Day 25 cont

The LNP has a candidate problem.

“Since I started covering #Bruce in #Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs, voters and Labor insiders have raised questions with me about the #Liberal Party’s promotion of its candidate #ZahidSafi as a successful “small businessman”. So I decided to take a look for myself and headed for Merribrook Boulevard in Clyde.”

Update Safi has been found, “We found Safi!” #CharlotteGrieve <https://archive.md/lyfPg>

#AusPol / #LNP / #Coalition / #Nationals / #quality / #candidates <https://archive.md/XtLTQ> / <https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/fake-reviews-a-bewildered-family-following-the-threads-of-a-candidate-s-business-empire-20250422-p5lthj.html> (paywall)

Day 26 cont

The LNP has a candidate problem.

“#Coalition frontbencher #JasonWood was warned there were “serious integrity concerns” about a #Liberal donor and #MigrationAgent whom he tried to appoint to a government advisory group, two years before he denied knowing any adverse information about the man.

Migration agent #JackTa was exposed in a 2022 investigation by this masthead and #60Minutes for being suspected of repeatedly gaming the #visa system to help more than a dozen #DrugOffenders remain in #Australia – concerns that were substantiated when his registration was cancelled months later.”

#AusPol / #LNP / #Nationals / #Crime / #ToughOnCrime / #HomeAffairs / #Leadership <https://archive.md/qjnUF> / <https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/coalition-frontbencher-shocked-by-allegations-against-a-migration-agent-but-he-had-been-warned-20250417-p5lsia.html>

Day 26 cont

“Thirty years ago, the average #buyer looked more like the #MedianIncome earner. But over time we’ve seen that shift [to] #households that are in the top two income quintiles, so top 40 per cent of income earners, and shift from being #SingleIncome earning households to #DualIncome households,”

#AusPol / #housing / #HousingCrisis / #LNP / #Liberal / #Nationals / #Labor <https://archive.md/kbscP> / <https://www.theage.com.au/property/news/how-much-you-can-afford-to-spend-on-a-house-20250423-p5ltn1.html>

Day 26 cont

“The #HousingCrisis has dominated the #FederalElection campaign, and all sides of politics have desperately tried to #harness or #neutralise it as an #issue.

An analysis by The #AFR of nearly 25,000 data points compiled by research firm Cotality, formerly #CoreLogic, reveals how the property market is playing out at an electorate-by-electorate level, and what this means for #voters – both at the #election on May 3 and into the future”

#AusPol / #LNP / #Liberal / #Nationals / #Labor / #Housing <https://archive.md/g5TZJ> / <https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/these-5-maps-reveal-the-house-price-pain-that-could-sway-the-election-20250421-p5lt63> (paywall)

Day 26 cont

“#PeterDutton has pledged to cut almost two-thirds of Canberra’s federal #PublicServants if elected, in a move #AnthonyAlbanese has criticised as “outrageous”.

In a testy press conference in #Tasmania on Thursday morning, the opposition leader batted away questions about not visiting a single proposed #NuclearPower station site, as well as confusion over shifting positions on #migration targets, tax breaks for #ElectricVehicles and #Coalition support for recognising #WestJerusalem as #Israel’s capital.”
…
“The numbers don’t even stack up, you can’t cut 41,000 public servants from Canberra without touching defence, intelligence and frontline services, and still run the country effectively – it simply isn’t possible,”

#AusPol / #LNP / #Liberal / #Nationals / #Policy <https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/24/anthony-albanese-peter-dutton-aps-public-service-cuts-canberra>

Day 26 cont ️

“Nationals leader #DavidLittleproud says one of his “proudest” moments of his #leadership has been to oppose #TheVoice to # parliament.

Speaking to the #NationalPressClub, Littleproud says it wasn’t a decision that was made quickly by his party room.

Within our party room, in a #respectful way we undertook a #committee within our party room to listen [to the] yes and no case, to understand what the machinery would look like, what it would mean for us who represent some of the most #disadvantaged #Indigenous #Australians in remote areas.
Littleproud says the voice would have repeated “mistakes of the past” and was not the way to empower local communities.”

A reminder Littleproud has no tertiary #education, a rarity in leadership teams in #Labor, #LNP, #Greens and #Independents.

#AusPol / #racism <https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2025/apr/24/australia-election-2025-live-labor-coalition-teal-anthony-albanese-peter-dutton-policy-cost-of-living-voting-spender-pamphletntwnfb?filterKeyEvents=false&page=with%3Ablock-6809ab7d8f08e65b05d1de6e#block-6809ab7d8f08e65b05d1de6e>

Day 26 cont

“#Kooyong MP #MoniqueRyan had just remarked that the national broadcaster’s annual budget was “about as much as we spend on keeping 100 refugees on #Nauru and #PNG” when a man’s voice suddenly bellowed from the back of the room.

“We’re just here to ask about immigration and crime,” he said.

…

A meeting of Kooyong candidates led to a heated confrontation between agitators and other attendees.
In a room at the #KewLibrary filled with #CivicMinded locals waiting to hear from the Kooyong candidates about the state of the media, the arrival of the three unexpected men disrupted the calm.

Leading them was a bald man with a #goatee, wearing a black T-shirt emblazoned with the logo of the “#AustralianWorkersAlliance” – a self-described nationalist organisation whose mission includes the “preservation of #WesternCulture and identity”. One of the other men wore a leather jacket and filmed the room with his #phone – a dead giveaway that the goal was to capture a viral “gotcha” moment. The third man, dressed in a grey hoodie and sneakers, loitered nearby with his hands in his pockets as back-up.”

The old LNP, Advance create scene, capture distribute trick.

#AusPol / #Independent / #Kooyong / #FarRight / #extremism / #Advance / #SandraBourke / #LNP / #Liberal / #Nationals <https://archive.md/V3knV> / <https://www.theage.au/politics/federal/victoria-s-hot-seats-live-updates-federal-election-2025-continues-muslim-lobby-group-rolls-out-attack-ads-against-labor-20250421-p5lt3t.html> (paywall)

Day 26 cont

“The top reasons #voters are hesitant on #Albanese or #Dutton – and it’s worse in #MarginalSeats: An exclusive survey for this masthead, conducted by research firm #ResolveStrategic, reveals the top concerns voters have when considering either of the #MajorParties on May 3.”

#AusPol / #Labor / #LNP / #Liberals / #National / #greens / #Independents <https://archive.md/rNBDk> / <https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/the-top-reasons-voters-are-hesitant-on-albanese-or-dutton-and-it-s-worse-in-marginal-seats-20250418-p5lst0.html> (paywall)

Day 26 cont

“Opposition Leader #PeterDutton’s “Australian #gas for Australians” scheme (‘cost impost as a “charge” or “incentive” for producers to flood the east coast market with cheaper gas ‘) risks violating the #Constitution and provoking an expensive #HighCourt battle with #FossilFuel giants as prominent legal experts warn the #CoalitionPolicy appears to be a discriminatory tax regime.”

#AusPol / #LNP / #Liberal / #National / #Energy <https://archive.md/wxwWm> / <https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/looks-and-smells-like-a-tax-dutton-s-gas-plan-flagged-as-unconstitutional-20250416-p5ls5w.html> (paywall)

Day 26 cont

“#PeterDutton has committed to redoing security checks for thousands of Palestinians from Gaza granted visitor visas in Australia as he doubled down on introducing questions on #antisemitism in #CitizenshipTests. In a press conference in Perth on Wednesday, Dutton said Palestinians on #VisitorVisas would be subject to further scrutiny, echoing the #Coalition’s previous claims – #WithoutEvidence – that they are a national security risk”

VS

“The #ASIO chief, #MikeBurgess, has previously said #Palestinians with visas had “gone through the #process” and “part of the process is, where criteria are hit, they’re referred to my organisation and ASIO does its thing”.”

#AusPol / #LNP / #Liberal #National <https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/23/peter-dutton-reaffirms-support-for-antisemitism-citizenship-test-question-and-re-vetting-gazan-visas>

Day 26 cont

“#Coalition pledges to remove #EVTaxbreak two days after #Dutton ruled out scrapping it – as it happened”

A reminder the LNP has no #EnergyPolicy it’s changed on the go.

#AusPol / #LNP / #Liberal / #Nationals / #energy <https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2025/apr/23/australia-election-2025-live-peter-dutton-anthony-albanese-defence-spending-labor-coalition-debate-cost-of-living-ntwnfb?filterKeyEvents=false&page=with%3Ablock-68089b5a8f08881f19d8b028#block-68089b5a8f08881f19d8b028>

Day 26 cont

“#Indonesia’s ambassador met with senior #Australian #diplomats on Tuesday as the nation was thrust into an election campaign debate about a potential #Russian military presence in the region – and on the same day #AnthonyAlbanese accused #PeterDutton of damaging the bilateral relationship.

Indonesia’s ambassador to Australia, Dr #SiswoPramono, met with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (#DFAT) deputy secretary, #MichelleChan, who leads its south-east Asian policy division. One diplomatic source said Indonesia requested the meeting.

The meeting has been described by multiple sources as part of a regular series of engagements between #Pramono and #Chan, who is also responsible for managing the department’s diplomatic relationship with Indonesia.”

#AusPol / #LNP / #Liberal / #Coalition <https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/24/indonesian-ambassador-met-senior-australian-diplomats-on-same-day-albanese-accused-dutton-of-damaging-relationship>

Day 26 cont

“#PeterDutton is avoiding visiting any of the seven sites for his proposed #NuclearReactors , #AnthonyAlbanese and the #Labor party claim, arguing the issue has become “radioactive” for the #Coalition.

The #Liberal leader says he is still committed to #NuclearPower, even as he concedes it may not be “politically popular”.

#AusPol / #nuclear / #NuclearPolicy / #LNP / #Nationals / #NuclearWaste <https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/24/exclusion-zones-is-peter-duttons-campaign-avoiding-proposed-nuclear-power-sites>

Day 26 cont

“Sydney residents shaken awake by early morning #earthquake in #NSW Hunter Valley: Preliminary information indicates the 4.6-magnitude #quake occurred at a shallow depth of 10km”

“The quake struck at 2.55am on Wednesday near #Singleton in the New South Wales #HunterValley, about 200km north of #Sydney, Geoscience Australia #seismologists said.

…

The quake’s #epicentre was about 36km from #Liddell, where the #Coalition has proposed to build a #NuclearPower plant.”

A reminder the LNP and #PeterDutton have no policy for nuclear accidents.

#AusPol / #LNP / #Nationals / #Liberal / #NuclearEnergy / #uranium / energy <https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/23/sydney-residents-shaken-awake-by-early-morning-earthquake-near-nsw-hunter-valley>

Day 25 cont

“#Nationals MP accused of ‘fobbing off’ #Gippsland constituents concerned by Dutton’s nuclear plan :
#DarrenChester had called for ‘conversation’ around #PeterDutton’s #nuclear policy, but several constituents say their attempts to raise concerns have been ignored”

A reminder the Liberals and Nationals have no nuclear policy. This includes storage of waste, contamination and natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, fires of cyclones.

#AusPol / #LNP / #Nationals / #Liberal / #NuclearWaste <https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/23/nationals-mp-darren-chester-gippsland-australia-federal-election-2025-nuclear-policy>

Day 26

“Over five decades, here’s how voters have shifted away from the major parties”

#AusPol / #Labor / #LNP / #Nationals / #Liberal / #Coalition / #Greens / #Independent <https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-24/election-data-rise-independents-major-party-drift/105144918>

Day 25 cont

“The #opposition leader, #PeterDutton, has refused to specify where an additional $21bn in pledged #defence spending would be #allocated, nor where the #money would come from, committing only to releasing the Coalition’s #costings before the 3 May election.”

A reminder the #LNP #Liberal #Nationals have released no policies. This is a “Hail Mary” shot and they bought out -Andy

#AusPol / #Coalition / #AndrewHastie <https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/23/dutton-refuses-to-specify-what-coalitions-21bn-of-pledged-defence-spending-would-be-used-on>

Day 25

“#TradeUnions, #conservationists, #FirstNations groups, #church congregations and #community organisations have launched a coordinated campaign against opposition leader #PeterDutton’s plan for #NuclearReactors across Australia.

The #Coalition has pledged, if elected, to build seven nuclear reactors to replace retiring or retired coal sites naming #Tarong and #Callide in Queensland, #Liddell and #MountPiper in New South Wales, #PortAugusta in South Australia, #LoyYang in Victoria, and #Muja in Western Australia.”

The location of Nuclear power plants is not optimised for safe operation. The Loy Yang location was originally chosen due to coal deposits not geological stability. This area is prone to geological faulting.

#AusPol / #LNP / #Liberal / #Nuclear / #NuclearPower <https://theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/23/peter-dutton-coalition-nuclear-reactors-plan-risks-waste>