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ABC News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Littleproud and Ley in crisis talks as they seek to reunite Coalition
Welcome back to your weekly federal politics update, where Brett Worthington gets you up to speed on the happenings from Parliament House. David Littleproud has always been a man in a rush. He spent just 18 months on the backbench before being catapulted into cabinet in his first term. The meteoric rise brought with it jokes that "Littleknown" might have been a more apt surname. The son of a Queensland MP, the now 48-year-old agri-banker turned politician has built a brand that's all about discarding suit jackets and speeches, opting instead for rolled up sleeves and impromptu comments. "I can't read speeches," he told the National Press Club last month. "I get bored." If it wasn't apparent before, that he was willing to rock up to a nationally televised speech to offer 30 minutes of unaided remarks goes some way to explaining the confidence Littleproud has in his own abilities. So far, it's worked a treat. Having weathered the Joyce-McCormack-Joyce leadership era, Littleproud emerged as the Nationals new leader in 2022. He would have become deputy prime minister if voters hadn't so dramatically repudiated the Coalition at this month's federal election. A young politician (in political terms) with one of the safest seats in the country, provided Littleproud could keep his party onside, destiny awaited as the nation's deputy prime minister. Events, dear boy, events. There's nothing unusual about tension between the Coalition parties, especially when it comes to the prenup that oversees their political marriage. When Malcolm Turnbull toppled Tony Abbott as prime minister in 2015, the Liberal leader paid a courtesy visit to Nationals leader and deputy prime minister Warren Truss in his Parliament House office. In veteran journalist Laurie Oakes' telling of the story, Turnbull poked his head in the door, scanned the room, which included Barnaby Joyce, and declared: "I own more cattle than all of you." You can only imagine how well that went down with the country cousins. The relationship seems to work best when an urbane Liberal joins with a regional Nat to lead the Coalition. Each can roll their eyes at the other's party but there's no competitive tension because the Liberal leader isn't, well, urinating on the Nationals' patch. It's not been since another Malcolm led the Liberals that the party had a regional MP at the helm. Malcolm Fraser's victories in the 1970s were so dominant he didn't need the Nationals in the House of Represenatives to pass legislation but kept them in the Coalition tent. The loss of city seats to Labor and teals in successive elections meant whoever became the post Peter Dutton leader — be it Sussan Ley, Angus Taylor or Dan Tehan — was going to be a regional Lib leading the opposition. In the case of Ley, there's been little Nationals love for her ever since the Liberal replaced former deputy prime minister Tim Fischer when he retired from his regional NSW electorate. It's been even more tense between Ley and Littleproud thanks to a series of disputes when they were sitting at Scott Morrison's cabinet table, namely over live sheep exports and water policy. Which brings us to this week and the on again, off again, on again relationship that's played out between the artists formerly known as the Coalition. Littleproud has again looked like a man in a rush. He's made a lot about how generous he says he was to drive to Albury to hold talks with Ley, who'd returned home to nurse her dying mother. (If the Coalition had won, not only would his petrol have been cheaper but it's a drive he wouldn't have been making but we digress.) When Ley refused to cave to his demands, which likely would have been bad news for her own fledgling leadership, he was rushing to the microphones to announce the marriage was off... for now. Littleproud insists he was just following Ley's timeline. He also insists the issue was about the four policies he was demanding the Coalition keep (nuclear energy, the ability to break up supermarkets, a regional infrastructure future fund and guaranteed phone coverage in the bush). There's likely a deal to be done on all four. But when Ley became leader she vowed there would be no captain's calls and that all policies were up for review, with voters having made clear what they thought of the former Coalition's commitments. There were also reports that the Nationals wanted the ability to sit in the shadow cabinet, take the extra pay that affords them and then speak out, and vote against, agreed positions, which was a non-negotiable for Ley. Littleproud, on Thursday, conceded her position on cabinet solidarity was fair and with that talks have now resumed between the bickering partners who need each other if they're ever to take the house. If the parties can't reach a deal before parliament returns on July 22, few think that there will be anyway to unscramble this egg before the next election. If they can't, not only will Nationals frontbenchers be down around $60,000 in annual pay, the party of smaller government will find itself a party of smaller staff allocations. Throughout the week, the Nationals have insisted they're willing to walk away from what has been Australia's most successful political union. They say they speak for the 9 million Australians who live beyond the cities. Looking at their vote count, far fewer than 9 million were opting for National voices. With 90 per cent of votes counted, the Nats attracted shy of 600,000 first-preference votes, or 3.8 per cent of the 16.4 million votes cast. Even if you gave the Nats all the LNP votes from Queensland (1.1 million), and the Country Liberal votes from the NT (36,000), it would still be behind Labor (5.3 million), the Liberals (3.2 million) and the Greens (1.9 million). It's a far cry from the 9 million being talked about. Before we move on, a timely reminder about Sussan Ley's name after both Littleproud and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese botched it this week. Spelt with two s's and one e, it's pronounced as if it's one s and two e's. Think: Susan Lee. Having been in the parliament for almost a quarter of the century and now the first woman to lead not just the federal Liberal Party but the opposition, the least the leaders of Labor or the Nationals could do is afford her the respect of pronouncing her name correctly. It's hard to find anyone calling out to hear more from federal politicians after Australia just endured a months' long election campaign. It's little wonder the prime minister, fresh from his trip to Indonesia and Rome, made clear to reporters on Wednesday that he was taking a few days off. You can hardly blame him for wanting to put his feet up. If his landslide victory wasn't cause enough for celebration, a Reserve Bank interest rate cut and the Coalition tearing itself apart is a political trifecta he could have barely dreamed of mere months ago. His break could well be interrupted if conditions continue to deteriorate in regional NSW, where deadly floods are wreaking havoc. His approach is a stark contrast to the picture he painted before the election, when he held daily press conferences at the National Emergency Management Centre as Tropical Cyclone Alfred forged a path for the Queensland coast. But this time it fell to the new Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain to explain why the PM wasn't responding the same way post-election. "At this stage we've got a disaster unfolding, we've got a range of river systems yet to peak, and rain that is still heavily focused over a particular area," she said, unable to say when he would be visiting. "Our focus right now is on that immediate response phase." It has also not been lost that while water devastated regional communities, senior Nationals were in Canberra divvying up the spoils of defeat. Not to be outdone with parliamentary theatrics in Canberra, Labor's Kyle McGinn offered quite the farewell to the WA state parliament. He had cause for working up a hard-earned thirst after delivering an almost hour-long valedictory speech this week. As he finished, he reached for a beer with his right hand and his shoe with his left. Pouring the beer into the shoe, he said "cheers" before downing the contents of his sneaker. Bottoms up.
ABC News
02-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Anthony Albanese ends campaign with a Scott Morrison itinerary
Welcome back to your daily election wrap. Brett Worthington will catch you up on news from the campaign trail. They're not the kind of words you expect to hear on the eve of an election. "If he is the member for Menzies tomorrow, he will be an excellent member for Menzies," Liberal MP Keith Wolahan offered of his opponent Gabriel Ng. "I think the people of my seat have a good choice and that's why I feel comfort in trusting them to make a decision because the way the campaigns have been conducted in Menzies, on both sides, have been honourable." Election essentials: Find out where your They're the kind of comments that make you stop in your tracks, a "sorry, what?" moment that all radio programs dream of. The ABC's Raf Epstein spoke for everyone when he wondered aloud: "Are you supposed to say that?" "I, of course, want him to lose," Wolahan replied. Beyond the fact that it's not the kind of answer you expect to hear from politicians who otherwise spend their days regurgitating the same lines over and over, the most shocking part was they were offered unprompted. When Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton, two people who certainly don't despise each other, were asked in a debate to offer something nice about the other, their comments boiled down to: "how good is his Mrs?" But back to Menzies. Keith Wolahan offered rare words in a campaign — praise of his opponent. ( ABC News: Nick Haggarty ) Wolahan, much like defence spokesman Andrew Hastie, has a resume from Liberal central casting. An ex-special forces commando and barrister, Wolahan defeated long-term MP Kevin Andrews to win pre-selection for the once safe Liberal seat in Melbourne's east ahead of the last election. He scrapped across the line with a 0.7 per cent margin, only for a redistribution since the election now moving the seat notionally to Labor. Part of the reason it's now a notional Labor seat is because his electorate now takes in a greater proportion of Box Hill, a suburb with a high Chinese-Australian population, a key demographic that punished the Liberal party at the last election. Photo shows Brett Worthington looks at the camera wearing a blue blazer and glasses Sign up to the ABC Politics newsletter with Brett Worthington Abiding by John Howard's mantra that you can't fatten a pig on market day, Wolahan has spent the past three years putting in the work on the ground, playing a crucial role in repairing his party's standing with Chinese-Australian voters. You can only imagine how he might have reacted when Liberal frontbencher Jane Hume used an appearance on Sunrise to suggest Labor's Clare O'Neil had "Chinese spies" handing out how-to-vote cards for her. This, as Hume noted in the 2022 election autopsy, was Anthony Albanese hopes Labor's Gabriel Ng can win what has long been a Liberal seat. ( ABC News: David Sciasci ) Like many Liberal heartland seats, the demographics are changing. In some seats, it's meant teal independents have toppled would-be leaders like Josh Frydenberg. In Menzies, Chinese ancestry is close to 30 per cent, around six times the national average. Strong local campaigns go a long way to winning elections, which is likely why Wolahan hasn't been calling in the opposition leader to help his campaign. But as Frydenberg learned the hard way, national factors too can often overwhelm the efforts put in on the ground. Learning the wrong lessons from 2019 The lingering question that has hovered in the air over the final hours is: is this 2019? The short answer is no. Why? Well, besides the fact it is literally 2025, the political class learned the wrong lessons from 2019. The often told story is that then-PM Scott Morrison delivered his miracle election after defying the polls. Labor might have arrived on polling day widely tipped to take office. The polling trend, however, had not been the opposition's friend for the best part of that year. Peter Dutton came with a prop to remind voters of Anthony Albanese's 2022 promises. ( ABC News: Matt Roberts ) And for all the hype about the dominance of the victory, the net result was a gain of three seats. He started in minority with 74 seats and ended with 77. Labor started with 69 and ended at 68. Today, it's a different story. A look at the trend of polls this year shows Labor is on the up, that trend is what is fuelling the expectation that Albanese will retain power. Few can confidently say if that will be in majority or minority, thanks to the complexity of differing local issues at play across 150 electorates. Peter Dutton is hoping to reel in an election win. Compared to Morrison in 2019, Albanese and Labor find themselves in a more commanding position, notionally holding 78 seats, two more than are needed for a majority. The Coalition starts at 57 and would need to net more than six times the number of seats Morrison won to form majority government. Multi-state visits to end campaigns Dislike Morrison as much as Albanese might, his final day campaign bares a striking resemblance to man he replaced as prime minister. Both started their final days in enemy territory in Queensland, in this case Albanese even visiting Dutton's seat of Dickson (the state's most marginal). Albanese, like Morrison, headed south, hitting Tasmania and Victoria. Anthony Albanese hopes Ali France can defeat Peter Dutton in his Queensland seat. ( ABC News: Brendan Esposito ) Dutton, meanwhile, started in South Australia before flying west and, like Morrison on the final day of 2019, looks set to be staying away from his home for the final night. What was telling about both Morrison then, and Albanese and Dutton today, was where they went. Gone were the days of sandbagging seats their parties must hold. Today was for hunting. Peter Dutton getting an immunity boost in the final hours of the campaign. ( ABC News: Matt Roberts ) Morrison won the bulk of seats he visited in his final day blitz. Tomorrow we'll know if it's as equally successful a strategy for the men wanting to be PM. Read more about the federal election: Want even more? Here's where you can find all our 2025 Catch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on Good day for... Gabriel Ng, Labor's candidate in Menzies. No one else was getting pre-election praise from their opponent. Bad day for... Media and tech companies making bank on campaign advertising. Come Sunday, the gravy train will have well and truly left the station. What to watch out for The only poll that actually matters — votes. Oh, and this marks the end of our daily election wraps. We've seen leaders topple off the stage and backflip on policies. Debates have been had and now votes are being cast. Big thanks to those who've come along on this rollercoaster ride. 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ABC News
24-04-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Peter Dutton is done with U-turns, Anthony Albanese is over questions about the fall
Welcome back to your daily election wrap. Brett Worthington will catch you up on news from the campaign trail. The question was simple. Announcing the Coalition's domestic violence policy, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton was asked what was his message to Australian men about their responsibilities in this "crisis". The answer started well, before quickly highlighting the struggle male leaders seem to have confronting this national scourge. Dutton, as he often does, spoke about his experiences as a police offer and the tragic scenes he'd witnessed. Catch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on He added that men needed to provide good examples to their children and sons and not walk past violence in the workplace or home. His attention then turned to social media, the role of pornography and computer games. In focusing on younger people, his efforts might go some way towards helping future generations, but offer few solutions to a problem that's here and now. One woman is killed every four days on average in Australia. Photo shows Brett Worthington looks at the camera wearing a blue blazer and glasses Sign up to the ABC Politics newsletter with Brett Worthington For all the talk about crime in this campaign, little of it has been about where women and children are most at risk — in their homes. Dutton was right when he said domestic violence was an issue that has "bedevilled us as not just a country but as a world for generations and generations and that upsets me". But as is so often the case with this policy area across the political spectrum, it's left to female politicians to carry the can, as was the case at his press conference. Dutton watched on as frontbenchers Sussan Ley, Michaelia Cash and Kerrynne Liddle explained the bulk of the Coalition's plan. Michaelia Cash and Sussan Ley took the lead explaining the Coalition's domestic violence policies. ( ABC News: Ian Cutmore ) Dutton no longer backing down That same press conference also offered a reminder that the reverse gear has been ripped straight out of the Dutton campaign car. Gone are the days of chucking the campaign into R and reversing over its earlier announcements, like the work-from-home capitulation. Instead, it's D all the way, even if it comes with a U-turn or three, as was the case at today's press conference. Peter Dutton is in no mood for reversing with just days left in the campaign. ( ABC News: Ian Cutmore ) Yesterday, Dutton seemingly suggested the Coalition had no plans to move the capital of Israel from Tel Aviv to West Jerusalem. A spokesperson later issued a statement making clear the policy was to move the capital back to West Jerusalem. Asked about it today, he refused to admit he'd misspoken. He offered the same justification for an about-turn on an electric vehicle (EV) tax break. On Monday, when asked if he would scrap EV subsidies, he told reporters "we don't have any proposals to change those settings". The Liberal campaign opted for a drop of red after the morning's press conference. ( ABC News: Ian Cutmore ) Within days, the fringe benefit tax exemption had gone the way of the dodo, not that Dutton was willing to admit the reversal. "I think we're better off just to accept we have a difference of opinion but there has been no change in policy," he said. And on the public service (and the policy that has haunted the Coalition all campaign), Dutton insisted 41,000 public service jobs The trouble is, that is at odds with what the ACT Liberal senator has been saying and by the time you exclude frontline, national security and defence employees, you're fast running out of Canberra workers to sack. Tripping over lines about falling The prime minister too found himself in a twist while campaigning in the west. For reasons that no one seems to understand, Anthony Albanese initially tried to suggest he hadn't fallen off a stage early in the campaign. And look, that might be what his press office was telling him. The prime minister's official photographer was the only one not snapping when the PM went down. Anthony Albanese took his campaign back to WA, where he hopes to win the new seat of Bullwinkel. ( ABC News: David Sciasci ) The Coalition has seized on his explanation as a clear demonstration of a man loose with the truth. When asked why it was important to him that he initially described it as a step, not a fall, Albanese took aim at the media and said it showed something about the Coalition's character that it criticised him about it. The Coalition hadn't criticised Albanese for falling, but rather the lengths he and his ministers went to insisting he hadn't. Anthony Albanese speaking with Kerry Stokes at a breakfast event. ( ABC News: David Sciasci ) Meanwhile, decked in his beloved Hermes tie, the PM was snapped kissing the ring of media tycoon Kerry Stokes, one of the most powerful voices in the west, at a breakfast event that Albanese spoke at on Thursday morning. Read more about the federal election: Want even more? Here's where you can find all our 2025 Good day for... Nationals candidate Sue Gilroy in the NSW Hunter region. The One Nation how-to-vote policy change sees her now second, not fifth, on the party's preferences. Bad day for... Voters trying to follow those how-to-vote cards, which seem to have been updated with a pen rather than re-printed as ABC News discovered while reporting from the region. Who needs a re-print when you can updated the how-to-vote cards by pen. ( Supplied ) What to watch out for Coalition votes in electorates that would get nuclear power stations. Speaking at the National Press Club today, Nationals leader David Littleproud (who would be deputy PM in a Coalition government), said it didn't matter that Dutton wasn't visiting the seven sites, including one in Labor-held Hunter, this campaign. "There's no need to go in an election campaign where you have already won the votes," Littleproud said. Where pollies have been Catch up on today's stories Loading Having problems seeing this form? Try
ABC News
21-04-2025
- Automotive
- ABC News
Newspoll has Labor further ahead but Albanese says election is anyone's to win
Welcome back to your daily election wrap. Brett Worthington will catch you up on news from the campaign trail. Anthony Albanese opened himself up to the comparison. After singing the praise of Australian Formula One driver Oscar Piastri, a journalist travelling with the prime minister wondered how he felt about being in pole position, electorally. "There is no complacency from my camp, I assure you of that," Albanese said of the looming poll of another kind. "This election is certainly up for grabs." Catch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on Albanese awoke to welcome news in Newspoll (the public poll he watches the closest), that showed support for Labor increasing to 34 per cent. If replicated on May 3, it would be an improvement on Labor's 2022 election results. On a two-party preferred basis, Labor remains ahead 52-48, which was the same a week ago. Fresh from spending the weekend at Sydney's Royal Easter Show, Albanese was adamant he wasn't counting his chickens. "I remind colleagues that [in] 2019, the bookies paid out, and that [win] didn't occur," he said. No goats were safe from political campaigning at Sydney's Royal Easter Show. ( ABC News: David Sciasci ) Clive giveth and he taketh away The first votes will start being cast tomorrow, in an election where preferences are expected to play an even bigger role than previous years. In 2004, more than half the seats in the House of Representatives were determined on the first preference. Two decades later, fewer than 10 per cent of seats were determined on the first preference. The rise of the teal independents have savaged Liberals in seats where they have historically attracted more than 60 per cent of first preferences, seats once held by prime ministers Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull. The major party leaders found themselves campaigning at Sydney's Royal Easter Show at the weekend. ( ABC News: Ian Cutmore ) It's an experience Labor is bracing for in at least two western Sydney seats, Jason Clare's Blaxland and Tony Burke's Watson, where both attracted more than 50 per cent of first preference votes last time. Both cabinet ministers are facing independent challenges that could knock them below 50 per cent after the first preference. Ahead of those votes being cast, the parties have released their how-to-vote cards. Clive Palmer, whose advertising proved instrumental in savaging Labor's 2019 hopes, has preferenced challengers ahead of incumbents in most seats, a move he said is aimed at inflicting pain on both major parties. Photo shows Brett Worthington looks at the camera wearing a blue blazer and glasses Sign up to the ABC Politics newsletter with Brett Worthington The Trumpet of Patriots' preferences offer an unexpected boost for the independents seeking to topple incumbent Coalition MPs in Wannon (Dan Tehan), Cowper (Pat Conaghan) and Bradfield, where Paul Fletcher is retiring. Labor has landed an unexpected win in Bennelong, where despite holding the seat, a redistribution has moved it notionally to the Liberals. In this seat, Palmer has preferenced incumbent Jerome Laxale ahead of his Liberal challenger. But he's done the reverse in the Victorian seat of Menzies, where Liberal incumbent Keith Wolahan's seat has notionally moved to Labor after a redistribution. In this seat, Palmer is preferencing Wolahan behind his Labor opponent. The Greens are also crying foul after Labor opted for an open ticket in Melbourne's Macnamara, which has the second largest Jewish constituency in the country. If the Greens finish third in the seat, Labor's Josh Burns will comfortably hold the seat. But if he slips to third, the Greens argue the open ticket will increase the odds of a Liberal win. Coalition's late pitch to voters The Coalition is this week expected to announce its last major policy — an increase to defence spending. The announcement will come under the spectre of Anzac Day and amid uncertain times globally. The opposition has long foreshadowed it would out-spend Labor on defence, and is expected to set the goal of 2.5 per cent of GDP in the coming decade. Australia is budgeted to spend almost $60 billion next financial year on defence, representing a little over 2 per cent of GDP. Peter Dutton took his campaign to the Victorian seat of Dunkley on Monday. ( ABC News: Ian Cutmore ) Labor had hoped to increase that to 2.4 per cent in the 2030s but is now unlikely to hit that goal, with 2.3 per cent more likely. Complicating the Coalition's bid to spend 2.5 per cent is the amount of money it has pledged in matching Labor election promises on health and cost-of-living measures. Former prime minister John Howard was famous for saying you can't fatten a pig on market day, prompting questions about why the Coalition would leave such a big announcement until after people started voting. Would you like a briefing on the Loch Ness Monster? The Easter long weekend might have brought with it a slowing of the campaign but it certainly wasn't without politicians trying out their new zingers. There was Labor's Jason Clare labelling the Coalition's plans as "Dutton dressed as lamb", after Liberal Jane Hume rather unhelpfully described the opposition's now killed off work-from-home policy as Not to be outdone, cabinet minister Murray Watt took his best swipe, suggesting Dutton's "got more cuts in store than Freddy Krueger", Jodie Haydon and Anthony Albanese attend Easter mass at Saint Mary's Cathedral in Sydney on Sunday. ( ABC News: David Sciasci ) But Watt found himself hoisted by his own petard when it came to Indonesia and Russia's bid to base military aircraft there. Watt said there was "no proposal" and that the Coalition was "asking for a briefing on something that doesn't exist". "They might as well ask for a briefing on the Loch Ness Monster," he told Sky News on Sunday. The Coalition hasn't helped itself with Peter Dutton having to withdraw false comments he made, suggesting Indonesia's president had confirmed Russia's request. Watt's language marked a noticeable shift from Albanese, who played down the prospect of the planes being based in Indonesia. While it might not be a prospect, it doesn't mean there wasn't a proposal, which is why neither Watt nor Albanese found themselves repeating the comments on Monday. Read more about the federal election: Want even more? Good day for... Mike Pezzullo, who could see his bureaucratic career resurrected if the Coalition wins the election. Pezzullo worked closely with Dutton for years, only to be sacked as Home Affairs secretary in 2023 after it emerged he had breached the public service code of conduct 14 times. Dutton told Nine's newspapers that Pezzullo should have "a role to play in the future of this country", a sentiment Albanese wasn't echoing on Monday. "Peter Dutton confirmed that he wants to sack 41,000 public servants but wants to bring one back," he said. Bad day for... Jason Smart, Clive Palmer's TOP candidate in Victorian Liberal-held seat Flinders, who is urging voters to put him last on their ballots. Smart told The Australian he was in "disbelief" and had been "blindsided" by TOP preferencing a "teal" independent, Labor and the Greens ahead of Liberal MP Zoe McKenzie. He said he only agreed to run after getting an undertaking that the independent, Labor and Greens would be preferenced last. What to watch out for Early voting begins tomorrow. The AEC is anticipating that half of all voters will cast an early ballot ahead of May 3. Where pollies have been Catch up on today's stories Loading Having problems seeing this form? Try
