local Liberal party members to help the controversial candidate. Reports say local volunteers have abandoned her campaign, but the former Warringah MP says he’s impressed by her. Reid MP Fiona Martin has accused her opponent of playing "desperate political games". On Wednesday, Martin (Liberal 3.2%) was accused of mistaking Labor’s Sally Sitou for another Asian-Australian political aspirant. Yesterday, she said that’s not the case. Labor has axed a plan to increase paid parental leave to 26 weeks at “full pay” (PW). It comes after the party confirmed last week that it had dumped a plan to pay superannuation on paid parental leave. Western Australia’s government has reported a $5.7 billion surplus for the 2022 financial year, making it the only state to be in the black. Premier Mark McGowan said his state’s healthy GST take would have his counterparts looking on in envy (PW). Sri Lanka has a new PM. Senior opposition MP Ranil Wickremesinghe has been sworn in to lead a yet to be locked-in cross-party government. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa continues to ignore calls for his resignation as unrest flares over the nation’s economic collapse. Papua New Guinea’s Deputy PM died after a car accident on Wednesday, along with one of his protection officers. Sam Basil was 52yo and leader of the United Labour party. His death comes 2 months before the nation’s general elections were due. Post of the day Ever wondered why we use pencils to vote in the federal election? Let Evan Ekin-Smythe from the AEC fill you in… What’s on todayThe Northern Territory Labor caucus will meet to elect a new leader after Michael Gunner’s resignation as Chief Minister on Tuesday 12.30pm – Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Shadow Foreign Minister Penny Wong debate foreign affairs policy at the National Press Club – Canberra And happy 54th birthday to PM Scott Morrison *All times in AEST unless noted Today’s quote for the subject line is from author Alice Sebold. |
