Prime minister Scott Morrison goes for a spin:
Ben Smee has written this explainer on preference deals, and how they can be a wedge, but can also turn into a reverse wedgie:
The defence minister, Peter Dutton, is on Sky News, talking to host Chris Kenny.
Kenny is asking about the Aukus deal, and where New Zealand sits with it because they have a nuclear ban. Should NZ get over the ban?
Dutton says NZ wants to “walk more closely with us”, and adds that Canada and the other Five Eyes countries are keen to be more involved in the Aukus arrangement.
Aukus underpins our security, Dutton says, and it’s not just the nuclear powered submarines, there’s cooperation on cybersecurity as well.
Kenny asks about Solomon Islands prime minister Manasseh Sogavare’s comments. Sogavare said the Pacific wasn’t consulted on Aukus.
(Daniel Hurst wrote about those comments earlier.)
Dutton says:
We obviously reached out to all of our near neighbours – but before the announcement it was really only the US, the UK and Australia who were privy to those negotiations.
It was necessary, in the country’s best interest, and in the region’s best interest … to maintain that peace and not be in a situation where we’re surrendering our sovereignty, or being in an unstable environment.
Get more pork on your fork! Oh wait. More like see who has more pork on their fork. Or who is forking out more pork?
The Pork-o-meter has been updated – see the latest promises, pledges, and potential pork barrelling:
Independent Kate Chaney (a teal dressed in teal today) is telling the ABC about her crack at the WA seat of Curtin. It’s a nominally safe Liberal seat, held by Celia Hammond. Paul Karp has written about what the locals are thinking here:
Asked who she’d support in the case of a hung parliament, she says she’d negotiate on the two issues of climate change and a federal integrity commission.
Her own campaign is the “most transparent in the country”, she says, saying she’s raised up to $700,000, with about 40% of that from Climate 200.
Labor plane making another pit stop in Adelaide on the way to WA. First refueling, now a minor technical issue. SA’s contested seat of Boothby will have to wait! pic.twitter.com/0US7jWUrdq
— Julia Bradley (@_juliabradley) April 29, 2022
Can Labor deliver you a fatter paycheck? Paul Karp discusses Labor’s promises of boosting wages with Jane Lee in the latest Campaign catchup:
ABC host Greg Jennett asks Aly if federal Labor is basking in the glory of the state Labor government’s victory. She says the Coalition sided with Clive Palmer (who tried to sue the state for closing its borders). She says:
The reason Mark McGowan is so popular is because he has done the right thing by Western Australians. He has kept us safe, he has fought back.
The Labor launch in Perth on the weekend is a demonstration of WA’s federal importance, she says.
Labor’s Anne Aly is talking about her seat of Cowan, a marginal Labor seat in Western Australia.
She tells the ABC she doesn’t take the seat for granted, and is working hard because it will be “hard to hold”. Cost of living is the first thing constituents bring up with, she says, after being asked about the effect of the pandemic.
Labor’s plan goes beyond the $250 payment, she says, mentioning wage increases, increased productivity, childcare subsidies, and cracking down on multinationals.
The Covid death toll is now 7,189:
Bowen also says there will be no changes to Operation Border Force under a Labor government, with offshore processing and boats turned back. Paul Karp took a good, hard look at Labor’s policies here.
And he’s [Bowen] looking forward to the Labor campaign launch on Sunday in Perth.
Labor’s climate change spokesman Chris Bowen is up now, talking to the ABC’s Fran Kelly. She asks him if there’s more or less coal power in the mix. He says Labor will invest in transmission, and rewire the nation with “more renewables, bringing more stability and lower power prices”. He says:
The answer is investment in renewables and transmission and policy certainty.
Labor’s modelling shows a power bill reduction of $275 on average by 2025, he says.
Finally, Cash is asked about whether the Coalition would negotiate with independents on an integrity commission, and Cash says if the Coalition wins it will have a mandate to bring in its own version, and:
The prime minister has made it very clear in the first instance we are seeking a majority in the parliament to go on our own.
She’s asked again about a hung parliament, but sticks to saying independents will bring “chaos” to parliament.