A frantic final day of campaigning
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TRANSCRIPT:
A frantic final day of campaigning for the major parties as polling shows a clear leader;
At least ten killed in a multicar pileup at a Philippines tolling booth;
Transgender players banned from women's football in the UK. Both major party leaders are embarking on a high speed blitz across key marginal seats today in a final bid to shore up support before polls open on Saturday. The frantic final day of campaigning follows new analysis that predicts the Coalition will experience its worst result in nearly 80 years in Saturday's election. The YouGov modelling points to the Coalition losing 11 seats to drop to 47 seats - though Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says he believes they can win.
REPORTER: "How are you feeling? Do you need a miracle to win?"
DUTTON: "I feel confident. I feel good about where our candidates are. We've selected some amazing people... And they have done more work. They're more connected with their local electorates, and that's why I think you will see a lot more surprises seat by seat." The analysis also points to an 84 seat win for Labor, well above the 76 needed for an outright majority. But the Prime Minister says he puts no faith in polling since Labor's 2019 shock defeat to the Scott Morrison-led coalition, in defiance of predictions. "We take nothing for granted. No prime minister has been re-elected in this country having served a full term since 2004. We have a mountain to climb." Richard Marles has called for calm with one day left of early voting before the main election day, amid concern of rising tensions at polling booths across the country. The Deputy Prime Minister has cited homophobic comments made by member for Bennelong Jerome Laxale's father this week as an example of what he says has been an increasingly hostile campaign atmosphere. Mr Marles has told Channel Nine it was an unacceptable comment. "Jerome, our member for Bennelong, has dealt with it. It was unfortunate, but he's dealt with it. But I think what we have seen on polling booths across the last two weeks is a level of combativeness that I've not seen before. And you know, it's not healthy. I mean, obviously it's not very pleasant. If you're one of the people handing out and you're in that, in in that kind of environment. But a bigger issue is it's just not good for voters." A speeding passenger bus has slammed into a row of vehicles lined up at a highway toll booth in the northern Philippines, killing 10 people including children. More than two dozen others have been injured in the multiple-vehicle collision in Tarlac city, north of Manila. The bus driver has been taken into custody. He has reportedly told investigators he fell asleep at the wheel shortly before the accident. The South Australian government has formally apologised to women in the state who were injured by faulty pelvic mesh implants. Health Minister Chris Picton says he was sorry for the pain, embarassment, and gaslighting they endured. Meanwhile more than 1,000 women injured from the defective implants are still awaiting assessment for compensation, two years after device makers Johnson and Johnson, Ethicon and Boston Scientific agreed to pay $405 million in a settlement approved by the Federal Court in early 2023. Administrators for the company have now told the court difficulties in obtaining the necessary medical records are to blame for the delay. Iron ore giant Rio Tinto says it is committed to remedying the past after being criticised at its annual general meeting for its relationship with traditional owners. A spokesperson from the Robe River Kuruma Aboriginal Corporation had told the Perth AGM that the group had yet to update its agreement with traditional owners. That is despite pledging to reform its business practices after it blew up the 46,000-year-old Juukan Gorge rock shelters in Western Australia in 2020 for an iron ore mine. The event sparked public outrage and led to a government inquiry and the exit of the company's chair and chief executive. A Brazilian nun acknowledged as the world's oldest person has died at the age of 116. Her congregation, the Company of Saint Teresa of Jesus, says Sister Inah Canabarro died of natural causes just weeks short of becoming 117. She had been confirmed in January as the world's oldest person by LongeviQuest, an organisation that tracks supercentenarians around the globe. LongeviQuest says the world's oldest person is now Ethel Caterham, a 115-year-old British woman. Transgender women football players are to be banned from English women's teams. The sport's governing body the Football Association says its decision follows a UK Supreme Court ruling last month on the legal definition of a woman under equality law. It is not clear how many players would be affected by the policy that takes effect on the 1st of June. But activist and player Natalie Washington says this will mean the end of her particular sporting career.
"The FA (The Football Association) has been quite steadfast in their support for the participation of trans women up to now, so I was... I was shocked and I was clearly upset and disappointed that, you know, this means that I'm having to stop playing football."
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The people behind the Aussie good life
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Turning up on election day, having your name crossed off the roll and repairing to a booth to exercise your democratic right ahead of nabbing a democracy sausage comes about as the result of an elaborate process overseen by the Australian Election Commission. And despite Australia's compulsory voting, our system is the subject of much envy the world over. And there's none more deserving of one of a King's Birthday honour this year than former Australian Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers, who has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to public administration and leadership and administration of Australia's democratic electoral system. As commissioner for a decade, Mr Rogers led the agency to successfully deliver the 2016, 2019 and 2022 federal elections, numerous by-elections and boundary redistributions in every Australian state and territory. He also led the AEC in 2023 to deliver the Indigenous Voice referendum, the first referendum held in Australia in nearly a quarter of a century. Most Australians are blissfully unaware that much of the system we take for granted comes down to a dedicated team of distinguished public servants, but this fact, in and of itself, is one to emulate. "Running the election, it is Australia's largest peacetime logistic operation," Mr Rogers said last week. "If you think about it, 105,000 workers, 8000 polling places, it's like setting up a Fortune 500 company in five weeks and then disassembling it a couple of weeks after the event." And with talk of stolen elections in the United States and elsewhere, Mr Rogers didn't mind that Australians just expected their electoral system to work. "We used to have this thing called the 'Electoral Commission's dilemma' - which was the easier we make it look, the easier people think it is," he said. "I've had different comments over the years, from people I know pretty well, along the lines of 'You're so lucky, sweet job, it must be nice to work every three years, then it's pina coladas and away you go' and maybe that's okay. "Australians love their electoral system, they trust the AEC greatly, and maybe that's a good thing, that it's seen as unremarkable." And that's the thing about the King's Birthday honours - they're a chance to shine a light on the things that make our ordinary and everyday lives easy, or straightforward, or successful. Mr Rogers is in distinguished company this year, with the likes of broadcaster Phillip Adams, who was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for his services to the media, the arts, cultural leadership and the community, alongside husband-and-wife creative powerhouse Baz Lurhmann and Catherine Martin, for eminent service to the arts. Former prime minister Scott Morrison has been appointed AC, routine postnominals for former holders of the nation's top office, but an honour that will not pass without some criticism. Former model and television host Deborah Hutton, who had two skin cancers removed from her face and advocated for sun safety, was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to community health and to media. There are many extraordinary people living throughout our communities, and the King's Birthday is an opportunity to reflect on how lucky we are to live in such a diverse country. Much like elections, a rich and varied life doesn't happen automatically, or without effort. Despite their seeming ubiquity in Australian life, elections don't just happen. Turning up on election day, having your name crossed off the roll and repairing to a booth to exercise your democratic right ahead of nabbing a democracy sausage comes about as the result of an elaborate process overseen by the Australian Election Commission. And despite Australia's compulsory voting, our system is the subject of much envy the world over. And there's none more deserving of one of a King's Birthday honour this year than former Australian Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers, who has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to public administration and leadership and administration of Australia's democratic electoral system. As commissioner for a decade, Mr Rogers led the agency to successfully deliver the 2016, 2019 and 2022 federal elections, numerous by-elections and boundary redistributions in every Australian state and territory. He also led the AEC in 2023 to deliver the Indigenous Voice referendum, the first referendum held in Australia in nearly a quarter of a century. Most Australians are blissfully unaware that much of the system we take for granted comes down to a dedicated team of distinguished public servants, but this fact, in and of itself, is one to emulate. "Running the election, it is Australia's largest peacetime logistic operation," Mr Rogers said last week. "If you think about it, 105,000 workers, 8000 polling places, it's like setting up a Fortune 500 company in five weeks and then disassembling it a couple of weeks after the event." And with talk of stolen elections in the United States and elsewhere, Mr Rogers didn't mind that Australians just expected their electoral system to work. "We used to have this thing called the 'Electoral Commission's dilemma' - which was the easier we make it look, the easier people think it is," he said. "I've had different comments over the years, from people I know pretty well, along the lines of 'You're so lucky, sweet job, it must be nice to work every three years, then it's pina coladas and away you go' and maybe that's okay. "Australians love their electoral system, they trust the AEC greatly, and maybe that's a good thing, that it's seen as unremarkable." And that's the thing about the King's Birthday honours - they're a chance to shine a light on the things that make our ordinary and everyday lives easy, or straightforward, or successful. Mr Rogers is in distinguished company this year, with the likes of broadcaster Phillip Adams, who was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for his services to the media, the arts, cultural leadership and the community, alongside husband-and-wife creative powerhouse Baz Lurhmann and Catherine Martin, for eminent service to the arts. Former prime minister Scott Morrison has been appointed AC, routine postnominals for former holders of the nation's top office, but an honour that will not pass without some criticism. Former model and television host Deborah Hutton, who had two skin cancers removed from her face and advocated for sun safety, was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to community health and to media. There are many extraordinary people living throughout our communities, and the King's Birthday is an opportunity to reflect on how lucky we are to live in such a diverse country. Much like elections, a rich and varied life doesn't happen automatically, or without effort. Despite their seeming ubiquity in Australian life, elections don't just happen. Turning up on election day, having your name crossed off the roll and repairing to a booth to exercise your democratic right ahead of nabbing a democracy sausage comes about as the result of an elaborate process overseen by the Australian Election Commission. And despite Australia's compulsory voting, our system is the subject of much envy the world over. And there's none more deserving of one of a King's Birthday honour this year than former Australian Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers, who has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to public administration and leadership and administration of Australia's democratic electoral system. As commissioner for a decade, Mr Rogers led the agency to successfully deliver the 2016, 2019 and 2022 federal elections, numerous by-elections and boundary redistributions in every Australian state and territory. He also led the AEC in 2023 to deliver the Indigenous Voice referendum, the first referendum held in Australia in nearly a quarter of a century. Most Australians are blissfully unaware that much of the system we take for granted comes down to a dedicated team of distinguished public servants, but this fact, in and of itself, is one to emulate. "Running the election, it is Australia's largest peacetime logistic operation," Mr Rogers said last week. "If you think about it, 105,000 workers, 8000 polling places, it's like setting up a Fortune 500 company in five weeks and then disassembling it a couple of weeks after the event." And with talk of stolen elections in the United States and elsewhere, Mr Rogers didn't mind that Australians just expected their electoral system to work. "We used to have this thing called the 'Electoral Commission's dilemma' - which was the easier we make it look, the easier people think it is," he said. "I've had different comments over the years, from people I know pretty well, along the lines of 'You're so lucky, sweet job, it must be nice to work every three years, then it's pina coladas and away you go' and maybe that's okay. "Australians love their electoral system, they trust the AEC greatly, and maybe that's a good thing, that it's seen as unremarkable." And that's the thing about the King's Birthday honours - they're a chance to shine a light on the things that make our ordinary and everyday lives easy, or straightforward, or successful. Mr Rogers is in distinguished company this year, with the likes of broadcaster Phillip Adams, who was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for his services to the media, the arts, cultural leadership and the community, alongside husband-and-wife creative powerhouse Baz Lurhmann and Catherine Martin, for eminent service to the arts. Former prime minister Scott Morrison has been appointed AC, routine postnominals for former holders of the nation's top office, but an honour that will not pass without some criticism. Former model and television host Deborah Hutton, who had two skin cancers removed from her face and advocated for sun safety, was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to community health and to media. There are many extraordinary people living throughout our communities, and the King's Birthday is an opportunity to reflect on how lucky we are to live in such a diverse country. Much like elections, a rich and varied life doesn't happen automatically, or without effort.
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But he said he refused to comply with other demands from the council including reading a pre-written apology at a synagogue and attending an anti-racism workshop, and this had prompted the Federal Court lawsuit. The council was contacted to verify Mr Haddad's claims but it declined to comment instead referring to a statement when it launched the lawsuit which seeks "to defend the honour of the community." ECAJ is a prominent group representing the Jewish community that has received more than $55 million in funding from the federal government in the past two years in light of anti-Semitic attacks on synagogues and schools. The council's co-CEO Alex Ryvchin's former home was the target of an arson and graffiti attack in January. Mr Haddad has courted controversy for being friends with former Australian members who joined terrorist group the Islamic State and posted gruesome videos of their atrocities, including beheadings. He defended his relationship with Khaled Sharrouf, an Australian ISIS member who was reportedly killed in a drone strike in Syria, because he was fighting other combatants in a bloody civil war. The preacher, also known as Abu Ousayd, maintains religious and political contexts are needed to situate his sermons, including the war on Gaza. "If you really look into it, our talks were never aimed at any Jews in Australia, rather we were speaking about the Jewish state of Israel," he said. Mr Haddad maintains he wears his emotions on his sleeve and that he has not breached any laws. "This is a test, not for me, this is a test for democracy itself." Wissam Haddad's fiery sermons have racked up thousands of views online but are now being scrutinised in a lawsuit brought by a Jewish group alleging anti-Semitism. The Islamist preacher maintains all his words are backed up by scriptures from the Koran and other Islamic texts. "I like to call Islam a divine ideology and I'm going to give reference from that," he told AAP ahead of his Federal Court hearing on Tuesday. "If people have an issue with the reference that I'm bringing, that I wholeheartedly know and believe is from God, then they should take this up with God, not me." The Sydney-based Al Madina Dawah Centre cleric has been accused of racial discrimination in more than 110 pages of court documents that detail inflammatory remarks in sermons posted on social media. Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim and deputy president Robert Goot are seeking injunctions requiring the removal of the allegedly racist speeches and prohibiting Mr Haddad from making similar comments in future. The pair, who are not seeking compensation or damages, hope the case will serve as "a warning to deter others seeking to mobilise racism in order to promote their political views". Among the speeches detailed in their statement of claim, Mr Haddad blames the roots of "the enmity that we see today" on "none other than the Jews... because their forefathers had shown the same enmity to the Prophet (Mohammed)." He also claimed divisions among Muslim communities were because of Jewish people. Mr Haddad said most of the speeches identified had been taken down because he "didn't want the headache", while the complaint was being mediated at the Australian Human Rights Commission. But he said he refused to comply with other demands from the council including reading a pre-written apology at a synagogue and attending an anti-racism workshop, and this had prompted the Federal Court lawsuit. The council was contacted to verify Mr Haddad's claims but it declined to comment instead referring to a statement when it launched the lawsuit which seeks "to defend the honour of the community." ECAJ is a prominent group representing the Jewish community that has received more than $55 million in funding from the federal government in the past two years in light of anti-Semitic attacks on synagogues and schools. The council's co-CEO Alex Ryvchin's former home was the target of an arson and graffiti attack in January. Mr Haddad has courted controversy for being friends with former Australian members who joined terrorist group the Islamic State and posted gruesome videos of their atrocities, including beheadings. He defended his relationship with Khaled Sharrouf, an Australian ISIS member who was reportedly killed in a drone strike in Syria, because he was fighting other combatants in a bloody civil war. The preacher, also known as Abu Ousayd, maintains religious and political contexts are needed to situate his sermons, including the war on Gaza. "If you really look into it, our talks were never aimed at any Jews in Australia, rather we were speaking about the Jewish state of Israel," he said. Mr Haddad maintains he wears his emotions on his sleeve and that he has not breached any laws. "This is a test, not for me, this is a test for democracy itself." Wissam Haddad's fiery sermons have racked up thousands of views online but are now being scrutinised in a lawsuit brought by a Jewish group alleging anti-Semitism. The Islamist preacher maintains all his words are backed up by scriptures from the Koran and other Islamic texts. "I like to call Islam a divine ideology and I'm going to give reference from that," he told AAP ahead of his Federal Court hearing on Tuesday. "If people have an issue with the reference that I'm bringing, that I wholeheartedly know and believe is from God, then they should take this up with God, not me." The Sydney-based Al Madina Dawah Centre cleric has been accused of racial discrimination in more than 110 pages of court documents that detail inflammatory remarks in sermons posted on social media. Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim and deputy president Robert Goot are seeking injunctions requiring the removal of the allegedly racist speeches and prohibiting Mr Haddad from making similar comments in future. The pair, who are not seeking compensation or damages, hope the case will serve as "a warning to deter others seeking to mobilise racism in order to promote their political views". Among the speeches detailed in their statement of claim, Mr Haddad blames the roots of "the enmity that we see today" on "none other than the Jews... because their forefathers had shown the same enmity to the Prophet (Mohammed)." He also claimed divisions among Muslim communities were because of Jewish people. Mr Haddad said most of the speeches identified had been taken down because he "didn't want the headache", while the complaint was being mediated at the Australian Human Rights Commission. But he said he refused to comply with other demands from the council including reading a pre-written apology at a synagogue and attending an anti-racism workshop, and this had prompted the Federal Court lawsuit. The council was contacted to verify Mr Haddad's claims but it declined to comment instead referring to a statement when it launched the lawsuit which seeks "to defend the honour of the community." ECAJ is a prominent group representing the Jewish community that has received more than $55 million in funding from the federal government in the past two years in light of anti-Semitic attacks on synagogues and schools. The council's co-CEO Alex Ryvchin's former home was the target of an arson and graffiti attack in January. Mr Haddad has courted controversy for being friends with former Australian members who joined terrorist group the Islamic State and posted gruesome videos of their atrocities, including beheadings. He defended his relationship with Khaled Sharrouf, an Australian ISIS member who was reportedly killed in a drone strike in Syria, because he was fighting other combatants in a bloody civil war. The preacher, also known as Abu Ousayd, maintains religious and political contexts are needed to situate his sermons, including the war on Gaza. "If you really look into it, our talks were never aimed at any Jews in Australia, rather we were speaking about the Jewish state of Israel," he said. Mr Haddad maintains he wears his emotions on his sleeve and that he has not breached any laws. "This is a test, not for me, this is a test for democracy itself." Wissam Haddad's fiery sermons have racked up thousands of views online but are now being scrutinised in a lawsuit brought by a Jewish group alleging anti-Semitism. The Islamist preacher maintains all his words are backed up by scriptures from the Koran and other Islamic texts. "I like to call Islam a divine ideology and I'm going to give reference from that," he told AAP ahead of his Federal Court hearing on Tuesday. "If people have an issue with the reference that I'm bringing, that I wholeheartedly know and believe is from God, then they should take this up with God, not me." The Sydney-based Al Madina Dawah Centre cleric has been accused of racial discrimination in more than 110 pages of court documents that detail inflammatory remarks in sermons posted on social media. Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim and deputy president Robert Goot are seeking injunctions requiring the removal of the allegedly racist speeches and prohibiting Mr Haddad from making similar comments in future. The pair, who are not seeking compensation or damages, hope the case will serve as "a warning to deter others seeking to mobilise racism in order to promote their political views". Among the speeches detailed in their statement of claim, Mr Haddad blames the roots of "the enmity that we see today" on "none other than the Jews... because their forefathers had shown the same enmity to the Prophet (Mohammed)." He also claimed divisions among Muslim communities were because of Jewish people. Mr Haddad said most of the speeches identified had been taken down because he "didn't want the headache", while the complaint was being mediated at the Australian Human Rights Commission. But he said he refused to comply with other demands from the council including reading a pre-written apology at a synagogue and attending an anti-racism workshop, and this had prompted the Federal Court lawsuit. The council was contacted to verify Mr Haddad's claims but it declined to comment instead referring to a statement when it launched the lawsuit which seeks "to defend the honour of the community." ECAJ is a prominent group representing the Jewish community that has received more than $55 million in funding from the federal government in the past two years in light of anti-Semitic attacks on synagogues and schools. The council's co-CEO Alex Ryvchin's former home was the target of an arson and graffiti attack in January. Mr Haddad has courted controversy for being friends with former Australian members who joined terrorist group the Islamic State and posted gruesome videos of their atrocities, including beheadings. He defended his relationship with Khaled Sharrouf, an Australian ISIS member who was reportedly killed in a drone strike in Syria, because he was fighting other combatants in a bloody civil war. The preacher, also known as Abu Ousayd, maintains religious and political contexts are needed to situate his sermons, including the war on Gaza. "If you really look into it, our talks were never aimed at any Jews in Australia, rather we were speaking about the Jewish state of Israel," he said. Mr Haddad maintains he wears his emotions on his sleeve and that he has not breached any laws. "This is a test, not for me, this is a test for democracy itself."
