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Herald Sun
29-04-2025
- Business
- Herald Sun
60 second guide to 2025 federal election campaign
The federal election campaign has been quite a wild ride … often for matters away from Australian shores. From the death of a Pope to the birth of tariffs, from stage falls to the cost of eggs, this is your 60-second guide to the 2025 election. 1. Tariff-gate America's 10 per cent tariff on Australian goods was not based in any logic, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declared – yet damage was already done during the election campaign. Donald Trump's trade war turbocharged the campaign, with Albo fighting back and Peter Dutton vowing it to take it to the US President. 2. Albo falls off a stage … or did he? Anthony Albanese spectacularly backtracked on an admission that he fell off a stage in the first week of the election campaign – just hours after making the remarks. Speaking at a WA leadership breakfast the Prime Minister revealed that 'probably falling off the stage' was the worst moment of the campaign so far. But Mr Albanese later became shirty during a press conference, where he was grilled about the awkward incident. 'It was a joke,' Mr Albanese said. 'Chill out … I didn't fall.' 3. Dutton backflips, twists and double-pikes on WFH Peter Dutton ditched his plan to make Canberra public servants work from the office five days a week after the policy proved unpopular with voters, particularly among women who want work flexibility, telling Australians 'we have listened'. Mr Dutton admitted he was asking for forgiveness from female voters, saying it was a 'mistake' to stop Canberra public servants working from home. 4. Albo's goes nuclear on Dutton's $600bn dream Anthony Albanese trolled Peter Dutton and his nuclear plan by visiting the town of Collie in WA – one of seven locations where the Opposition Leader plans to build a power plant. 'Peter Dutton has not been anywhere near any of the nuclear power plants that he proposes,' the Prime Minister said amid a string of ad campaign slamming the nuclear proposal. 'He hasn't been here. He hasn't been to Liddell. He hasn't been to Callide. Yesterday he was in Orange. He could have dropped by to Lithgow, deliberately went to Orange rather than Lithgow.' 5. Four debates, 12 eggs, no winners Peter Dutton left the audience of the final leaders' debate gobsmacked when he could not answer how much a dozen eggs cost – though Albo did marginally better with his guess. During a quickfire round on the Seven Network's Final Showdown, both Anthony Albanese and Mr Dutton were asked about the cost of a dozen eggs. The Opposition Leader left audience members stunned by his answer of 'about $4.20,' with some audibly laughing at his guess. The Prime Minister's answer was closer to the mark, with moderator Mark Riley declaring a dozen eggs would set a shopper back $8.80 from Coles and $8.50 from Woolworths. 6. Cost of living descends into battle of tax cuts Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton spent their election campaigns spruiking their cost of living measures to voters. RedBridge polling showed cost of living measures are one of the most important factors in how Australians are choosing to vote. In April 2025 Mr Albanese, who has previously said 'my word is my bond', conceded he did break his word on stage 3 tax cuts. 7. Polling blows and blow-ups Polls have consistently pointed towards Labor being able to cobble together a minority government or a skinny majority, with the party remaining ahead of the Coalition on a slim margin. In what could deliver the Greens and independents key control, a minority government is on the cards, much to the chagrin of many voters. 8. Russia comes knocking next door Did Albo lie, or simply hide the truth? When and how much Anthony Albanese knew about a Russian request to use a military base off Papua, just 1300km from Australia, for its own aircraft caused much debate. Beyond fears of a Russian invasion came serious question marks over the honesty of the PM. 9. So much energy spent on ... energy Anybody who predicts the direction of power prices now is 'making a punt,' Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said, in a stunning reversal compared to Labor's position prior to the 2022 poll when it vowed to slash household costs. The cost of enegery bills has remained a topsy turvy affair which has got us talking and politicians sweating. 10. Much ado about Harry Peter Dutton took the extraordinary step of rolling out son Harry to explain just how tough it is for young Aussies to afford a house. The problem? His dad reportedly made $30 million worth of property transactions involving 26 pieces of real estate and was standing right next to him. The Opposition Leader also receives a taxpayer-funded salary of $432,000. 11. Prop of green and gold terror Anthony Albanese announced a new free, nationwide 24/7 health advice line and after hours GP telehealth service called 1800 MEDICARE as his last big political gamble of the election. That continued weeks of a 'Mediscare' campaign in which Labor claimed Peter Dutton would slash Medicare. 12. The kiss that wasn't a kiss When Anthony Albanese awkwardly snubbed Tanya Plibersek's attempt at a hug at his official campaign launch, no one inside the Labor machinery was surprised. The pair's mutual dislike is well known by their colleagues and has been on full display in the final months of Labor's first term – but has a long and rich history dating back years. 13. Campaign's biggest moment wasn't a campaign moment Both the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader paid tribute to Pope Francis after the pontiff's death, calling him a 'devoted champion and loving father' to Australian Catholics, and a man who 'served God with the utmost devotion'. 'He urged us to remember all we hold in common, and he asked the world to hear the cry of the Earth, our common home,' Albanese said.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Delulu' Dutton has ‘no solutions', Albo
Anthony Albanese says Peter Dutton has been exposed for having 'no solutions' and 'doesn't know the price of Australian values', as the election campaign enters the final five days. Both the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader failed to correctly answer how much a dozen eggs costs when asked on the Seven Network's Final Showdown debate. Mr Albanese's response of $7 was closer to the $8-plus price charged in supermarkets, than Mr Dutton's $4.20. Speaking about Mr Dutton's mistake, the Prime Minister said 'those sort of things can happen… that's the truth so I'm not going to… add an explanation'. However, when asked what Mr Dutton's flop says about his opponent, Mr Albanese was blunter. 'I think, importantly, he doesn't know the price of Australian values right across the board,' Mr Albanese said. He also accused the Coalition of being 'delulu with no solulu', a phrase he used in parliament after being dared by podcasters, Lucy Jackson and Nikki Westcott. 'The thing about eggs that I know, because I hear it, is that people are struggling to find eggs on the supermarket shelf, and we know that inflation is a real issue, the cost of living,' he said. 'The difference in this election is that Peter Dutton has spent three years identifying problems and saying somehow that the government is responsible as if global inflation has not occurred, as if we haven't had the biggest energy crisis since the 1970s. 'But the truth is that this election campaign has exposed that he has no solutions. You know, dare I say he's delulu with no solution, and that has come through during this campaign.' Question that brought Dutton undone Peter Dutton left the audience of the final leaders' debate gobsmacked when he could not answer how much a dozen eggs cost. The question during the final election leaders' debate on Sunday night might not have been about policy, but it was the question that went to the heart of the cost-of-living crisis faced by struggling families. During a quickfire round on the Seven Network's Final Showdown, both Anthony Albanese and Mr Dutton were asked about the cost of a dozen eggs. The Opposition Leader left audience members stunned by his answer of 'about $4.20,' with some audibly laughing at his guess. 'It was shocking to see how somebody can be so out of touch with a carton of a dozen eggs,' one of the members of Seven's 'jury' said. 'Everybody pretty much burst into laughter when he said that. It was surprising.' The Prime Minister's answer was closer to the mark, with moderator Mark Riley declaring a dozen eggs would set a shopper back $8.80 from Coles and $8.50 from Woolworths. 'It's $7 if you can find them because it's hard to find them at the moment,' he said. Mr Dutton's slip was reflected in the result of the Final Showdown, with 50 per cent of the 60 undecided voters giving the debate win to Mr Albanese. Only 25 per cent of the audience of undecided voters, selected by Roy Morgan and tasked with choosing the winner, chose Mr Dutton as the winner, while the remaining 25 per cent were still undecided. The audience split on the question on the cost-of-living was more striking, with 65 per cent siding with Mr Albanese, and just 16 per cent siding with Mr Dutton, while 19 per cent remained undecided. According to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the price of eggs increased by 11.9 per cent between February 2024 and 2025. This was due to the 2024 bird flu outbreak in Victoria which forced Australia chicken flock to be culled by 10 per cent. The Coalition's campaign spokesman James Paterson defended the response, and said it was an 'objective fact' that 'cost of living has gone backwards on Labor's watch'. 'I want to be respectful of the audience views and their opinions,' he told Seven following the debate. 'Grocery prices up 30 per cent, electricity prices up 32 per cent, gas prices up 30 per cent. 'We have had the worst fall in living standards in Australian history and the worst in the developed world in the last couple of years.' Asked why Mr Dutton appeared to be unable to get that message 'across to people,' Senator Paterson said he believed Australians were aware that 'this Prime Minister has failed'. 'I think Australians know when they go to the supermarket checkout and it's worse than was just the week before, every week it gets worse,' he said. 'There is no reason to expect a second term Albanese government would be better than a first term Albanese government in reducing the cost-of-living.' Dutton's egg blunder 'can be forgiven': Hume The Coalition's finance spokeswoman says Peter Dutton 'can be forgiven' for getting the price of a dozen eggs wrong during the fourth and final leaders' debate. Going into damage control on Monday, Jane Hume said her boss had not 'made pancakes at home' for some time. 'I think that Peter can be forgiven for not knowing the price of a dozen eggs,' she told Sky News. 'It's been a fair while since he's probably made pancakes at home. He's been very busy on the road, travelling right around Australia, talking to ordinary Australians about what's important to them, and they are telling him that the cost of living has been their number one issue.' Asked if she knew what the cost of eggs were, Senator Hume said: 'I'm afraid … I absolutely do.' 'After the rally yesterday, I went to my mother's house and cooked bacon and eggs and sausages and baked beans for my kids and for my mother, as I do most Sundays,' she said. 'And unfortunately, the dozen eggs that I bought on the way home were nearly $10, but they were free range, so I think I got stung.' PM hits crucial election bellwether Anthony Albanese has become the first leader to visit the NSW Central Coast seat of Robertson – a key election bellwether seat which will be closely watched by election analysts. The term refers to swinging electorates which predict the outcome of the election. In 2022, it was won by Labor's Gordon Reid, who prised it from longtime Liberal MP Lucy Wicks. The Prime Minister visited community housing provider Pacific Link Housing to announce the Coast Women's and Children's Trauma Recovery Centre in East Gosford, a new $20m initiative to help victims of domestic and sexual violence. Mr Albanese was joined by Health Minister Mark Butler, Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth, Senator Deb O'Neill and finance Jodie Haydon. Dutton siding with 'Neo-Nazis' on Welcome to Country: minister Peter Dutton has found himself siding with 'Neo-Nazis' on Welcome to Country ceremonies, according to a senior minister. During the final leaders debate on Sunday, the Opposition Leader said the ceremonies were 'overdone', but called them a 'respectful thing to do' in certain formal circumstances, such as opening parliament. Labor campaign spokesman Jason Clare on Monday said he hoped Welcome to Country ceremonies would not become a 'political football'. 'This is about a bit of respect and organisations and individuals make their own choices about whether they organise welcomes to country,' Mr Clare told the ABC. 'Remember where all of this began on Friday, it spawned out of the actions of Neo-Nazis interrupting an Anzac Day Dawn Service. 'I don't think any of us want to find ourselves on the same side of this argument as Neo-Nazis.' Mr Dutton has long-held that ceremonies were losing their value, but largely left the matter to opposition Indigenous affairs spokeswoman Jacinta Nampijinpa Price. Coalition attack dog Barnaby Joyce earlier backed Mr Dutton in a testy morning show appearance with Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek. 'I certainly don't want to be welcomed back to my own hometown. I think veterans have a genuine concern, if they've signed on the dotted line to sign for this nation, they don't believe they need to be welcomed to it,' he said. 'They've absolutely proven their loyalty to this nation. I think there's time and place for everything, but we've got to be a lot more discerning about how we do this.' Ms Plibersek took a different view, saying it was no 'skin off anyone's nose to show respect'. 'But as someone who attends a lot of events, I really like learning about the history and culture of the area that I'm visiting,' she said. Grim news for Dutton in latest Newspoll More than half of all voters believe Peter Dutton and the Coalition are not ready to govern the nation, according to the latest Newspoll. The poll, published by The Australian six days before the May 3 election, revealed 62 per cent of the 1254 voters surveyed between April 21 and 24 did not believe Mr Dutton and his team had what it takes to assume power. This marks a seven point increase from polling done in February this year. The feeling was strongest among women, with 66 per cent holding little or no confidence in the Coalition, compared to 58 per cent of men. Things were not much better for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Labor, with only 39 per cent of voters believing the party should be re-elected for a second term. Both leaders will be stepping up the pace on Monday, with just five days of campaigning left before Saturday's election. Early polling will also resume on Monday, with 2.4 million Australians having already cast their votes in the four days of pre-polling so far. Labor defiant on Greens question Health Minister Mark Butler has maintained Labor 'will not do a deal' with the Greens if it fails to secure enough seats to govern a majority. There are five days to go before Australians cast their ballots in the federal election. While polls show Labor's fortunes have changed for the better in the past five weeks of intense campaigning, a hung parliament is still possible. Mr Butler said on Monday the party remained 'focused on majority government'. 'We think majority government is what Australia needs right now in a globally very volatile, uncertain time,' he told Nine's Today. 'Australia needs stability. We need certainty and continuity. And that's what a Labor government will give them.' In a jab to the opposition, Mr Butler said Labor was 'not a party of coalition unlike the Liberal Party'. 'Whatever the result, whether it's … a majority or slightly short of a majority, if we are commissioned to form government, we will put Labor's platform to the parliament and we'll put it without any deals,' he said. Meanwhile, the Greens have been preparing a list of demands to put to Anthony Albanese should he need to strike a deal. They include blocking new coal and gas projects, expanding Medicare to cover dental health, reforming negative gearing and capital gains tax, ending logging in native forests, and introducing free universal early childhood education. Liberal candidate forced to apologise The Liberal candidate in Fowler, a key seat in Western Sydney, has apologised and shut down his Twitter account after it emerged that he'd published derogatory posts about Indigenous Australians. Vivek Singha's account abruptly became inactive on Sunday afternoon after the ABC contacted the Liberals for comment. 'I apologise for the social media posts, I should not have expressed myself in that way and I sincerely regret doing so,' the candidate said in a statement to the national broadcaster. The posts in question came during 2023, before the unsuccessful referendum on creating a Voice to parliament. Mr Singh was not expected to win Fowler, where the independent incumbent Dai Le is mainly facing competition from Labor's Tu Le. More to come
News.com.au
27-04-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Federal election 2025: Albanese, Dutton on day 32 of May 3 election campaign
Peter Dutton left the audience of the final leaders' debate gobsmacked when he could not answer how much a dozen eggs cost. The question during the final election leaders' debate on Sunday night might not have been about policy, but it was the question that went to the heart of the cost-of-living crisis faced by struggling families. During a quickfire round on the Seven Network's Final Showdown, both Anthony Albanese and Mr Dutton were asked about the cost of a dozen eggs. The Opposition Leader left audience members stunned by his answer of 'about $4.20,' with some audibly laughing at his guess. 'It was shocking to see how somebody can be so out of touch with a carton of a dozen eggs,' one of the members of Seven's 'jury' said. 'Everybody pretty much burst into laughter when he said that. It was surprising.' The Prime Minister's answer was closer to the mark, with moderator Mark Riley declaring a dozen eggs would set a shopper back $8.80 from Coles and $8.50 from Woolworths. 'It's $7 if you can find them because it's hard to find them at the moment,' he said. Mr Dutton's slip was reflected in the result of the Final Showdown, with 50 per cent of the 60 undecided voters giving the debate win to Mr Albanese. Only 25 per cent of the audience of undecided voters, selected by Roy Morgan and tasked with choosing the winner, chose Mr Dutton as the winner, while the remaining 25 per cent were still undecided. The audience split on the question on the cost-of-living was more striking, with 65 per cent siding with Mr Albanese, and just 16 per cent siding with Mr Dutton, while 19 per cent remained undecided. According to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the price of eggs increased by 11.9 per cent between February 2024 and 2025. This was due to the 2024 bird flu outbreak in Victoria which forced Australia chicken flock to be culled by 10 per cent. The Coalition's campaign spokesman James Paterson defended the response, and said it was an 'objective fact' that 'cost of living has gone backwards on Labor's watch'. 'I want to be respectful of the audience views and their opinions,' he told Seven following the debate. 'Grocery prices up 30 per cent, electricity prices up 32 per cent, gas prices up 30 per cent. 'We have had the worst fall in living standards in Australian history and the worst in the developed world in the last couple of years.' Asked why Mr Dutton appeared to be unable to get that message 'across to people,' Senator Paterson said he believed Australians were aware that 'this Prime Minister has failed'. 'I think Australians know when they go to the supermarket checkout and it's worse than was just the week before, every week it gets worse,' he said. 'There is no reason to expect a second term Albanese government would be better than a first term Albanese government in reducing the cost-of-living.' Dutton's egg blunder 'can be forgiven': Hume The Coalition's finance spokeswoman says Peter Dutton 'can be forgiven' for getting the price of a dozen eggs wrong during the fourth and final leaders' debate. Going into damage control on Monday, Jane Hume said her boss had not 'made pancakes at home' for some time. 'I think that Peter can be forgiven for not knowing the price of a dozen eggs,' she told Sky News. 'It's been a fair while since he's probably made pancakes at home. He's been very busy on the road, travelling right around Australia, talking to ordinary Australians about what's important to them, and they are telling him that the cost of living has been their number one issue.' Asked if she knew what the cost of eggs were, Senator Hume said: 'I'm afraid … I absolutely do.' 'After the rally yesterday, I went to my mother's house and cooked bacon and eggs and sausages and baked beans for my kids and for my mother, as I do most Sundays,' she said. 'And unfortunately, the dozen eggs that I bought on the way home were nearly $10, but they were free range, so I think I got stung.' PM hits crucial election bellwether Anthony Albanese has become the first leader to visit the NSW Central Coast seat of Robertson – a key election bellwether seat which will be closely watched by election analysts. The term refers to swinging electorates which predict the outcome of the election. In 2022, it was won by Labor's Gordon Reid, who prised it from longtime Liberal MP Lucy Wicks. The Prime Minister visited community housing provider Pacific Link Housing to announce the Coast Women's and Children's Trauma Recovery Centre in East Gosford, a new $20m initiative to help victims of domestic and sexual violence. Mr Albanese was joined by Health Minister Mark Butler, Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth, Senator Deb O'Neill and finance Jodie Haydon. Dutton siding with 'Neo-Nazis' on Welcome to Country: minister Peter Dutton has found himself siding with 'Neo-Nazis' on Welcome to Country ceremonies, according to a senior minister. During the final leaders debate on Sunday, the Opposition Leader said the ceremonies were 'overdone', but called them a 'respectful thing to do' in certain formal circumstances, such as opening parliament. Labor campaign spokesman Jason Clare on Monday said he hoped Welcome to Country ceremonies would not become a 'political football'. 'This is about a bit of respect and organisations and individuals make their own choices about whether they organise welcomes to country,' Mr Clare told the ABC. 'Remember where all of this began on Friday, it spawned out of the actions of Neo-Nazis interrupting an Anzac Day Dawn Service. 'I don't think any of us want to find ourselves on the same side of this argument as Neo-Nazis.' Mr Dutton has long-held that ceremonies were losing their value, but largely left the matter to opposition Indigenous affairs spokeswoman Jacinta Nampijinpa Price. Coalition attack dog Barnaby Joyce earlier backed Mr Dutton in a testy morning show appearance with Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek. 'I certainly don't want to be welcomed back to my own hometown. I think veterans have a genuine concern, if they've signed on the dotted line to sign for this nation, they don't believe they need to be welcomed to it,' he said. 'They've absolutely proven their loyalty to this nation. I think there's time and place for everything, but we've got to be a lot more discerning about how we do this.' Ms Plibersek took a different view, saying it was no 'skin off anyone's nose to show respect'. 'But as someone who attends a lot of events, I really like learning about the history and culture of the area that I'm visiting,' she said. More than half of all voters believe Peter Dutton and the Coalition are not ready to govern the nation, according to the latest Newspoll. The poll, published by The Australian six days before the May 3 election, revealed 62 per cent of the 1254 voters surveyed between April 21 and 24 did not believe Mr Dutton and his team had what it takes to assume power. This marks a seven point increase from polling done in February this year. The feeling was strongest among women, with 66 per cent holding little or no confidence in the Coalition, compared to 58 per cent of men. Things were not much better for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Labor, with only 39 per cent of voters believing the party should be re-elected for a second term. Both leaders will be stepping up the pace on Monday, with just five days of campaigning left before Saturday's election. Early polling will also resume on Monday, with 2.4 million Australians having already cast their votes in the four days of pre-polling so far. Labor defiant on Greens question Health Minister Mark Butler has maintained Labor 'will not do a deal' with the Greens if it fails to secure enough seats to govern a majority. There are five days to go before Australians cast their ballots in the federal election. While polls show Labor's fortunes have changed for the better in the past five weeks of intense campaigning, a hung parliament is still possible. Mr Butler said on Monday the party remained 'focused on majority government'. 'We think majority government is what Australia needs right now in a globally very volatile, uncertain time,' he told Nine's Today. 'Australia needs stability. We need certainty and continuity. And that's what a Labor government will give them.' In a jab to the opposition, Mr Butler said Labor was 'not a party of coalition unlike the Liberal Party'. 'Whatever the result, whether it's … a majority or slightly short of a majority, if we are commissioned to form government, we will put Labor's platform to the parliament and we'll put it without any deals,' he said. Meanwhile, the Greens have been preparing a list of demands to put to Anthony Albanese should he need to strike a deal. They include blocking new coal and gas projects, expanding Medicare to cover dental health, reforming negative gearing and capital gains tax, ending logging in native forests, and introducing free universal early childhood education. Liberal candidate forced to apologise The Liberal candidate in Fowler, a key seat in Western Sydney, has apologised and shut down his Twitter account after it emerged that he'd published derogatory posts about Indigenous Australians. Vivek Singha's account abruptly became inactive on Sunday afternoon after the ABC contacted the Liberals for comment. 'I apologise for the social media posts, I should not have expressed myself in that way and I sincerely regret doing so,' the candidate said in a statement to the national broadcaster. The posts in question came during 2023, before the unsuccessful referendum on creating a Voice to parliament. Mr Singh was not expected to win Fowler, where the independent incumbent Dai Le is mainly facing competition from Labor's Tu Le.
News.com.au
27-04-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Federal election 2025: Dutton's media bus delayed after getting bogged outside hotel
Peter Dutton's campaign has encountered a new hitch as the Opposition Leader prepares for a hectic final week before Saturday's federal election. The bus carrying the media covering Mr Dutton's actions on the campaign trail became stuck on a median strip outside the hotel where they are staying in the middle of the Sydney CBD. Despite a heroic attempts to push it off the obstruction, the bus was immobile for more than half an hour on Monday morning, blocking a section of Pitt Street and forcing traffic to navigate around it. This will make it quite hard for the media pack to make the first stop of the day on time. An initial attempt to use planks of wood to help ease the bus backwards, and off the obstruction, failed. Bus rescuers managed to winch the offending wheel off the ground to slide the wood underneath. Mr Dutton, who campaign slogan is 'Getting Australia Back on Track', has plans to hit 28 Labor and Teal held seats he believes the coalition can win. The Coalition needs to pick up at least 21 seats on Saturday to win a majority. It currently has a notional 57 seats, while Labor started the campaign with 78 seats notionally. A party needs 76 seats to govern in its own right in the 150-seat parliament The latest Newspoll released on Sunday showed Labor remained in front, wi.h 52 per cent to 48 per cent on a two-party preferred basis. But his campaign hit a stumble on Sunday night following the last leaders' debate – the Final Showdown – on the Seven Network where got wrong how much a dozen eggs cost, putting a carton at around $4.20, half of the average price in supermarkets at the moment. The Coalition's finance spokeswoman defended the blunder, saying Mr Dutton 'can be forgiven' for getting the price of a dozen eggs wrong. 'I think that Peter can be forgiven for not knowing the price of a dozen eggs,' she told Sky News. 'It's been a fair while since he's probably made pancakes at home. He's been very busy on the road, travelling right around Australia, talking to ordinary Australians about what's important to them, and they are telling him that the cost of living has been their number one issue.'
Perth Now
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Bogged bus delays Dutton campaign blitz
Peter Dutton's campaign has encountered a new hitch as the Opposition Leader prepares for a hectic final week before Saturday's federal election. The bus carrying the media covering Mr Dutton's actions on the campaign trail became stuck on a median strip outside the hotel where they are staying in the middle of the Sydney CBD. The Dutton campaign's media bus has become stuck on a median strip in the Sydney CBD, forcing traffic to drive around it. Despite a heroic attempts to push it off the obstruction, the bus was immobile for more than half an hour on Monday morning, blocking a section of Pitt Street and forcing traffic to navigate around it. This will make it quite hard for the media pack to make the first stop of the day on time. The Dutton campaign's media bus has become stuck on a median strip in the Sydney CBD on Monday morning. Those on-board have tried – so far unsuccessfully – to shift the bus. Credit: News Corp Australia The Dutton campaign's media bus has become stuck on a median strip in the Sydney CBD on Monday morning. Credit: News Corp Australia An initial attempt to use planks of wood to help ease the bus backwards, and off the obstruction, failed. Bus rescuers managed to winch the offending wheel off the ground to slide the wood underneath. Mr Dutton, who campaign slogan is 'Getting Australia Back on Track', has plans to hit 28 Labor and Teal held seats he believes the coalition can win. The Coalition needs to pick up at least 21 seats on Saturday to win a majority. It currently has a notional 57 seats, while Labor started the campaign with 78 seats notionally. A party needs 76 seats to govern in its own right in the 150-seat parliament The latest Newspoll released on Sunday showed Labor remained in front, wi.h 52 per cent to 48 per cent on a two-party preferred basis. But his campaign hit a stumble on Sunday night following the last leaders' debate – the Final Showdown – on the Seven Network where got wrong how much a dozen eggs cost, putting a carton at around $4, half of the average price in supermarkets at the moment. The Coalition's finance spokeswoman defended the blunder, saying Mr Dutton 'can be forgiven' for getting the price of a dozen eggs wrong. 'I think that Peter can be forgiven for not knowing the price of a dozen eggs,' she told Sky News. 'It's been a fair while since he's probably made pancakes at home. He's been very busy on the road, travelling right around Australia, talking to ordinary Australians about what's important to them, and they are telling him that the cost of living has been their number one issue.' More to come
