Australians rush to cast early votes in record numbers
Follow daily coverage of the federal election campaign with our live coverage here.
Australians are literally voting with their feet, lining up at early voting centres across the country to get the 2025 election out of their lives.
At the same time, they're making life more difficult for both major parties, which will still be announcing policies at the end of next week. It also means people are making a decision without knowing the total cost of each party's policies, information typically released in the final week of a campaign.
A record 542,000 people, or 3 per cent of those on the electoral roll, cast a ballot on the first day of pre-poll voting on Tuesday. It was a 72 per cent increase on the 314,000 who cast a vote on the first day of pre-polling at the 2022 election.
Every state and territory recorded a steep rise in early voting. In NSW, more than 166,000 of the 5.7 million people on the roll voted, while 143,200 people in Victoria cast a ballot.
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One of the biggest turnouts relative to size was in WA, where almost 60,000 people voted. That is a 115 per cent jump on the number of West Australians who voted on the opening day of the 2022 election.
In the seats of Fisher, Hinkler, Gilmore, Fowler and Gippsland, almost 5 per cent of all voters cast a ballot on Tuesday.
The Australian Electoral Commission reported about 19,000 votes have been cast with mobile voting teams, while 2.2 million postal votes have been distributed.
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The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Independents unite to demand home support for 20,000 after aged care delay
In their first flex of group political muscle since the federal election, Australia's independent MPs have teamed up to call on the government to fund - within weeks - at least 20,000 extra aged care home support packages. The government announced in early June it was delaying by five months big changes to aged care, which had been due to start mid-year, to give service providers more time to prepare. But 10 crossbenchers have teamed up to express concern about the impact of the postponement on the nearly 83,000 elderly Australians on the waiting list for home care. "Research shows that the longer people go without appropriate home care supports, the higher their risk of injury or hospitalisation," the MPs said in a June 10 letter to Health Minister Mark Butler and Aged Care Minister Sam Rae. "This delay will also imperil your government's commitment that by 2027 no one will wait more than 90 days for a package. "On behalf of people in our communities, we are calling on the Albanese government to, at a minimum, fund 20,000 new packages to commence on 1 July 2025 under the current home care packages scheme, which can then be rolled over onto the new support at home program when it eventually commences," the letter reads. The call for bridging support to cover the delay is supported by both Council on the Ageing (COTA) and the Older Persons Advocacy Network. "I regularly have families contacting me about the excessively long wait times for home care packages," ACT independent senator David Pocock said. "We can't afford to delay this further." Dr Helen Haines, the member for Indi in north-east Victoria, said waiting times were lengthened by a lack of qualified people to provide care in regional areas. "We also can't delay the rollout of a pricing framework that fairly reflects the travel costs to deliver care in rural areas," she said. Any setback for older people who wanted to stay at home was "unacceptable", Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie said. "Both sides of politics have dropped the ball on this issue over the last ten years," she said. "What the minister calls 'a brief deferral' will directly impact the lives of older Australians." Sydney-based Allegra Spender said she had heard "heartbreaking" stories of elderly people forced into nursing homes due to the long wait for assistance at home, while Dr Monique Ryan in Melbourne said "older Australians shouldn't suffer because of the aged care system's failures". Andrew Gee, the newly re-elected independent MP for Calare in NSW, also put his name to the letter in a sign the former National - who quit the party over its opposition to the Indigenous Voice to Parliament - will work with the so-called teals in this parliament. The other signatories were Sydney's Dr Sophie Scamps and Zali Steggall, Andrew Wilkie from Tasmania, and Kate Chaney from Western Australia. Given Labor's thumping majority win at the May election, the independents will have less sway in this parliament, but the letter is the first indication they will nonetheless use their numbers to lobby together. Home care packages are a form of commonwealth assistance designed to help people aged 65 and over to stay at home longer by providing assistance with household tasks, personal care and some medical care, such as that provided by nurses. The government has pledged to switch to a $5.6 billion "support at home" system, promising to be "the greatest improvement to aged care in 30 years" designed to slash waiting lists. The health minister's office has been contacted for comment. In their first flex of group political muscle since the federal election, Australia's independent MPs have teamed up to call on the government to fund - within weeks - at least 20,000 extra aged care home support packages. The government announced in early June it was delaying by five months big changes to aged care, which had been due to start mid-year, to give service providers more time to prepare. But 10 crossbenchers have teamed up to express concern about the impact of the postponement on the nearly 83,000 elderly Australians on the waiting list for home care. "Research shows that the longer people go without appropriate home care supports, the higher their risk of injury or hospitalisation," the MPs said in a June 10 letter to Health Minister Mark Butler and Aged Care Minister Sam Rae. "This delay will also imperil your government's commitment that by 2027 no one will wait more than 90 days for a package. "On behalf of people in our communities, we are calling on the Albanese government to, at a minimum, fund 20,000 new packages to commence on 1 July 2025 under the current home care packages scheme, which can then be rolled over onto the new support at home program when it eventually commences," the letter reads. The call for bridging support to cover the delay is supported by both Council on the Ageing (COTA) and the Older Persons Advocacy Network. "I regularly have families contacting me about the excessively long wait times for home care packages," ACT independent senator David Pocock said. "We can't afford to delay this further." Dr Helen Haines, the member for Indi in north-east Victoria, said waiting times were lengthened by a lack of qualified people to provide care in regional areas. "We also can't delay the rollout of a pricing framework that fairly reflects the travel costs to deliver care in rural areas," she said. Any setback for older people who wanted to stay at home was "unacceptable", Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie said. "Both sides of politics have dropped the ball on this issue over the last ten years," she said. "What the minister calls 'a brief deferral' will directly impact the lives of older Australians." Sydney-based Allegra Spender said she had heard "heartbreaking" stories of elderly people forced into nursing homes due to the long wait for assistance at home, while Dr Monique Ryan in Melbourne said "older Australians shouldn't suffer because of the aged care system's failures". Andrew Gee, the newly re-elected independent MP for Calare in NSW, also put his name to the letter in a sign the former National - who quit the party over its opposition to the Indigenous Voice to Parliament - will work with the so-called teals in this parliament. The other signatories were Sydney's Dr Sophie Scamps and Zali Steggall, Andrew Wilkie from Tasmania, and Kate Chaney from Western Australia. Given Labor's thumping majority win at the May election, the independents will have less sway in this parliament, but the letter is the first indication they will nonetheless use their numbers to lobby together. Home care packages are a form of commonwealth assistance designed to help people aged 65 and over to stay at home longer by providing assistance with household tasks, personal care and some medical care, such as that provided by nurses. The government has pledged to switch to a $5.6 billion "support at home" system, promising to be "the greatest improvement to aged care in 30 years" designed to slash waiting lists. The health minister's office has been contacted for comment. In their first flex of group political muscle since the federal election, Australia's independent MPs have teamed up to call on the government to fund - within weeks - at least 20,000 extra aged care home support packages. The government announced in early June it was delaying by five months big changes to aged care, which had been due to start mid-year, to give service providers more time to prepare. But 10 crossbenchers have teamed up to express concern about the impact of the postponement on the nearly 83,000 elderly Australians on the waiting list for home care. "Research shows that the longer people go without appropriate home care supports, the higher their risk of injury or hospitalisation," the MPs said in a June 10 letter to Health Minister Mark Butler and Aged Care Minister Sam Rae. "This delay will also imperil your government's commitment that by 2027 no one will wait more than 90 days for a package. "On behalf of people in our communities, we are calling on the Albanese government to, at a minimum, fund 20,000 new packages to commence on 1 July 2025 under the current home care packages scheme, which can then be rolled over onto the new support at home program when it eventually commences," the letter reads. The call for bridging support to cover the delay is supported by both Council on the Ageing (COTA) and the Older Persons Advocacy Network. "I regularly have families contacting me about the excessively long wait times for home care packages," ACT independent senator David Pocock said. "We can't afford to delay this further." Dr Helen Haines, the member for Indi in north-east Victoria, said waiting times were lengthened by a lack of qualified people to provide care in regional areas. "We also can't delay the rollout of a pricing framework that fairly reflects the travel costs to deliver care in rural areas," she said. Any setback for older people who wanted to stay at home was "unacceptable", Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie said. "Both sides of politics have dropped the ball on this issue over the last ten years," she said. "What the minister calls 'a brief deferral' will directly impact the lives of older Australians." Sydney-based Allegra Spender said she had heard "heartbreaking" stories of elderly people forced into nursing homes due to the long wait for assistance at home, while Dr Monique Ryan in Melbourne said "older Australians shouldn't suffer because of the aged care system's failures". Andrew Gee, the newly re-elected independent MP for Calare in NSW, also put his name to the letter in a sign the former National - who quit the party over its opposition to the Indigenous Voice to Parliament - will work with the so-called teals in this parliament. The other signatories were Sydney's Dr Sophie Scamps and Zali Steggall, Andrew Wilkie from Tasmania, and Kate Chaney from Western Australia. Given Labor's thumping majority win at the May election, the independents will have less sway in this parliament, but the letter is the first indication they will nonetheless use their numbers to lobby together. Home care packages are a form of commonwealth assistance designed to help people aged 65 and over to stay at home longer by providing assistance with household tasks, personal care and some medical care, such as that provided by nurses. The government has pledged to switch to a $5.6 billion "support at home" system, promising to be "the greatest improvement to aged care in 30 years" designed to slash waiting lists. The health minister's office has been contacted for comment. In their first flex of group political muscle since the federal election, Australia's independent MPs have teamed up to call on the government to fund - within weeks - at least 20,000 extra aged care home support packages. The government announced in early June it was delaying by five months big changes to aged care, which had been due to start mid-year, to give service providers more time to prepare. But 10 crossbenchers have teamed up to express concern about the impact of the postponement on the nearly 83,000 elderly Australians on the waiting list for home care. "Research shows that the longer people go without appropriate home care supports, the higher their risk of injury or hospitalisation," the MPs said in a June 10 letter to Health Minister Mark Butler and Aged Care Minister Sam Rae. "This delay will also imperil your government's commitment that by 2027 no one will wait more than 90 days for a package. "On behalf of people in our communities, we are calling on the Albanese government to, at a minimum, fund 20,000 new packages to commence on 1 July 2025 under the current home care packages scheme, which can then be rolled over onto the new support at home program when it eventually commences," the letter reads. The call for bridging support to cover the delay is supported by both Council on the Ageing (COTA) and the Older Persons Advocacy Network. "I regularly have families contacting me about the excessively long wait times for home care packages," ACT independent senator David Pocock said. "We can't afford to delay this further." Dr Helen Haines, the member for Indi in north-east Victoria, said waiting times were lengthened by a lack of qualified people to provide care in regional areas. "We also can't delay the rollout of a pricing framework that fairly reflects the travel costs to deliver care in rural areas," she said. Any setback for older people who wanted to stay at home was "unacceptable", Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie said. "Both sides of politics have dropped the ball on this issue over the last ten years," she said. "What the minister calls 'a brief deferral' will directly impact the lives of older Australians." Sydney-based Allegra Spender said she had heard "heartbreaking" stories of elderly people forced into nursing homes due to the long wait for assistance at home, while Dr Monique Ryan in Melbourne said "older Australians shouldn't suffer because of the aged care system's failures". Andrew Gee, the newly re-elected independent MP for Calare in NSW, also put his name to the letter in a sign the former National - who quit the party over its opposition to the Indigenous Voice to Parliament - will work with the so-called teals in this parliament. The other signatories were Sydney's Dr Sophie Scamps and Zali Steggall, Andrew Wilkie from Tasmania, and Kate Chaney from Western Australia. Given Labor's thumping majority win at the May election, the independents will have less sway in this parliament, but the letter is the first indication they will nonetheless use their numbers to lobby together. Home care packages are a form of commonwealth assistance designed to help people aged 65 and over to stay at home longer by providing assistance with household tasks, personal care and some medical care, such as that provided by nurses. The government has pledged to switch to a $5.6 billion "support at home" system, promising to be "the greatest improvement to aged care in 30 years" designed to slash waiting lists. The health minister's office has been contacted for comment.
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Prime Minister announces new PM&C, Treasury secretaries
Steven Kennedy will become the nation's most senior public servant, while Treasury will get its first-ever female secretary in Jenny Wilkinson. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the new appointments in a speech to the National Press Club on Tuesday, where he thanked outgoing Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary Glyn Davis. Dr Kennedy, currently the Treasury secretary, will replace Professor Davis, while Finance secretary Jenny Wilkinson will return to Treasury to become its first female boss. IN OTHER NEWS: "These outstanding public servants will continue to excel in their service to our nation," Mr Albanese said. "I am delighted that Dr Kennedy and Ms Wilkinson accepted my invitations. "I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank Glyn Davis, the outgoing secretary, for his service and his contribution to our country." The Prime Minister said the public service and government will spend the next three years "focused on delivering what Australians voted for on May the 3rd". "And in the conversation about future economic reform, we should also remember what Australians voted against. "Because Australians overwhelmingly rejected policies designed to drive down wages, undermine job security and take flexibility away from working families." Both Dr Kennedy and Ms Wilkinson had been considered frontrunners for the Prime Minister and Cabinet role, after Professor Davis announced he would step down in June. Dr Kennedy was first appointed to lead Treasury in 2019 by the Morrison government, and reappointed by Treasurer Jim Chalmers for another five years in 2024. He helped to lead Labor's overhaul of the stage three tax cuts ahead of the last federal election, and Dr Chalmers praised him in a statement on Tuesday afternoon. "I'm so grateful to Steven Kennedy for our very close and effective partnership over the past three years, for his friendship over a much longer period, for his service to my predecessor as well, and for the chance to work with him now in his new role," the Treasurer said. "Australia was incredibly fortunate to have someone of Steven's calibre leading the Treasury, and is just as fortunate having him now lead the Australian Public Service." Ms Wilkinson will depart from Finance as its third female secretary, to make history as the Treasury's first female leader. She is an economist who served in senior Treasury roles before the Albanese government promoted her into the secretary pool in 2022. "I am really excited by this opportunity to work even more closely with Jenny, whose contribution as the Secretary of the Department of Finance has been instrumental to our first four budgets and so much of the broader work of our government," Dr Chalmers said. "Jenny is one of Australia's most distinguished and experienced economists and public servants and has served with distinction under governments of both political persuasions." Treasury, the Reserve Bank and the Productivity Commission will now all be led by women. Steven Kennedy will become the nation's most senior public servant, while Treasury will get its first-ever female secretary in Jenny Wilkinson. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the new appointments in a speech to the National Press Club on Tuesday, where he thanked outgoing Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary Glyn Davis. Dr Kennedy, currently the Treasury secretary, will replace Professor Davis, while Finance secretary Jenny Wilkinson will return to Treasury to become its first female boss. IN OTHER NEWS: "These outstanding public servants will continue to excel in their service to our nation," Mr Albanese said. "I am delighted that Dr Kennedy and Ms Wilkinson accepted my invitations. "I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank Glyn Davis, the outgoing secretary, for his service and his contribution to our country." The Prime Minister said the public service and government will spend the next three years "focused on delivering what Australians voted for on May the 3rd". "And in the conversation about future economic reform, we should also remember what Australians voted against. "Because Australians overwhelmingly rejected policies designed to drive down wages, undermine job security and take flexibility away from working families." Both Dr Kennedy and Ms Wilkinson had been considered frontrunners for the Prime Minister and Cabinet role, after Professor Davis announced he would step down in June. Dr Kennedy was first appointed to lead Treasury in 2019 by the Morrison government, and reappointed by Treasurer Jim Chalmers for another five years in 2024. He helped to lead Labor's overhaul of the stage three tax cuts ahead of the last federal election, and Dr Chalmers praised him in a statement on Tuesday afternoon. "I'm so grateful to Steven Kennedy for our very close and effective partnership over the past three years, for his friendship over a much longer period, for his service to my predecessor as well, and for the chance to work with him now in his new role," the Treasurer said. "Australia was incredibly fortunate to have someone of Steven's calibre leading the Treasury, and is just as fortunate having him now lead the Australian Public Service." Ms Wilkinson will depart from Finance as its third female secretary, to make history as the Treasury's first female leader. She is an economist who served in senior Treasury roles before the Albanese government promoted her into the secretary pool in 2022. "I am really excited by this opportunity to work even more closely with Jenny, whose contribution as the Secretary of the Department of Finance has been instrumental to our first four budgets and so much of the broader work of our government," Dr Chalmers said. "Jenny is one of Australia's most distinguished and experienced economists and public servants and has served with distinction under governments of both political persuasions." Treasury, the Reserve Bank and the Productivity Commission will now all be led by women. Steven Kennedy will become the nation's most senior public servant, while Treasury will get its first-ever female secretary in Jenny Wilkinson. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the new appointments in a speech to the National Press Club on Tuesday, where he thanked outgoing Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary Glyn Davis. Dr Kennedy, currently the Treasury secretary, will replace Professor Davis, while Finance secretary Jenny Wilkinson will return to Treasury to become its first female boss. IN OTHER NEWS: "These outstanding public servants will continue to excel in their service to our nation," Mr Albanese said. "I am delighted that Dr Kennedy and Ms Wilkinson accepted my invitations. "I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank Glyn Davis, the outgoing secretary, for his service and his contribution to our country." The Prime Minister said the public service and government will spend the next three years "focused on delivering what Australians voted for on May the 3rd". "And in the conversation about future economic reform, we should also remember what Australians voted against. "Because Australians overwhelmingly rejected policies designed to drive down wages, undermine job security and take flexibility away from working families." Both Dr Kennedy and Ms Wilkinson had been considered frontrunners for the Prime Minister and Cabinet role, after Professor Davis announced he would step down in June. Dr Kennedy was first appointed to lead Treasury in 2019 by the Morrison government, and reappointed by Treasurer Jim Chalmers for another five years in 2024. He helped to lead Labor's overhaul of the stage three tax cuts ahead of the last federal election, and Dr Chalmers praised him in a statement on Tuesday afternoon. "I'm so grateful to Steven Kennedy for our very close and effective partnership over the past three years, for his friendship over a much longer period, for his service to my predecessor as well, and for the chance to work with him now in his new role," the Treasurer said. "Australia was incredibly fortunate to have someone of Steven's calibre leading the Treasury, and is just as fortunate having him now lead the Australian Public Service." Ms Wilkinson will depart from Finance as its third female secretary, to make history as the Treasury's first female leader. She is an economist who served in senior Treasury roles before the Albanese government promoted her into the secretary pool in 2022. "I am really excited by this opportunity to work even more closely with Jenny, whose contribution as the Secretary of the Department of Finance has been instrumental to our first four budgets and so much of the broader work of our government," Dr Chalmers said. "Jenny is one of Australia's most distinguished and experienced economists and public servants and has served with distinction under governments of both political persuasions." Treasury, the Reserve Bank and the Productivity Commission will now all be led by women. Steven Kennedy will become the nation's most senior public servant, while Treasury will get its first-ever female secretary in Jenny Wilkinson. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the new appointments in a speech to the National Press Club on Tuesday, where he thanked outgoing Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary Glyn Davis. Dr Kennedy, currently the Treasury secretary, will replace Professor Davis, while Finance secretary Jenny Wilkinson will return to Treasury to become its first female boss. IN OTHER NEWS: "These outstanding public servants will continue to excel in their service to our nation," Mr Albanese said. "I am delighted that Dr Kennedy and Ms Wilkinson accepted my invitations. "I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank Glyn Davis, the outgoing secretary, for his service and his contribution to our country." The Prime Minister said the public service and government will spend the next three years "focused on delivering what Australians voted for on May the 3rd". "And in the conversation about future economic reform, we should also remember what Australians voted against. "Because Australians overwhelmingly rejected policies designed to drive down wages, undermine job security and take flexibility away from working families." Both Dr Kennedy and Ms Wilkinson had been considered frontrunners for the Prime Minister and Cabinet role, after Professor Davis announced he would step down in June. Dr Kennedy was first appointed to lead Treasury in 2019 by the Morrison government, and reappointed by Treasurer Jim Chalmers for another five years in 2024. He helped to lead Labor's overhaul of the stage three tax cuts ahead of the last federal election, and Dr Chalmers praised him in a statement on Tuesday afternoon. "I'm so grateful to Steven Kennedy for our very close and effective partnership over the past three years, for his friendship over a much longer period, for his service to my predecessor as well, and for the chance to work with him now in his new role," the Treasurer said. "Australia was incredibly fortunate to have someone of Steven's calibre leading the Treasury, and is just as fortunate having him now lead the Australian Public Service." Ms Wilkinson will depart from Finance as its third female secretary, to make history as the Treasury's first female leader. She is an economist who served in senior Treasury roles before the Albanese government promoted her into the secretary pool in 2022. "I am really excited by this opportunity to work even more closely with Jenny, whose contribution as the Secretary of the Department of Finance has been instrumental to our first four budgets and so much of the broader work of our government," Dr Chalmers said. "Jenny is one of Australia's most distinguished and experienced economists and public servants and has served with distinction under governments of both political persuasions." Treasury, the Reserve Bank and the Productivity Commission will now all be led by women.
AU Financial Review
3 hours ago
- AU Financial Review
Don't let rich old men tell you the planned super tax is good
Last fortnight in The Sydney Morning Herald, Ross Gittins praised the Albanese government's proposed changes to superannuation taxes, declaring: 'Don't let rich old men tell you the planned super tax is terribly bad'. His argument essentially boiled down to this: don't listen to the critics, just trust me (a different rich old man). According to Gittins, this reform is about fairness. But a closer look reveals deeper problems with the policy that should concern all Australians, especially young people just entering the workforce.
